If you are on a tight budget and need a graphics card under 100 dollars for your gaming PC then you came to the right place. Not everybody can afford a high mid-range or expensive graphics card for their gaming PC but what you can do is pick the best budget graphics card under 100 dollars price range. Mid-range graphics cards generally start above 100 dollars and can go to up to 200 dollars or more.
A graphics card under 100 dollars is enough for playing games at low-medium settings and you can run some older games at 1080p resolution too. These graphics cards under 100 dollars are entry-level graphics cards that consume less power and are suited for casual gaming, 720p or 900p gaming, eSports gaming, video editing, photo editing, 4K video playback, running graphics-intensive software and watching Full HD and Blu-ray movies. It is better to have a graphics card for any PC because onboard or integrated graphics does not offer the performance and features that a dedicated graphics card can. So here in this post, I am going to list down the best graphics cards under 100 dollars from Nvidia and AMD for gaming and general use. All the below mentioned graphics cards support DirectX 12 and the latest Windows 10 Operating System. If you can increase your budget a little bit more then you can check out these graphics cards under 150 dollars.
Must See: Best Graphics Cards under 200 dollars for 1080p Gaming
Best Graphics Cards under 100 dollars from Nvidia
Here are the best video cards under 100 dollars from Nvidia for 720p or 900p gaming at medium-low settings.
Gigabyte GeForce GT 730 2GB GDDR5
GeForce GT 730 is a budget graphics card that offers a great balance between price and performance. This card is not too weak and not as strong as the mid-range graphics cards, but it sits in between the two. GeForce GT 730 is based on the older Kepler architecture but still packs some punch. Here we have the Gigabyte GeForce GT 730 that comes with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM. This is a low profile graphics card which means it is slimmer in width than a traditional full-sized graphics card. The main advantage of low profile graphics cards is that they can fit in slim cases or low profile cases. It is also a single slot graphics card and consumes one slot on your motherboard. The card consumes very low power and you only need a good 300 Watt power supply for its working. Also, it does not require external power from the PSU.
Even though it is a low profile GeForce GT 730 GDDR5 card but it has more power than the full sized GeForce GT 730 graphics cards with DDR3 memory. This low profile GT 730 graphics card is actively cooled with a fan and heatsink. It is a perfect budget graphics card for users who want more graphics power than onboard graphics and are into casual gaming, video editing, photo editing etc. This card can run older games at medium graphics settings at decent resolutions. Latest and high-demanding games may be played at 720p (or lower) at low-medium settings. Games like Counter Strike, CS:GO, GTA San Andreas etc. will run more than fine on this graphics card. Connectivity options include DVI and HDMI port. So, if you are looking for a small & compact sized graphics card that is way powerful than onboard graphics then you cannot go wrong with this one.
| Gigabyte GeForce GT 730 2GB GDDR5 Specifications | |
| CUDA Cores | 384 |
| GPU Clock | 902 MHz |
| Memory Clock | 5000 MHz |
| Memory Size | 2GB GDDR5 |
| Memory Interface | 64-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 2.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.4 |
| Output Ports | DVI, HDMI |
Buy Gigabyte GeForce GT 730 2GB GDDR5
EVGA GeForce GT 740 GDDR5 Superclocked
GeForce GT 740 is an improved or advanced version of the GeForce GT 730 graphics card. GeForce GT 740 is about a year newer graphics card than GT 730.
The GDDR5 version of both GT 730 and GT 740 graphics cards have 384 Cuda cores but there is a decent performance difference between the two in which GT 740 leads. This is because of the two advantages that GT 740 has over GT 730.
More ROPs & TMUs – GT 740 has 8 more ROPs (Render Output Units or Raster Operations Pipeline) and 16 more TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) as compared to GT 730. This results in a higher pixel fill rate and better performance at higher resolutions.
