1080p remains the most popular resolution for PC gamers shopping on a budget. With less pixels to render, you need less powerful hardware, which means that GPUs oriented towards 1080p gaming are generally much more affordable when compared to their 1440p and 4K capable counterparts. But in a market filled with options from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel, which are the best graphics cards for 1080p gaming?
To determine which graphics cards are the best options for 1080p gaming, we’ve tested all of the current and previous generation of graphics cards in a range of titles. These titles range from easier to run games like Apex Legends and Fortnite, through to AAA titles such as Hogwarts Legacy and Alan Wake II. This testing gives us a really well-rounded view of performance, and allows us to reliably recommend the best options for gaming at this entry-level resolution.
Our Top Pick: AMD Radeon RX 7600
The RX 7600 from AMD is the best graphics card for 1080p gaming. This card comes in at the lowest price point, while offering the best performance versus competitor options on the market. The RX 7600 is one of the few budget options that can offer great performance within a plethora of titles at 1080p, while catering to a range of buyers.
The Best GPUs for 1080p Gaming
1. AMD Radeon RX 7600
AMD’s Radeon RX 7600 is the first truly budget-friendly graphics card to emerge from both the Radeon 7000 or RTX 4000 generation. It is by far the cheapest point of entry for the newer hardware with an MSRP at launch of $269, making it an excellent choice for budget gamers building a 1080p gaming PC. Cards like this Gigabyte Gaming OC Edition provide a modest boost to clock speeds, and a small uplift in performance for a small price premium over MSRP.
Despite the more imposing three fan cooler on this card, it’s fairly compact length and thin two-slot form factor does make it easy to slot in to most builds and PC cases, meaning you don’t need to spend a fortune on a premium, large form-factor chassis for a GPU like this.
| Key Specs | AMD Radeon RX 7600 |
|---|---|
| Video Memory Capacity | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 128-Bit |
| Base Clock Speed | 1.72GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.62GHz |
| Stream Processors | 2048 |
| Ray Accelerators | 32 |
| Power Draw | 165W |
| MSRP | $269 |
Longevity is however our biggest concern for the RX 7600. While this GPU is the strongest out of the bunch for 1080p gaming, its 8GB of VRAM isn’t really enough for the performance demands of new AAA titles, making it weaker versus cards like the RX 6750 XT and more. This performance downside is especially prominent at 1440p, rather than 1080p. Despite this, the RX 7600 still remains to be the strongest option for 1080p gaming based on its exceptional value-proposition versus the rest of the market.
Pros
- 1080p performance
- Competitive price
- Power efficient
Cons
- 8GB of VRAM
- Longevity in AAA titles
2. AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT
The RX 6650 XT is a solid alternative to the RX 7600 based on its low asking price and capability within 1080p games. The RX 6650 XT saw a huge driver overhaul towards the end of 2022, making it a very strong GPU despite being a previous generation card. The RX 6650 XT still holds up very well versus modern alternatives thanks to the strength of the RDNA 2 architecture.
In terms of specs, the RX 6650 XT is very similar to its Radeon 7000 counterpart, apart from the slightly increased clock speed. Buyers are still able to leverage benefits such as Fluid Motion Frames and FSR 3, which is perfect for those looking to attain the highest framerates possible – especially on a budget.
| Key Specs | AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT |
|---|---|
| Video Memory Capacity | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 128-Bit |
| Base Clock Speed | 2.05GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.63GHz |
| Stream Processors | 2048 |
| Ray Accelerators | 32 |
| Power Draw | 176W |
| MSRP | $399 |
The main weakness to consider is stocking levels. The RX 6650 XT released back in May of 2022, and production has reportedly been halted, making this an EOL (end of life) graphics card. This means stocks will only last for a certain amount of time dependent on the vendor, so you’ll want to pick up the RX 6650 XT sooner rather than later.
