What are the best cheap 1440p graphics cards?
If you want to purchase a high-end gaming computer or upgrade an existing one, one of the main aspects you have to consider is which graphics card will power your system. With so many options on the market, picking the best 1440p graphics card can be a long, tiring process. Thankfully, this post is here to aid you and make your choice a lot easier.
While a large number of available options can be disorienting, it also makes it possible for you to find a graphics card that offers the exact specifications you need while being offered at an affordable price. The post below covers the pros, cons, and most important features of 8 high-rated GPUs as well as what factors you have to think about when picking the best 1440p graphics card for yourself.
Stream Processors: AMD RX 5700 XT | Core Clock: 1770 MHz | Memory: 8GB | Memory Clock: 1440 Gbps | Power Connectors: 600W | Outputs: DisplayPort, HDMI
If you want to enjoy the full graphical fidelity that your 1440p resolution monitor is capable of producing, the RX 5700 XT deserves your attention. It comes with TriXX software that is both newbie-friendly and packed with advanced functionality like the TriXX Boost. Ordinarily, you can only set one of the default resolutions when playing a game.
However, thanks to the TriXX Boost feature, you can establish custom resolutions that can help you achieve the perfect balance between quality and performance. Sometimes it’s enough to just slightly reduce the resolution, and the difference in framerate can blow you away. Furthermore, you can upscale the lowered resolution by employing Radeon Image Sharpening to enhance the final picture quality.
Stream Processors: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | Core Clock: 1725 MHz | Memory: 4GB | Memory Clock: 1440 Gbps | Power Connectors: 600 W | Outputs: Interface DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI
The GTX 1650 by ZOTAC might be the best 1440p graphics card for users looking for a more compact option. Based on Nvidia’s Turing architecture, this GPU is capable of rendering all graphical elements with maximum speed and efficiency. Whether you simply want to enjoy your games by yourself, take up streaming, or create different kinds of visual content, the performance offered by this ZOTAC product has you covered.
The included GAMING FIRESTORM firmware boasts a clean, minimalist UI that will let you quickly configure the performance of this graphics card to your liking. You can also use it to personalize the SPECTRA lighting or just keep the GPU's performance in check in real-time.
Stream Processors: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 | Core Clock: 14000 MHz | Memory: 8GB | Memory Clock: 1440Gbps | Power Connectors: 160 W| Outputs: DVI, HDMI
The RTX 2060 by Gigabyte offers several characteristics that you want to see in the best 1440p graphics card for PC gaming. It’s supplied with three 80mm fans, an alternate spinning fan, three copper heat pipes, and multiple other features that guarantee efficient heat dissipation and optimal performance at operable temperatures.
The most interesting inclusion from that list is the alternate spinning technology that serves to deal with the issue of turbulent airflow created by the 3 main fans. If it wasn’t for the alternate fan that sends the dead air in the opposite direction, the created turbulence would have greatly damaged the airflow, forcing the GPU to heat up rather quickly.
Stream Processors: AMD Radeon Navi | Core Clock: 1750 MHz | Memory: 6GB | Memory Clock: 1440 Gbps | Power Connectors: 450 W | Outputs: DisplayPort, HDMI
The Sapphire RX 5600 XT is probably the best graphics card for 1440p gaming in terms of value for money. Equipped with super-quick GDDR6 memory, this GPU allows you to enjoy the latest games in maximum detail and with unparalleled smoothness.
Based on AMD’s RDNA architecture, the RX 6500 XT features state-of-the-art Dual-X Cooling that ensures the graphics card remains cool no matter how resource demanding the game you’re playing is. Upgrade your computer with this Sapphire GPU and welcome the next generation of AAA titles.
Stream Processors: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 | Core Clock: 14000 MHz | Memory: 6GB | Memory Clock: 1440 Gbps | Power Connectors: | Outputs:
This EVGA 2060 graphics card for 1440p 144Hz gaming is supported by Nvidia’s Turing architecture that is capable of elevating the realism and performance you get to enjoy while playing your favorite games to previously unseen heights. Additionally, EVGA provides a state-of-the-art cooling system, a useful overclocking feature, and a new level of graphical fidelity, which is achieved thanks to the Precision X1 firmware.
Other benefits that this graphics card reaps by using Nvidia’s latest architecture include ray tracing, advanced AI, and configurable shading. If your goal is to play all the next-gen games as soon as they come out in optimal quality and with smooth performance, then an RTX 2060 GPU is well worth the investment.
Stream Processors: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 | Core Clock: 1770 MHz | Memory: 8 GB | Memory Clock: 1770 Gbps | Power Connectors: 650 W | Outputs: DisplayPort, HDMI
The main reason why this RTX 2070 model might be considered the best 1440p graphics card is the build quality. It comes with an upgraded heat pipe and reinforced aluminum heatsinks that deal with excessive temperatures with maximum efficiency.