Greater Memory Bandwidth – The GDDR5 memory of GT 740 has 128-bit memory interface while the GDDR5 memory used in GT 730 is only 64-bit wide. This is results in comparatively higher memory bandwidth and ultimately better performance.
GT 740 is also based on Nvidia’s Kepler Architecture which is a bit older considering the fact that Maxwell and Pascal Architecture have already been launched earlier. The only downside of GT 740 compared to GT 730 is that it consumes a bit more power than GT 730 and requires a 400W PSU.
Here we have EVGA GeForce GT 740 GDDR5 graphics card that comes with 2GB & 4GB GDDR5 RAM. The 2GB variant will cost you under 100 dollars while the 4GB one goes slightly above 100 dollars. It is the Superclocked (SC) version which means it has higher GPU core and memory frequencies than the normal or reference design. This card has dual slot design which means it will require more space in your computer case. You can play games like GTA5, CS Go etc. on medium-high settings at high resolutions. It includes dual DVI and HDMI ports as display connectivity options. So if you want a card that has better performance than GT 730 then you should go with this one.
Note: This card does require a 6-Pin PCI-E power connector
| EVGA GeForce GT 740 GDDR5 SC Specifications | |
| CUDA Cores | 384 |
| GPU Clock | 1085 MHz |
| Memory Clock | 5000 MHz |
| Memory Size | 2GB / 4GB GDDR5 |
| Memory Interface | 128-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 3.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.4 |
| Output Ports | DVI-I, DVI-D, Mini-HDMI |
Buy EVGA GeForce GT 740 2GB GDDR5 SC
Buy EVGA GeForce GT 740 4GB GDDR5 SC
ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030 2GB GDDR5
GeForce GT 1030 is the latest budget graphics card from Nvidia in the GeForce 10 graphics card series. The card is based on the Pascal GPU architecture and comes with 384 CUDA Cores. This is a great entry-level graphics card and is more powerful than GeForce GT 730 and GeForce GT 740 graphics cards. GeForce GT 1030 graphics card is best suited for eSports gaming, video editing, HTPC, 4K display & video playback and it can also run some of the latest games on low graphics settings at 720p.
Here we have ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030 2GB GDDR5 Low Profile graphics card which is a reference GeForce GT 1030 graphics card and it comes with 2GB GDDR5 memory. This is a low profile graphics card and has got single-slot design. Also, it is very compact in size and can fit in smallest of PC cases including mini-ITX cases. The card has very low power consumption and it does not require external power from the PSU. The connectivity options for this card include DVI and HDMI ports. You can overclock this graphics card a little using graphics card overclocking utilities. You may get this graphics card for under 100 dollars for a budget gaming build.
Must Read: Best GeForce GT 1030 Graphics Cards from Top Brands
| ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile Specifications | |
| CUDA Cores | 384 |
| GPU Clock | 1227/1468 MHz |
| Memory Clock | 6000 MHz |
| Memory Size | 2GB GDDR5 |
| Memory Interface | 64-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 3.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.5 |
| Output Ports | HDMI, DVI |
Buy Zotac GeForce GT 1030 2GB GDDR5
Best Graphics Cards under 100 dollars from AMD
Here are the best graphics cards under 100 dollars from AMD for eSports gaming and for gaming at 720p or 900p.
ASUS Radeon R7 240 2GB DDR3
AMD Radeon R7 240 is an amazing budget graphics card that offers much better performance than the graphics cards in its range. AMD Radeon R7 240 is at par with GeForce GT 730 in gaming. GeForce GT 730 is a bit better than R7 240 because of slightly better GPU. Here we have ASUS R7240-2GD3-L which is a low profile graphics card and comes with 2GB DDR3 memory. The memory on this card is a bit slower because it is only DDR3 and not even DDR4. The card features Dust-proof Fan design which increases particle resistance and extends card lifespan by up to 25% longer than reference.
