Graphics cards are the most critical component for a gamer when building their RIG. Still, their prices have steadily risen over the past two years—having a tight budget prevents users from finding the perfect suitable card for their motherboard and processor.
However, a budget of around 100 dollars couldn’t be enough of a suitable budget but would provide you with a decent level of gaming. Numerous card options from different manufacturers are available that are within your budget, allowing you to get the desired performance from them.
Some high-end FPS may not be possible while you’re playing a particular game, but you can play most games on decent settings. Since budgets are tight, most cards are of one or two variants, most of which are manufactured by Nvidia.
In this review, we’ve included the Best Graphics Card Under 100 dollars that fall within your price range, as well as the best recommendations based on the price at this time, which might help you pick one for yourself. If you think we missed any of the majors, make sure to let us know.
Our Top 3 Recommendations
Best Graphics Card Under 100 Summary
Award | Image | Model | Price |
---|---|---|---|
best budget graphic card under 100 dollars | MSI NVidia GeForce GT 710 2GB | See On Amazon | |
Best Premium Graphic Card under 100$ | MAXSUN GeForce GT 710 2GB | See On Amazon | |
best gaming graphics card under 100 dollars | Zotac GeForce GT 710 | See On Amazon | |
Best Video Cards Under $100 | Gigabyte GeForce GT 710 | See On Amazon | |
Best 2GB Graphic Card under 100$ | ASUS GeForce GT 710 1 GB | See On Amazon | |
Best Video Card Under $100 | ASUS GeForce GT 710 2GB | See On Amazon | |
Best Nvidia graphic card under 100$ | MSI Gaming GeForce GT 730 V2 | See On Amazon | |
Best Performance Graphics Card under 100$ | VisionTek Radeon HD 5450 | See On Amazon | |
Best AMD Graphics Card under 100$ | Diamond AMD Radeon HD 5450 | See On Amazon | |
Best Premium Graphic Card under 100$ | EVGA GeForce 8400 GS 1 GB | See On Amazon |
Best Graphics Card Under 100 At a Glance:
- MSI NVidia GeForce GT 710 2GB
- MAXSUN GeForce GT 710 2GB
- Zotac GeForce GT 710
- Gigabyte GeForce GT 710
- ASUS GeForce GT 710 1 GB
- ASUS GeForce GT 710 2GB
- MSI Gaming GeForce GT 730 V2
- VisionTek Radeon HD 5450
- Diamond AMD Radeon HD 5450
- EVGA GeForce 8400 GS 1 GB
Best Graphics Card Under 100 Reviews
MSI NVidia GeForce GT 710 2GB
best budget graphic card under 100 dollars
Whether it’s a high-priced GPU or a low-budget graphic card everyone wants the best that they can get in their budget. The MSI NVidia GeForce GT 710 was a great addition to budget-friendly cards at the time of its launch.
This graphic card exceeded the expectations of the people at the time of its launch and was very popular back in the day because it did pretty much every task and light gaming without any hiccups.
GT 710 was launched in 2014 which is somewhat old at this point but it’s a good bargain. This best GPU Under 100 came with a fabrication process of 28nm and was based on NVidia Kepler 2.0 architecture which was the same architecture that was used in other high-end cards.
This Graphics card under 100 came with some changes that enhanced the performance of this GPU Under 100. This variant comes with 2GB of DDR3 VRAM and has a memory bandwidth of 14.40GB/s whereas the memory bus is 64-Bit.
One of the main reasons that this Best Graphics Card Under 100 dollars was popular back in its days was its graphical features because it supported many new even though it’s a budget-friendly product.
Furthermore, It supports DirectX12, OpenGL4.6, Vulkan 1.1, Shader Model 5.1, and NVidia CUDA 3.5 which was fairly new at the time. The GPU only requires a 200W power supply as it has a total TDP of 19W. This best graphics card under 100 for gaming has 3 display outputs 1DVI, 1 HDMI, and 1 VGA.