This GPU also has a full-size metal brace jacket and backplate that provide the protection such an expensive piece of hardware deserves. It’s very easy to install and thanks to the white LED lights, it can easily fit into any gaming rig you may have while providing performance that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
Stream Processors: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | Core Clock: 12000 MHz | Memory: 4GB | Memory Clock: 1770 Gbps | Power Connectors: 300 W | Outputs: DisplayPort, HDMI
The EVGA GTX 1650 is supported by Nvidia’s latest Turing build that provides previously unseen levels of immersion, power output, and productivity. The performance offered by this graphics card is good enough for you to play next-gen games on the highest settings and in UHD resolution while enjoying highly efficient cooling and well-developed overclocking functionality thanks to the recently introduced EVGA Precisionx1 software.
This GPU is compatible with 64-bit versions of both Windows 10 and Windows 7.
Stream Processors: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 | Core Clock: 1785 MHz | Memory: 6 GB | Memory Clock: 1770 Gbps | Power Connectors: 500 W | Outputs: DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI
This RTX 2060 graphics card for 1440p 144Hz gaming comes with wing-blade fans that don’t collect dust and make zero noise while keeping the temperature cool. It also has a backplate made of aluminum that ensures it doesn’t suffer from trace damage. The implemented Tweak II system allows you to keep an eye on the GPU's performance in real-time while extra software like Game Booster, XSplit Gamecaster, WTFast, and QuantumCloud DirectX 12 Ultimate allow you to enjoy the functionality necessary to welcome the new generation of games.
Direct-X specifically provides features like ray tracing, mesh shaders, adjustable-rate shading, and sampler feedback. This is one of the few models on the market that support this many cutting-edge functions.
| IMAGE | NAME | FEATURES | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT
Our Choice
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CHECK PRICE → | |
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ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1650
For gaming
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CHECK PRICE → | |
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Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060
High quality
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CHECK PRICE → |
Some processors come with built-in graphics chips that offer just enough power for you to launch and run the OS, browse the web, view videos, work with documents, send e-mails, and perform other casual tasks that don’t rely on intense graphical rendering. However, the offered performance isn’t nearly good enough for you to play AAA games even on low settings.
All of the GPUs covered in this post are discrete models that aren’t connected to the CPU. The market of discrete graphics cards ranges from budget options suited for casual gamers to high-end components that will send you back over $1000. You can purchase such a GPU either separately when you’re upgrading your computer or building a new one, or as a part of a pre-built gaming rig.
When you’re picking the best 1440p graphics card, you’re looking for the hardware part that is responsible for powering the screen of your computer. Regardless of which model you go with, you can be almost certain that either Nvidia or AMD developed it.
Both of these brands have dominated the graphics card market for over a decade now, with Nvidia leading the charge up until recently. While they still control a huge portion of the market, AMD’s latest GPUs have proven to provide fantastic performance at significantly lower price points. When you’re buying a specific graphics card, it likely was made by such manufacturers as ASUS, Gigabyte, or MSI, as all of them take the core designs provided by Nvidia and AMD and add their own spin to them.
While the different specs of a graphics card are important, none of them are as defining as the model of the card. By learning the level of quality offered by different models, you’ll be able to instantly determine how well a specific GPU can perform, with other characteristics only moderately modifying its efficiency.
It’s vital to check if you have space in the case for the GPU you plan to purchase by taking into account its length, height, and width. GPUs are typically manufactured in half-height, single-slot, dual-slot, and triple-slot sizes. The average gaming graphics card is full-height and requires two slots. Keep in mind that even if you get a single- or dual-slot card, it can still take up even more space if it has a large heatsink or fan. If your PC has a mini-ITX motherboard, you have to look only at small GPUs that are typically 8” long or even shorter.
Typically, the higher the number on a graphics card related to a specific series (GT, GTX, and so on), the better performance it will offer. Another way to check the power level of a GPU is to look at its clock speed, with higher speeds allowing you to enjoy a better graphical performance
While some gamers still get 4GB GPUs, if you want to run the latest games on high settings and in 1440p resolution, then you should get a graphics card with at least 8GB of VRAM to ensure your gaming rig doesn’t become outdated in just a couple of years
The RTX 2080 offers faster performance compared to the GTX 1080 Ti while also being sold at a cheaper price. There are several AAA games that the GTX 1080 Ti will handle better, but those few titles aren’t worth the extra investment of several hundred dollars.
Not necessarily. It’s quite common for regular PCs to not have a discrete graphics card at all. That said, you can’t work on a computer without a GPU completely, so at the very least you have to get a processor that comes with a built-in graphics processing unit (iGPU).
