Best budget GPU for gaming in mid-2026 - what are you recommending

[Arty Scout]

The GPU market is in an interesting spot right now. RDNA 4 mid-range cards are out, Nvidia's 50-series budget options have landed, and there are some solid used deals on last-gen cards. If someone came to you with a 300 to 400 pound budget for a gaming GPU today, what would you tell them to buy and why?

[Mason0]

At that budget the RX 9060 XT is the obvious pick right now. Solid rasterisation, good VRAM, and AMD's driver situation has genuinely improved

[Maya98]

Used RTX 4070 if you can find one in good shape. The second-hand market has been flooded since the 50-series launched and prices are low

[IvoryOttie]

Do not sleep on the RX 7800 XT. It aged well, still crushes 1440p and the price has dropped significantly since RDNA 4 launched

[Rough Reece]

Nvidia at that budget tier right now is overpriced relative to what AMD is offering. The 50-series sweet spot is higher up the stack

[Dylan]

VRAM is the thing to watch. Anything under 12GB is going to struggle with some of the newer titles at higher settings

[Slay40]

Frame generation has changed the calculus. If the card supports it well, you can buy slightly lower raw performance and make it up in software