MAXSUN GeForce GT 710 2GB
Best Premium Graphic Card under 100$
Whenever a GPU is released into the market different manufacturers like to tweak those GPUs so that they can perform better than others and the factory version.
This Variant of the GT 710 is one of the most powerful versions of the GTX 710 because the company has not only made changes to its hardware but also made big improvements in its design for better maintaining cool temperatures.
The size of this best video card under 100 is marginally larger than other GT 710 because it has a big stylish bluish heat sink and a fan mounted on its front end one of the big reasons for this design change is that this $100 graphics card runs a little hotter compared to others because it is overclocked.
So instead of using the DDR3 memory type, this one uses the GDDR5 memory type which improves the performance of GPU by miles. The core clock is set to 960MHz and it comes with 192 CUDA Cores.
Being a big-sized GPU is one of the problems that you would have to deal with in space. This MAX SUN variant of the 710 takes up two slots while installing but the good part is that it still runs on PCI-E 2.0 x16 which is available in almost all PCs even the old ones and it can still run on a 200W power supply however the TDP is a little higher than other variants but it’s not an issue. It still has the 3 same display outputs consisting of HDMI, DVI, and VGA. Overall a great option to choose while searching for Best Graphics Card Under 100 dollars.
Zotac GeForce GT 710
best gaming graphics card under 100 dollars
Zotac is one of the most trusted brands in the gaming industry. It offers reliable overclocking products that improve performance and help them gain more users' trust. The GT 710 isn’t a card that can be overclocked and produce mind-blowing results as it is not capable of such things.
Instead, it is a low-budget card that can handle everyday tasks and light gaming, although the Zotac variant can be overclocked tremendously. There are other versions of the card that can be overclocked, but they don’t go as high.
There is only one gig of RAM on this version, which might explain its high overclocking abilities. However, it is advantageous for us that it can be overclocked to its maximum.
ZOTAC launched the GT 710 in March 2014, with a Kepler 2.0 architecture design and a smaller die size. A smaller die size is much more efficient and produces less heat.
The GPU Clocks stand out at 954, which can be overclocked to 1100MHz with a memory clock of 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective speed). The texture rate has also been increased alongside everything to 15.26GTexels/s.
This thing makes an effective upgrade in performance when increased. Other than that, the Zotac GT 710 offers the same memory bus of 64-Bit with a memory bandwidth of almost 13 GB/s and DDR4 VRAM.
With all the stuff going on inside this budget Graphic card, it is surprising that this card doesn’t require any amount of extra power; it is still usable with a 200W power supply and max TDP of 20W.
Gigabyte GeForce GT 710
Best Video Cards Under $100
If the other GT 710 models mentioned on the list left you feeling a little disappointed in terms of their design, don’t worry; you will get rid of the old-school heatsink.
Heatsinks are still an important part of the card; in fact, you can’t run your card without it, but the problem is only a heatsink alone can’t do the job of keeping your card cool unless it is a low-level card because whenever it is heated up, it cannot be cooled down while still running hence making it even hotter which could damage the card in certain cases so if you are a hardcore user of PC that you continuously use it for long periods we would not recommend that you get a card with only a heatsink as a source of its cooler.
So, to address this issue, Gigabyte’s version of the GT 710 includes a fan on top. The fan is not equipped with the latest technology because of the card, but it still does a good job rather than just having a heatsink and with this enhanced feature it may be considered the Best Graphics Card Under 100.
Aside from the fan being bundled with the card, one other thing that has increased is its size, but not too much that you cannot fit it into a small case.
Apart from the design, its specs aren’t much different from the previous versions of the card, so there are all the same benefits as it had with previous versions, but it’s still overclockable if you want that extra power.
It is recommended that you purchase this GT 710 variant if you spend quite a bit of time in front of the computer.
ASUS GeForce GT 710 1 GB
Best 2GB Graphic Card under 100$
When it comes to the best quality and top-performing products ASUS is on the top of the list. Many people at this time are familiar with how good ASUS products are so this variant of the GT 710 can be a good investment to make if you are planning to keep this best GPU for 100 dollars for a while longer.
