It can be difficult to decide on your next hardware upgrade for your gaming PC, especially when it comes to graphics cards.
While some users may go for the most powerful GPU they can afford, many South Africans have to balance their budget with their gaming demands.
We’ve compiled the cheapest pricing we could find for the latest Nvidia and AMD graphics cards, along with a number of heavily-discounted Maxwell cards that compete with the newer architectures in value.
Graphics cards are sorted according to various gaming needs, from budget console level performance to high-end 4K gaming.
Budget Gaming
Radeon RX 460 2GB – R1,999
After the release of the Radeon RX 460 2GB and 4GB graphics cards, there is no reason to consider older-generation graphics cards for budget builds.
The Radeon RX 460 offers unparalleled value, and has so far been met with no competition from Nvidia.
The GeForce GTX 1050 is rumoured to be coming soon however, so it may be worthwhile to wait for Nvidia’s low-cost GPU.
Full HD Gaming
Radeon RX 470 – R3,699
Radeon RX 480 – R4,667
GeForce GTX 970 – R3,719
GeForce GTX 1060 6GB – R4,737
Full HD gaming is the realm of most PC gamers, with players enjoying varying levels of performance depending on their budget and the intensity of their games.
The GeForce GTX 1060 6GB is poised to become the dominant contender in this sector, although discounted Maxwell cards and regulation of Radeon GPU stock could change things around.
VR Gaming
Radeon RX 480 – R4,667
GeForce GTX 980 – R6,553
GeForce GTX 1060 6GB – R4,737
VR gaming is a fairly niche market, especially in South Africa.
However, if you are looking to get an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, or just want to prepare your build for future VR support, these graphics cards should meet all your VR performance needs.
1440p Gaming
GeForce GTX 980 Ti – R7,819
GeForce GTX 1070 – R7,599
GeForce GTX 1080 – R10,999
Sitting at the high-quality sweet spot between the 1080p standard and the diminishing returns of 4K gaming, 1440p offers both smooth framerate and amazing quality, although your mileage may vary depending on how powerful your graphics card is.
4K Gaming
GeForce GTX 1080 – R10,999
Radeon RX 480 Crossfire – R4,667 x 2
4K Gaming is relam of high-end hardcore PC gamers and hardware enthusiasts who don’t mind dropping a serious amount of cash on gaming hardware.
Delivering playtable framerates at a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 requires some serious hardware, often involving SLI/Crossfire setups and custom watercooling loops.
Currently, the best single graphics card for 4K gaming is the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080.
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My Powercolor 7850 2GB allows me to play almost all games at high to max settings at 1080p so I’m not intending to upgrade until I am forced to due to poor performance. I want to know who can afford to spend R5000+ on a graphics card :O madness! Anyone have any sales stats on GTX1080s sales in SA??