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The sub-$1,000 gaming GPU market is currently more interesting than ever. AMD and Nvidia have launched several cards to target the price segment, pushing the limits of performance at high resolutions like 1440p and 4K. Now is the best time to score such GPUs at a lower price because of the ongoing Holiday season promotions. Moreover, multiple AIB variants are available at a lower cost than their MSRP as third-party manufacturers prepare for the next-generation offerings slated to arrive next year.
With that in mind, we have compiled a list of the best pixel pushers available in the triple-digit range — from mid-range offerings to the best you can get at this budget. Read on to find out our best picks.
Multiple capable gaming GPUs are available for under $1,000
5) AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ($499)
The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is AMD's 1440p gaming champion. With FSR 3.0, the card is capable of pushing over 100 frames per second in optimized titles. During our use, we found the card to be quite competitive at this resolution and even at UHD.
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The biggest selling point of the card is its $499 MSRP, and it even beats $600 Nvidia GPUs in rasterization performance. However, ray tracing and upscaling performance isn't the best.
Coming to the specs, the card is powered by the Navi 32 XT graphics processor. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with an impressive 624 GB/s bandwidth also sets you up for a few years to come. However, at 263W, the card isn't as efficient as Team Green's options.
Pros:
- The RX 7800 XT is a 1440p gaming powerhouse.
- Demanding games are handled well by the massive 16 GB memory buffer.
- At $499, the gaming GPU is a competitive alternative to Nvidia's 70-class offerings.
Cons:
- Ray tracing performance on the 7800 XT isn't the best.
- RDNA 3 isn't as power-efficient as Ada Lovelace cards.
4) Nvidia RTX 4070 ($549)
The Nvidia RTX 4070 12 GB is another competitive option in the mid-range. It offers a good balance of ray tracing performance, rasterization, driver support, and upscaling technologies. Another reason to go for an Nvidia pixel pusher is the access to exclusive technologies like CUDA, Broadcast, and more. It also frequently drops below the $549 MSRP, making it a decent alternative to the 7800 XT.
In terms of specs, the gaming GPU is powered by the cut-down AD104 graphics processor with 5,888 CUDA cores. It has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on board with a total rated bandwidth of 504 GB/s. This is fine for early 2025 but can be a bottleneck a year or two down the line.
Pros:
- The RTX 4070 offers solid 1440p gaming performance.
- You get DLSS 3 support with the GPU.
- Lower power consumption makes it energy efficient overall.
Cons:
- Limited 12 GB memory may impact AAA games in the future.
- At $549, the gaming GPU has a higher price point compared to AMD alternatives.
- The 504 GB/s bandwidth could bottleneck 4K gaming.
3) AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE ($599)
The RX 7900 GRE is another top recommendation for high-resolution gaming on a budget. The card rivals the performance of the last-gen RTX 3080 Ti and RX 6950 XT while costing just under $599. In terms of rasterization, it is about 2% faster than the RTX 4070 Super — a card with which it shares its selling price. However, ray tracing performance suffers, which can be a point of concern.
The card is based on the Navi 31 XL GPU — a slightly altered version of the processor powering the flagship RX 7900 XT and 7900 XTX. You get a generous 16 GB of VRAM with this card, which future-proofs your system. However, much like any other RDNA 3 option on this list, this card's power rating isn't the most efficient.
Pros:
- Excellent 1440p and 4K performance for the latest titles.
- 16 GB VRAM future-proofs your rig.
Cons:
- Ray tracing performance isn't up to par with Nvidia GPUs.
- The card requires hefty cooling solutions, making variants physically large.
- Limited availability in the US and Canada as it targets specific regional markets.
2) Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti Super ($799)
Coming to more high-end gaming GPUs, the Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti Super can be a solid choice for 4K gaming. This card competes against the more expensive RX 7900 XT from Team Red. Despite its 70-class moniker, the GPU is a flagship-grade option that can handle the latest titles at the highest settings without performance hiccups.
The RTX 4070 Ti Super is based on the same AD103 graphics processor as the higher-end 4080 GPUs. It packs a massive 8,448 CUDA cores and 16 GB GDDR6X memory, making it a serious option for professional and AI workloads like LLM inferencing, training small models, and more. The Ada Lovelace architecture also ensures you can keep the power budget under 300W.
Pros:
- The card seriously improves 4K gaming performance over previous models.
- The 16GB VRAM buffer helps in future-proofing.
Cons:
- Performance gains over the original RTX 4070 Ti are marginal.
- At $799, it is still expensive for mid-range consumers.
- Positioned awkwardly between RTX 4070 Super and RTX 4080 Super.
1) Nvidia RTX 4080 Super ($999)
You can score some of the entry-level variants of the RTX 4080 Super under $999. The card is designed for 4K gaming without any compromise. Although it isn't much faster than the original Ada Lovelace-based 80-class offering, the card cut the starting price point from $1,199 to $999, making it accessible to more gamers.
This GPU maxes out the AD103 graphics processor — the one that's also found on the 4070 Ti Super — with a whopping 10,240 CUDA cores. However, it still offers 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, which isn't an upgrade over the 4070 Ti Super or the original 4080. Although this is fine for 2025, it doesn't sufficiently future-proof the gaming GPU.
Pros:
- The 4080 Super brings superb 4K and 1440p gaming performance.
- The card is $200 cheaper compared to the original RTX 4080.
- The architecture brings exceptional ray tracing and DLSS performance.
Cons:
- In terms of performance, we get little improvement compared to the base RTX 4080.
- At 320W, the card isn't very power efficient.
Overall, these gaming GPUs are some of your best options in early 2025 for high-end gaming. All of these cards are designed to play the latest titles at high settings in 1440p and 4K with little to no compromises. They are also arguably future-proof and should last you a couple of years without any performance issues.