Keeping aside other things the best thing about this best 100 dollar graphics card is that it is a renewed version of the factory GT 710 with some minor changes. This best budget graphics card under 100 was released by ASUS in 2020 which means that you can still buy it as new for under 100$.
ASUS has released two variants of the GT 710 and this one is made to last longer so that your money is well spent as this gpu under 100 dollars is still box-packed available it can easily last you a good 3 to 6 years of heavy usage.
This best gpus under 100 shares most of the specs from the original GT 710 to make it as budget as possible but there are some minor changes in the specs to a smaller section so you are getting a normal GT 710 with some improved hardware and it has a new overall design with the improved cooling process.
However, for those who don’t much about it then here is a glance at its specs. This variant comes with a GDDR3 memory type and has 1GB of VRAM which is very low for today’s game standard but it can still run games from 2013 to 2014 at low settings with smooth frame rates.
ASUS GeForce GT 710 2GB
Best Video Card Under $100
Some users might prefer quality over performance while choosing Best Graphics Card Under 100, but some don’t which is why this version of the GT 710 is more focused on providing a good performance over the previous GT 710.
This one has some major improvements that not only make it better in performance but it still has the good features from the previous model like good quality and design.
This best budget GPU under 100 was also released alongside the previous one back in 2020 so you can also get it to boxes packed by paying a little more than the 1GB version.
Previously the Maxsun variant of the GT 710 did an excellent job in performance thanks to its bumped-up specs but this good graphics card under 100 has even more overclocked chips which make it perform better than any other GPU on this list.
The clock speed of this best gaming graphics card under 100 stands at 1000MHz and the memory clock speed is 1253MHz.
It is equipped with 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM and has a memory bandwidth of 40GB/s whereas the texture rate stands at 15.26GTexel/s. In shorter terms, this best cheap graphics card under 100 will provide you with the best experience out of any other GT 710 on this list.
The GPU design is also one of the biggest changes compared to the previous model as it has more powerful chips on it.
The heat sink used on this best gaming GPU under 100 is made of aluminum and it covers the entire GPU front as there is no fan on it. To run this good GPU under 100 you are going to need the PCI-E 2.0x8 slot and the same 200W power supply.
MSI Gaming GeForce GT 730 V2
Best Nvidia graphic card under 100$
GT 730 is another low-budget graphic card by NVidia, and just like the 710, it also has other variants of this card. In this list, we are picking up the MSI variant of the card, and that is because even if it’s not the best in its signs of designs, it is indeed the best performer in doing work.
It outperforms the all GT 710 1GB version included in this list but falls behind the ASUS GT 710 2GB version. So this GT 730 is a choice for those people who don’t want a GT 710 but want something better rather than the 2Gigs version of it.
A desktop form or PC case with smaller size may not fit perfectly with this card because its vertical dimensions are large. The device will still fit into the slot and work, but you will not be able to close the case.
MSI GT 730 is based on a 40nm manufacturing process with a die size of 116mm. A larger size means more heat output, so for this problem, the GPU is equipped with a fan.
It has a Clock speed of 700MHz and a memory clock of 800MHz with 1600 Mbps effective speed. With a memory bus of 128 bits and bandwidth of 25.60 GB/s, which is definitely better than the 710.
Still, all the graphical features like the support of DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Shader Model 5.1 are once again available. The card has three output slots, just like the GT 710, which are DVI-D VGA and HDMI. GT 730 is a DDR3 memory type card with 2 Gigs of VRAM, and due to its larger manufacturing process, it consumes a little more energy than 50W, but you can still use it with a 200W power supply.
VisionTek Radeon HD 5450
Best Performance Graphics Card under 100$
AMD makes some of the best budget-friendly GPUs and this particular model the HD 5450 has been one of the most famous low-budget GPUs.
This best low profile graphics card under 100 was released back in 2011 which makes it one of the oldest models on this list but this particular model was released in 2013.
Unlike the ASUS Gt 710, you cannot get this best GPU under 100 USD still box packed because of how old it is but it still is perfect for streaming videos or playing light games at low settings.