On this card, you can play older games like Borderlands 2, Skyrim, Dead Island: Riptide, etc. at medium settings on 900p or 720 resolutions. You can run the latest games on low settings on 720p or lower resolutions. This is a great budget graphics card for use in HTPC, Multimedia PCs for Video Editing, and setting up multiple monitors. The card does not require external power connectors from the PSU. One other advantage of this card is that it is considerably cheaper than the GT 730. Connectivity options in this card include VGA, DVI and HDMI ports. You may check out the link below for its current availability.
| ASUS Radeon R7 240 2GB DDR3 Specifications | |
| Stream Processors | 320 |
| GPU Clock | 900 MHz |
| Memory Clock | 1800 MHz |
| Memory Size | 2GB DDR3 |
| Memory Interface | 128-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 3.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.2 |
| Output Ports | DVI, HDMI, VGA |
Buy Asus Radeon R7 240 2GB DDR3
ASUS AMD Radeon R7 250 2GB GDDR5
AMD Radeon R7 250 is the bigger brother of Radeon R7 240 graphics card. Radeon R7 250 is faster than the GT 730 but is a bit slower than GT 740. But the advantage of Radeon R7 250 is that it is cheaper than the GT 740 and the performance difference between the two is not huge.
Here we have the ASUS AMD Radeon R7 250 graphics card that comes with 2GB GDDR5 memory and an excellent HSF (Heat Sink Fan). The Fan in this graphics card is dust proof and the company claims that it has around 25% more lifespan compared to others. This R7 250 graphics card from Asus comes with AUTO-EXTREME Technology with Super Alloy Power II that ensures better performance, reliability and lower temperatures. It comes with GPU Tweak II graphics card overclocking software to increase its performance a bit further. This is a great budget mid-range graphics card and you can play games like CS Go, GTA 5, etc on medium-high settings at medium high resolution. Connectivity options include DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort. So if you need a good value for money card from AMD Radeon then you can definitely trust this one. You can also check out the 1GB variant of this card if 2GB one is not available in stock.
| ASUS AMD Radeon R7 250 2GB GDDR5 Specifications | |
| Stream Processors | 512 |
| GPU Clock | 725 / 925 MHz |
| Memory Clock | 1125 MHz |
| Memory Size | 2GB GDDR5 |
| Memory Interface | 128-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 3.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.5 |
| Output Ports | DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort (DP) |
Buy Asus AMD Radeon R7 250 2GB GDDR5
Buy Asus AMD Radeon R7 250 1GB GDDR5
Gigabyte Radeon RX 550 D5 2G
Radeon RX 550 is unarguably one of the best graphics cards under 100 dollars. This newly launched budget graphics card is based on the latest Polaris GPU architecture from AMD and comes with 512 Stream Processors. This card can run latest games on low-medium settings at 1900 x 1200 pixels or 720p resolutions and older games at high graphics settings.
Here we have Gigabyte Radeon RX 550 D5 2G that comes with 2GB GDDR5 video memory. This is an OC or Overclocked RX 550 card which means it offers extra performance over the stock Radeon RX 550. For cooling, the card comes with one 90mm fan which keeps the graphics card temperature under control. The card consumes less power and does not require PCI-Express power connector and needs only a decent 400W PSU for its working. Various features include One-Click Overclocking using AORUS Graphics Engine, supports HDMI 4K@60Hz and DP 8K@60Hz, Hardware-accelerated H.265 encode/decode, and more. The size of the card is very compact and it can be used in mini-ITX cases as well without any issues.
Must Read: Best Radeon RX 550 for eSports Gaming, HTPC and Video Editing
| Gigabyte Radeon RX 550 D5 2G Specifications | |
| Stream Processors | 512 |
| GPU Clock | 1183 / 1195 MHz |
| Memory Clock | 7000 MHz |
| Memory Size | 2 GB GDDR5 |
| Memory Interface | 128-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 3.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.5 |
| Output Ports | DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort |
Buy Gigabyte Radeon RX 550 D5 2G
Final Words
Well, in the end, I would only like to say that I have listed down the best graphics cards under 100 dollars that can be used for gaming and other purposes. If you have any queries regarding them then you can ask me by leaving a comment below clearly stating your requirements.