Pros
- Competitive price
- Can use FSR 3
- 1080p performance
Cons
- EOL card
- 8GB VRAM
3. AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT
AMD’s RX 6750 XT is another incredibly popular Radeon 6000 option that offers some performance bonuses versus the RX 6650 XT. This comes in the form of a VRAM increase and memory bus improvement. The RX 6750 XT sports 12GB of VRAM along with a 192-Bit memory bus, improving metrics across 1080p games while opening up options for those looking to play at 1440p too.
Much like the RX 6650 XT, the RX 6750 XT is also able to leverage FSR 3.0 and Fluid Motion Frames which can stabilise and assist performance within a number of modern titles. FSR 3 most notably brings major framerate uplifts within a number of titles as this technology is built into the engine of the game.
| Key Specs | AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT |
|---|---|
| Video Memory Capacity | 12GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 192-Bit |
| Base Clock Speed | 2.15GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.6GHz |
| Stream Processors | 2560 |
| Ray Accelerators | 40 |
| Power Draw | 250W |
| MSRP | $549 |
While the price of the RX 6750 XT has dropped significantly since its launch, stocking is another potential problem that buyers should consider. Radeon 6000 GPUs are end of life cards, so stocks will only last as long as vendors have them, which means once these cards are out of stock, you can only purchase them second hand.
Pros
- 12GB of VRAM
- Longevity in modern titles
- Competitively priced
Cons
- EOL card
- Ray tracing performance
4. Intel Arc A750
Intel’s Arc A750 is a great graphics card for the budget buyer due to its highly competitive price point. The Arc A750 is one of the few GPUs that sits below $300 and caters to the 1080p market. Intel have made waves with their driver updates, improving gaming performance across DX9, DX10, DX11, and DX12 games. Stability has improved massively, as Intel continues to constantly upgrade the software that their cards use.
What’s more, the Arc A750 competes surprisingly well within newer games. DX12 titles are much newer and tend to be more demanding, so being able to pick up a card that has strong DX12 drivers is huge bonus for the Arc series of cards. This also isn’t to say that performance is weak within older games, but generally speaking the Arc A750 is better suited to newer titles.
| Key Specs | Intel Arc A750 |
|---|---|
| Video Memory Capacity | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 256-Bit |
| Base Clock Speed | 2.05GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.4GHz |
| Xe Vector Engines | 448 |
| Ray Tracing Units | 28 |
| Power Draw | 225W |
| MSRP | $249.99 |
The biggest weakness of the Arc A750 is performance volatility. While Intel have hugely improved gaming performance across a myriad of titles, this GPU does have some difficulties with certain games, resulting in choppy or weaker framerates.
Pros
- Competitive pricing
- Ideal for modern games
- Being constantly updated
Cons
- Not great for first-time builders
- Volatile performance
How We Tested the Best Graphics Cards for 1080p Gaming
To figure out which graphics card is the best for 1080p gaming, our in-house benchmarker Harry Coleman has put all of these GPUs through the wringer. This involves benchmarking them against the current and old-gen options from both NVIDIA’s and AMD’s product ranges within a number of different games. Our testing suite includes modern triple A games like Starfield, and Hogwarts Legacy, along with Esports games such as Apex Legends and Fortnite. The main factors that we’ve taken into account when testing were:
- 1080p Gaming Performance
- Thermal Capability
- Power Consumption
- Value for Money
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need a 12VHPWR Cable?
Only RTX 4000 cards require a 12VHPWR cable at present, while all other cards use a standard 8-Pin PCI-E connector
Should I Worry About Case Clearance?
All of the GPUs in this article aren’t likely to cause clearance issues, due to their fairly compact form factor, but you should always check the length of your card versus the max clearance of your case.
Is Ray Tracing Possible on a Budget GPU?
Because ray tracing is still a developing technology it can be harder to run on average compared to most rasterized games. It is also technology which currently works far better on NVIDIA GPUs than AMD, which is important to keep in mind.