Just like other brands, VISIONTEK made some notable changes in this model with the number one being memory.
This video card under 100 comes with 2GB of GDDR3 VRAM and other small changes include boosted clock speeds and memory configuration. This best graphics card 2022 under 100 performs above its price tag and can be a good choice for your daily usage.
Moreover, this best GPU for gaming under 100 costs significantly less than some variants of GT 710 but it comes close to them in performance.
HD 5450 also has some great graphical features support for its price tags like DirectX11, OpenGL 4.4, and NVidia CUDA with 96 cores, Vulkan 1.0, and others.
While it’s true that this graphics card for gaming under 100 falls behind in graphical features for today’s PC standard but it still supports some great software features like PhysX and many others inbuilt.
This Best Graphics Card Under 100 dollars comes with 3 display outputs HDMI, DVI, and VGA that can give a strong resolution of 2k.
Diamond AMD Radeon HD 5450
Best AMD Graphics Card under 100$
This variant of the HD 5450 is the lowest priced gaming video card under 100 on this list and it is suitable for those who just want a normal AMD graphics card under 100 for their PC Display output or want to run videos at 2k resolution.
When you are spending this much of a low amount on a GPU you can expect big things from it or even normal. The same thing goes for this Diamond HD 5450 as it is a downgraded version of the HD 5450.
This best graphics card for less than 100 is a 1 GB version with a GDDR3 memory type and it has a core clock speed of 650MHz which can only go to a max of 800MHz. the same thing goes for the memory clock as it is also clocked at 600MHz and while the specs may not sound as interesting but the design is.
This best graphics card around 100 comes with a small fan on its top and barely covers the front which gives easy access to the front components and makes the process of changing components a lot easier another good thing about it is the black color.
As most of the GPUs of this era came in only green and red colors this one matches the newer GPUs' color with its overall black look. You can still find the 3 display outputs HDMI, DVI, and VGA on this as well.
EVGA GeForce 8400 GS 1 GB
Best Premium Graphic Card under 100$
For instance, considering you don’t need a GT 710 for your system. Instead, you are looking for a small temporary budget card that can do everyday tasks like providing good resolution at a low cost and watching videos in high definition.
This is undoubtedly the best card for you if this is what you prefer. The GeForce 8400 GS is a very light and old budget card.
Back when it was released in 2010, it was not an ideal graphics card for gaming. It was able to run all those games released that year, but at a low frame rate with FPS of just 15-20, but this card can easily handle video playback at 1080p.
The GeForce 8400 GS has a 40nm process size that is based on NVidia Tesla 2.0 architecture. The EVGA variant of this card comes with 1GB of DDR3 memory type, whereas the base model only includes 512MB. With a memory bus of 64-Bit and bandwidth of 9.6GB/s and a GPU clock of only 520MHz, you can already imagine it’s just not made for gaming and with all these enhanced features this is the Best Graphics Card Under 100dollars that could be found.
Sadly the graphical features are also lacking here by supporting only DirectX 11.1, OpenGL 3.3, Shader Model 4.1, and no support of Vulkan, but CUDA 1.2 is still available. If you just wanted a temporary card on your PC with a bit of budget, then this is the card for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best Graphic card Under 100$?
Considering the current price of GPUs, anything that is powerful enough to play some entry-level games under 100$ is a good deal. However, there are other options that you can consider, including the GT 710 and Radeon HD 5450 2GB variation. Both of these GPUs can do entry-level gaming and some rendering to a small extent easily.
Is It okay for a GPU to run at 100%?
Yes, it’s okay for a GPU to run at 100% as sometimes the applications running are more graphics-intensive which can cause the GPU to run at 100% but you may be conscious about the temp if they kept on being on 100% for a long time that might be an issue.
Are 85 Degrees Harmful to your GPU?
That’s not true, and it also depends on the condition of the environment where the GPU is used, so if it’s a hot environment, that’s normal, but if it’s a cold one, then the GPU needs to be checked.