(*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!)
A very nicely written article, i went with your suggestion of “Gigabyte AMD Radeon R7 240 2GB DDR3 OC” and run perfectly with my PC,
Thank you so much for these article, keep up the great work.
You are most welcome and thanks for your kind words.
Woah, that was a great article!
I just bought GeForce GT 1030. Gotta wait a few days until I get it delivered. Can’t wait to play some cool games 😀
I have GeForce 930M in my laptop which runs GTA 5 at low settings. I am quite sure that I can play GTA V with mid settings in my Desktop having the same config as of my Laptop 😀
Thanks for the guide!
Hi, I need a suggestion, if you ‘re available. I have a ( https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-B250M-D3H-rev-10#kf ) and I want to Play COD:AW with 1920×1080 on medium-high settings…
Real Question: Low Profile Radeon Card required to fit inside a Mini-iTX cabinet
( http://www.circlect.com/computer-accessories/cabinets/lil-black-181.html )
Source : https://graphicscardhub.com/best-small-form-factor-graphics-card/
I love the way you highlight the specific requirements to choose a graphic card.
In my case a Low profile graphic card for mini itx.
My Cell Number for Whatsapp. : Eight Eight nine Eight Five Six Two Zero Eight Eight
Thank you in advance.
Best
Pratik
In Radeon the only option is MSI Radeon RX 460 2GT LP but it is very hard to find. So go for Nvidia and i advise you to go for ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030 2GB GDDR5 Low Profile or if you want to go for more powerful card then get Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 OC Low Profile 2G or MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GT LP. https://graphicscardhub.com/best-low-profile-graphics-card/
Hi,
I have a dell inspiron 3650 i5-6400 SFF. The PSU is only 240W i think, my Intel HD Graphics 530 supports only VGA and HDMI.
I need a graphic card for 3 or 4 independent monitors.
I am not interested in gaming sorry
Hello,
I suggest you to go for Zotac GeForce GT 730 2GB Zone Edition. It is a passively cooled graphics card with lower power consumption and comes with VGA, DVI and HDMI ports.
Thanks!
What’s the difference between the 2GB and 4GB version? Speed?
No at all and for an entry level graphics card like this 2GB is more than enough.
The speed benchmark for Geforce 730 seems to be lower than Intel 530 i have on my PC.
Could you suggest something better or at the same level as intel HD 530. See link below
http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GeForce-GT-730-vs-Intel-HD-530-Desktop-Skylake/m12582vsm33102
I would be happy to suggest you Gigabyte Radeon RX 550 D5 2G which is powerful budget graphics card but it needs 350 – 400W PSU. Can you upgrade your PSU?
I haven’t thought about upgrading my PSU.
Any suggestions?
Well it just struck my mind that the version of GT 730 that is slower than Intel HD 530 is one with 96 CUDA Cores and it comes with DDR3 Memory. The GeForce GT 730 that i have suggested comes with 384 CUDA Cores and is powerful than Intel HD 530 integrated graphics. You can check them all at https://www.zotac.com/product/graphics_card/gt-730/all
Thanks! bought the 384 CUDA cores GT 730.
I appreciate your help.
I will update you later after the installation.
Andrea
You are most welcome.
Hi,
Sorry to bother you again.
How does EVGA 02G-P3-1733-KR compare with zotac ZT-71113-20L?
Both are basically the same but EVGA one slightly higher memory clock of 1800 MHz compared to 1600 MHz of Zotac.
Thanks!
Hi,
I’m not a gamer but I’m looking for an itx video card to do some video editing. Currently I’m using intel graphics 630 that’s on my cpu intel i5 7600. What would you recommend?
