Last Updated: September 5, 2020

Whether you’re watching movies, playing games, or just working in 4K resolution, it all looks fantastic. Everything is crisp, precise, and incredibly clear. The colors are vivid and lush, the blacks are as deep as the night sky. But the details don’t come without a cost. For getting this performance, you must opt for a powerful consumer-grade graphics card, that can deliver smooth frame rates with the best visuals and must lie under your budget. If you’re on a tight budget for a graphics card, there are some cheapest 4k graphics card available in the market where 4k gaming is technically achievable.

To play the latest games, some latest consoles like the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro and the Microsoft Xbox One X output display at 4k resolution, but if you’re a hardcore gamer and want to play those games that are just released at 4k with the max visual settings, then you should choose custom-cooled and/or overclocked graphics cards models.

There’s a graphics card by Nvidia named Titan. These titan cards are the best in the market, especially the Titan RTX Model is the beast of beasts in every industry. This card is made for much more then gaming, which is often used in creative fields for 4k, 8k, or 3D rendering, but it’s not cheap.

List of Cheapest 4k Graphics Card Right Now

Award Image Model Price Cheapest 4K Graphics Card MSI GeForce GTX 1080 CHECK PRICE Cheapest Graphics Card for 4K Gaming MSI GEFORCE GTX1080 TI AERO 11G OC CHECK PRICE Cheap Graphics Card With Best Performance ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 TI Turbo CHECK PRICE Cheapest RTX Graphics Card ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Advanced Overclocked CHECK PRICE Best Budget Choice ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti AMP Extreme Core CHECK PRICE

1. MSI GeForce GTX 1080 — Cheapest 4K Graphics Card

MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Twin Frozr VI Thermal Design

Airflow Control Technology

TORX Fan 2.0: Supremely Silent

LED Control

Mobile App Included View on Amazon

Besides Titan X, MSI GeForce GTX 1080 is the fastest Pascal-based graphics card available in the market. With its top-notch performance, it overcomes its competitors by its efficiency at idle and under load. Despite its performance, it is really an amazing graphics card from top to bottom. The thermals are stable, and it runs cool and quiet all the time. There are a lot of benefits to the MSI Gaming App. This app gives you a lot of ease, like the onscreen stats of graphics card current situation (GPU temp, clock speeds, and the like). You can also change the color of the side LED which is very awesome. Overall the MSI GeForce GTX 1080 is the best card in terms of price and performance, which can fulfil all needs of a normal gamer. If you’re a hardcore gamer and want to play every game in 4k at maximum visuals, then you should opt for the next one on the list. Talking about the noise, it’s advanced ZeroFrozr technology stops the fans if it stays in ideal more or if the card is under minor load, which let you focus on gaming.

Customer Review: I bought this because I didn’t want to spend $700+ on a 1080 Ti. I honestly expected to have to turn some settings down, but I was surprised to find that this GPU so far is capable of playable frame rates at max settings for 4k in all the games I’ve tested so far. Witcher 3 maintains greater than 50fps, Fallout 4 stays above 50, and even with the fans spun up this GPU isn’t all that loud in my Phanteks P400S. Verified Review — Chris Sharp

Pros Reliable and long-lasting

Controllable LED lights

Noiseless fans during low loads

8mm thick copper heat pipes to maximize heat transfer Cons Can have compatibility issues

2. MSI GEFORCE GTX 1080 TI AERO 11G OC — Best for Gaming

MSI GEFORCE GTX1080 TI AERO 11G OC Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti

Video Memory: 11GB GDDR5X;Cores: 3584 Units

DisplayPort x 2/HDMI x 2/DL-DVI-D. Built with Hi-c CAP, Solid CAP, and New SFC components

Memory Clock: 11016 MHz; interface: PCI Express x16 3.0

500W system power supply requirement; 250W power consumption View on Amazon

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is the fastest single-chip GPU Graphics Card that you can buy. The MSI’s GTX 1080 TI is the perfect choice for applying a 1080 TI in your computer. It’s default setting gives outstanding performance if you want to game on it at 4k resolution. While gaming at 4k, the MSI GTX 1080 Ti remains quiet thanks to its Twin Frozr VI cooling technology. MSI made a high-quality card so that you can have a card that lasts for years. This graphics card comes with a factory overclocked version with the base clock speed of 1544MHz in Gaming mode and 1569MHz in overclocked mode. To give it a good look and for completing the TwinFrozr design, MSI put a full-metal backplate featuring their logo. The MSI Gaming App is also included in the CD drive in the box, so you don’t need to download the software online. You cannot match the performance of MSI graphics card with its previous generations, and it gives virtually unparalleled gaming experience on a single card.

