The 10 fastest graphics cards under $300 in our database, ranked by performance index. The Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB is first.
Updated October 5, 2026
Index: RTX 4090 = 100. Launch prices are in US dollars.
| # | Graphics card | Index | Memory | Power | Year | Launch price | Index per $100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB | 8 GB | 150 W | 2025 | $299 | 14.4 | |
| 2 | GeForce RTX 5060 | 8 GB | 145 W | 2025 | $299 | 12 | |
| 3 | Arc B580 | 12 GB | 190 W | 2024 | $249 | 13.3 | |
| 4 | GeForce RTX 4060 | 8 GB | 115 W | 2023 | $299 | 10 | |
| 5 | Radeon RX 6700 | 10 GB | 175 W | 2023 | $269 | 11.2 | |
| 6 | Arc B570 | 10 GB | 150 W | 2025 | $219 | 13.2 | |
| 7 | Radeon RX 7600 | 8 GB | 165 W | 2023 | $269 | 10 | |
| 8 | GeForce RTX 5050 | 8 GB | 130 W | 2025 | $249 | 10.4 | |
| 9 | Arc A750 | 8 GB | 225 W | 2022 | $289 | 8.7 | |
| 10 | Arc A580 | 8 GB | 175 W | 2023 | $179 | 11.2 |
The Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB is first in this list with an index of 43 (the RTX 4090 is 100). It launched in 2025 at $299 with 8 GB of memory and a 150 W power rating.
The gap from first to tenth is 115%: the Arc A580 scores 20. 24 graphics cards under $300 matched our filter, and the table shows the ten fastest.
The Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB is also the best value of the ten, at 14.4 index points per $100 of launch price.
The cheapest in the table is the Arc A580 at $179, with an index of 20.
1 of the 10 cards here have 12 GB of memory or more.
Under $300 is the 1080p range. Cards here play most games on medium to high settings at 1080p, and the faster ones reach 1440p on lower settings. If you play at a higher resolution, the mid-range and 1440p lists are the next step up.
Prices are what the cards cost at launch. Older cards usually sell for less now, used cards are cheaper again, and a card that was $279 at launch may not be easy to find new. Compare the index first and the price second.
Desktop graphics cards from 2019 on with a launch price of $300 or less, ranked by performance index. The index is our own estimate of gaming performance, so it is a guide to which part is faster and not a benchmark result. Prices are launch prices in US dollars, not today's shelf prices. The methodology page explains how the index is built.
By our index it is the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB, which scores 43 and launched at $299.
The Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB. It is first on speed and also gives the most index points per dollar of launch price.
See the first row of the table: it is the fastest card in the list by our index, based on launch prices. Check current listings, because shelf prices move away from launch prices.