I suggest you to go for Gigabyte Radeon RX 550 D5 2GB GDDR5. You can check it at https://graphicscardhub.com/best-radeon-rx-550/
Hi
Great article!
I saw that you were telling to everyone else’s queries so I’m gonna put mine forward. Amazon prime days are coming soon and I’m planning on buying a Gtx 1050ti or an Rx 560. Without the prime discounts, the Rx 560 is 1000 rupees cheaper. Which one should I buy, I’m specifically worried about the memory performance.
Thanks
GTX 1050 Ti is certainly faster than RX 560 and my choice would be GTX 1050 Ti only, but if you have a freesync monitor then it is better to go for RX 560 to take advantage of the FreeSync technology to reduce screen tearing in games.
Nice article … I’m replacing an old 560 Ti in my secondary box and not sure what to get. Don’t need high end at all at looking for less than $100. Basically it needs to play WOW if my gaming box dies but i want a good display experience as i use this box for daily surfing and web browsing
I suggest you to go for the GeForce GT 1030 GDDR5. Here are some good ones for your reference https://graphicscardhub.com/best-geforce-gt-1030/. I prefer Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile 2G.
P.S. – Never buy the DDR4 variant of GT 1030 as its performance is half of the GDDR5 one, with price being the same for both cards.
i was leaning towards the 710 DDR5’s but many have said just shell out the $20 to jump up to the 1030 …. the box will never be used for anything game other than wow in a pinch so I’m really looking to make sure i can watch vids in HD and such. Some have also mentioned the RX550
GT 1030 is a perfect choice as it is capable of gaming as well for a HTPC for watching FHD & 4K videos. Radeon RX 550 will cost you above 100 dollars without giving any major boost over GT 1030.
I’m seeing some rx550 and GTX1030 for same price …. if that’s the case is the rx550 better?
Yes RX 550 is better.
Hi I’m using My HP Compaq 6305 SFF as gaming desktop. I want to play PUB G what do you recommend Low profile Video Card ?
I recommend Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile 2G or ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030 2GB GDDR5. You can check them out here https://graphicscardhub.com/best-geforce-gt-1030/
hi i want to run esports games like cs go and dota 2 which graphics card do you recommend
For under $100, I suggest GeForce GT 1030 2GB GDDR5, and for a little above 100 bucks, you can get Radeon RX 550, which is a bit better. You can check both these cards here:
https://graphicscardhub.com/best-geforce-gt-1030/
https://graphicscardhub.com/best-radeon-rx-550/
Hi,
I’ve just built a gaming pc which has a intel core i5 and 16gb of ram. I was wondering what graphics card would suit me if I wanted to play games such as fortnite at high graphics with at least 60 fps.
Thanks
I would highly recommend Radeon RX 570 (https://graphicscardhub.com/best-rx-570/). It will cost you a little more than 100 bucks but is totally worth it.
How about RX 560 14cu? Is better than gt 1030?
Yes RX 560 (14CU) is better than GT 1030.
What card should i use for video editing in premiere pro cc 2020, I need a budget card. Your help will be apprecaited
I would recommend GTX 1650 SUPER in budget category. Here are best GTX 1650 SUPER Cards https://graphicscardhub.com/best-gtx-1650-super/
Hi I’m trying to switch to pc and my whole computer is fine but I’m trying to get a decent graphics card for some chill gaming is there one you would highly recommend for me please and thanks in advance
How much is your budget and what is your computer specs?
my PC system configuartion is (mb gigabyte h81m s2ph ,i3 4150 3.5ghz, and 8gb ram, SMPS bluestrom pro400) what changes should I do to play modern games at 900p at high or ultra settings
?
What kind of games do you want to play because for latest AAA games you need to upgrade the whole PC.
what will you suggest (motherboard, graphics card ,ram,processor) for a buggest pc
Graphics Card probably and I suggest GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. Also, you can upgrade the RAM to 16GB.