Customer Review: I have used this card pretty heavily for gaming since my purchase. The card replaced (and obviously outperforms) 2 980s in SLI. I bought the card right as prices dipped after bit-mining drove them up for a year or so. I was hesitant, as I had already heard the announcement of the 2080ti’s release. I have to say I do not regret the decision. MSI makes a great housing for this card and it runs just about every game I throw at it in 4k at 60fps. Verified Review — Chris

Pros Outstanding Performance

Ninja Quiet

11GB GDDR5X Memory

Easy & Stable Overclocking

Titan X Performance, For Less $

4K gaming on a single card Cons Large & Heavy

3. ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 TI Turbo — Cheap Graphics Card With Best Performance

ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 TI Turbo 1582 MHz Boost Clock (OC Mode)

Auto-Extreme manufacturing technology delivers premium quality and reliability

Blower-cooled design with reference-sized form factor ideal for SLI configurations

Supports the latest DirectX 12 and GeForce gaming features

5K Gaming and VR Ready View on Amazon

The Asus GTX 1080 Ti Turbo is a great gaming graphics card with a single GPU. It is the simple graphics card which gives an immersive performance. Most of the Gaming PC is occupied with RGB lights, but the ASUS GeForce default VGA cooler looks old-fashioned and doesn’t provide a gaming feel. If you’re someone who has a gaming pc with no light, just suitable hardware, then this graphics card is for you, and yeah, it’s cheap. By having a one fan default VGA cooler, there are some cons that you have to bear. That means, it can get hot sometimes under heavy usage. But it has enough power that you can easily game on 4k without any noise issue. Another great feature of this graphics card that it supports Virtual Reality (VR) that means you play my favourite game, Beat Saber.

Customer Review: A really fantastic card that runs cool and runs warm but super silent. This card is able to power my 4k monitor at 75 hertz pretty well without being noisy at all. Better than amd vega for sure though since their price are roughly the same. Would have bought a vega since my 4k monitor is a free sync monitor but I don’t regret my purchase. Very simple to install out of the box and pretty awesome. Verified Review — Trevor

Pros 11GB GDDR5X 352-bit memory

11GB Frame Buffer

Customizable backlit logo plate

7680 x 4320 resolution (5k) Cons Default VGA cooler

Weak fans

Can get loud

4. ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER Overclocked — Cheapest 4K RTX Graphics Card

ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Advanced Overclocked Comes with 1830 MHz Boost Clock (OC Mode)

Supports up to 4 Monitors

Auto Extreme and Max Contact Technology deliver premium quality and reliability

ASUS Aura Sync RGB lighting features

Includes additional software like Game Booster, XSplit Gamecaster, WTFast and QuantumCloud View on Amazon

Asus Rog Strix RTX 2070 Super is an overclocked feature-rich graphics card with excellent video rendering. It has the highest overclock so far which proved that there is still some space for overclocking the GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER GPUs. 4k gaming on this card is not a big issue. It gives fantastic performance out-of-the-box, but after overclocking it becomes an absolute beast. That means you can get excellent performance and enjoyment while playing games at maximum visuals in 4k resolution. Talking about the price, most of the STRIX cards are pricy, but this RTX 2070 is very well priced comparing other GPUs available in the market. In this price, if you wish for a version with some flashy lightings to give your PC a gaming looks. Sorry, this can’t be happening. The Axial-tech fans on this GPU keeps the ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 quiet even on heavy load. Overall, the performance is outstanding, the thermals and temperatures remain stable all the time, and it is the right choice for users looking for the cheapest 4k graphics card.

Customer Review: Doesn’t even break a sweat giving you 70+ fps at everything you throw at it in either very high or ultra-setting in 4K. Extremely satisfied. Make sure you have room. This thing is massive. Verified Review — Bill Oliveira

Pros Great overclocking potential

Good triple-fan cooler

Best for RTX Lovers Cons Outdated Design

5. ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti AMP Extreme Core — Best Budget Choice

ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti AMP Extreme Core New Pascal Architecture. Slot Size is 2.5-Slot

Card Length - 325 x 148 x 56.6 millimeters (12.8 x 5.83 x 2.23 inches ) . Supported OS - Windows 10 / 8 / 7 (32-bit and 64-bit )

Virtual Reality Ready

3x DisplayPort (version 1.4), 1x HDMI (2.0b), 1x DL-DVI-D

Boost Clock 1721 MHz View on Amazon

ZOTAC products are meant for the gamers who are currently on a lower budget, but they don’t compromise the quality. This GeForce GTX 1080 TI AMP Extreme edition is the attraction of many hardcore gamers, due to its price and performance. If you’re someone on a budget and want to play 4k games at max settings, then this GPU is made for you! In this model, ZOTAC uses a plastic cover, but it still looks functional and classy. The backplate is also covered from top to bottom, which helps to stabilize the board a bit. The plate also looks pretty and well-griped. ZOTAC is also featured with next-generation VR performance, and also has the compatibility of plug and play with your headsets. This graphics uses all its power to provide a great gaming experience in 4k. Despite the excellent performance, it’s the price. It is not too high, so if you’re on a budget, this can be the right choice.

Customer Review: Exactly what you want if you’re serious enough to pay this kind of money for a graphics card. Runs cool and quiet even during very visually demanding games at 4k resolution before even dealing with overclocking. I’m able to maintain 60fps on most newer games at 4k with some older less optimized, and heavily modded like Skyrim, games dipping down to about 45fps at 4k. All in all, it’s exactly what I was hoping for finally finishing prepping my computer to be the 4k media machine I’d wanted since the first 4k displays began coming out. Verified Review — Casey

Pros Great Gaming Performance

Plastic Build (But, cool)

Overclocked Out of the Boxed Cons Takes a lot of power (600 Watts Supply Needed)

May not fit in some cases

Check Support of Your Graphics Card with Your PC.

Keep in mind that every graphics card is not the same. There are a number of factors on which a graphics card is determined and made compatible with your motherboard. Read a detailed guide on graphics cards here.

If you want immersive performance to play high-end games at maximum visuals, then it’s important that you choose the right graphics card for your pc. Without it, you’ll have a powerful graphics card which will not be functioning properly on your computer.

Read Related: Best Graphics Card for Gaming and Video Editing

Motherboard

Many motherboards come with a few expansion slots, basically they all are PCI-e slots. But for graphics cards you’ll need a PCI Express x16 slot (the longest slot on the motherboard). Most of the modern motherboards comes with a PCI Express 3.0 slot, but if your computer uses PCI Express 2.0 or any other version, the graphics card is backward compatible with these old versions. So, no need to worry about it.

Connectors

There are some graphics cards that need to be connected with motherboard for power, which normally requires a 6-pin(3×2) or 8-pin(4×2) connector. Most of the high-performance graphics cards requires two connector slots instead of one. So, if you’re not sure about the connectors check for motherboard technical details or open the case, unplug the graphics card and count for pin connectors.

Power

The amount of energy supplied to the components is handled by the power supply unit or PSU, which is a limited resource. For your graphics card to function properly you have to confirm that it has enough power to support a new graphics cards. High-Performance graphics cards may need 600Watts to give you full juice of the Video Processing. If you’re using a high performance card and your PSU doesn’t have enough power, then your computer will fail to turn on.

Display

To get the immersive performance, you’ll need a 4k monitor which can be able to run at 4k. Picking a good display monitor with high refresh rate isn’t easy these days. A monitor with high refresh rates and syncing technologies can make a big hole in your pocket.

Size of your monitor is also an important issue. If you have a very small display, you’ll not be able to enjoy the extra detailing which 4k resolution provides. You may get some scaling problem in some games and video rendering programs. We recommend you to get a minimum of 27-inch display which supports 4k as well.

Ports

Let’s say that you 4k monitor is ready and your graphics card is up and running in your computer, all you need to do is to connect your computer with your monitor to enjoy the great detailing and immersive output of your graphics card. The way you connect them have a great impact on the performance.

Here’s a guide for you! Most HDMI connections comes with the HDMI version 1.0, which doesn’t even support 4k resolutions. HDMI 1.4 has the compatibility of 4k, but it can only display 4k at 30 frames per second(fps). You can either opt for HDMI 2.0 which will satisfy your need.

But, we recommend you should use DisplayPort 1.4 which supports 4k resolution upto 120Hz. That means you can play games and watch movies at 120 frames per second(fps).

Budget

Everything you need is directly depends on your budget. Gaming or working on 4k isn’t that cheap as you’re going to spend 1000$ on graphics card to get that kind of environment. There are some cheap graphics cards where 4k is technically achievable, but they will not give what you needed.

Cooling System

There are two most important parts of a computer (CPU and GPU) both of them get hots when you put on a heavy load, or by just running ideally. So to cool them down we use different ways, like multiple fans or the modern technology of water cooling. If you’re using fans, then you will have to compromise on noise, because the hotter the graphics card gets the higher the fan rotations, which will make noise.

PC Case

Form Factor is the very important aspect to consider. It will be a disappointment to spend all your money on somethings that just doesn’t fit in your case. Most gaming-focused graphics card holds 2 PCI-e slots because of the larger size, and big heatsinks to release heat. So think twice, if you’ve a tiny Mini motherboard.

AMD OR NVIDIA: WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE?

These are the two manufacturers that can be found on the market, and each manages to highlight its respective strengths. So:

NVIDIA wants to be the historical leader in the industry. Professional and serious. The manufacturer makes graphics cards with high quality standards and very well known for high-end graphics cards. They do a lot of research and practice to improve their products and take graphics to another level.

By comparison, AMD asserts itself as the master of value for money. Although evolving mainly in the entry and mid-range, the manufacturer makes high-end models time to time, but they cannot compete Nvidia in terms of performance. We think, for example, of the Radeon VII and the RX 5700 XT, perfect for the WQHD, but which will not be able to match the RTX 2080 Ti on the 4K.

In short, the choice between the two manufacturers will mainly depend on what you are looking for: for performance, aim for NVIDIA, but for value for money, prefer AMD.

WHAT ABOUT RAY-TRACING?

Ray tracing is the biggest achievement in the computer industry. It traces the light coming from the object and reflect the light from object to object by viewing angles to make the scene more realistic. Well, ray tracing is just introduced so it’s at the beginner stage and still needs to be improved. We don’t know how many future games comes with this feature, but this is the future of gaming.

New upcoming gaming consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will be supporting ray tracing, so it’s likely to see more games and enhancements coming in the future. GPUs with ray-tracing are more expensive, but as the time goes the price will go down. So, we recommend to buy an RTX GPU if you can afford.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What Graphics Cards Can Run 4k? We have mentioned a detailed list of graphics cards that can run and game at 4k with maxed visuals. In Short, MSI GEFORCE GTX1080 TI AERO 11G OC is the most powerful GPU that can handle any game or video rendering operations at 4k. If you’re someone who want an RTX then, ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER will be the best choice for the cheapest 4k graphics card. Is it Necessary for Me to Change My Power Supply? Well, that clearly depends on the graphics card you’re buying. It is mentioned on your graphics card box, how much power it will consume. After checking from there, check if your power supply can give enough power to your GPU. If not, then change the power supply. Are The RTX Series GPU Worth It? The newest RTX technology is definitely worth buying, but this technology is new, there are more improvements to come in the future. If you’re on a budget then you can get the lower priced RTX models, they are also very good. ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER will be the cheapest RTX 4k GPU for your gaming setup. Will I Be Able to Play AAA On a Cheaper Graphics Card? If you’re someone who want to play a game just after it is released, then we recommend you to get a high end graphics card which will be able to run every game for most of the coming years. Otherwise, these card can also run AAA games, but you’ll have to compromise on visuals.

CONCLUSION

There are a lot of models available in the market, but if you know what you need then you can choose the best one for your gaming pc within seconds. All graphics cards have some aspects to be noticed before buying, but we also mentioned those aspects above in the article.

Our top pick for the cheapest 4k graphics card is MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1080. It has all the features that a gamer need to run games in 4k with max-settings. The cooling is amazing, the fans stops when it is in ideal form, also if it is under heavy load, it runs quiet and you can focus on your game without any interruptions.