the best value for money graphics cards which you can purchase in early 2015. Pricing in the Indian market for the graphics card is different when we compare it to US/UK. The list here is specific to Indian pricing and it makes more sense to follow performance / Indian Rupee than performance/dollar.
The below list we will update in March as well if there are any new graphics cards getting launched in late Feb’15 or Mar’15. AMD is expected to launch new graphics card soon may be 2-3 months down the line to match the Nvidia Maxwell powerhouses. Nvidia may also launch variants of GTX 960, Nvidia GTX 960 ti or other cards based on Maxwell for low-end segment.
Most of the below graphics card suggestions also hold true for US/UK/Global Gamers who are looking to purchase/upgrade to a new graphics card in Feb/March 2015. Pardon me for pricing changes as they keep varying.
Best Graphics Card for PC Gaming India 2015
Let’s Start the list with the Entry Level Graphics Cards , them move to mainstream, Enthusiast and Extreme.
- Price – Rs. 4690
- Resolution – 1024*768
- Memory Width – 64 Bit
- VRAM Size – 1 GB GDDR5
- Core Clock – 945 Mhz
- SMPS Required – 300 Watts
Remarks – Comes with single fan cooler good for starting level gaming Rigs for resolution up to 720p, also has 3 year warranty. Competition AMD R7 240.
Graphics Card on Discount – NVIDIA Galaxy GeForce GT 730 GC 1 GB DDR5
- Price – Rs. 8000
- Resolution – 1366*768 or 1280*720
- Stream Processors – 640
- Memory Width – 128 Bit
- VRAM Size – 1 GB GDDR5
- Core Clock – 950 Mhz
- SMPS Required – 500 Watts
Remarks – The graphics card is compatible with Direct X version 12 and it offers performance equivalent or better compared to a DDR 3 Nvidia GTX 640. 1GB VRAM is enough to run all games at this resolution. Don’t compare the Nvidia Cuda cores to AMD stream processors. Supports direct X 12 and will also run well on PCI-e 2.0 or 3.0. Compared to a GT 730 it will offer 40% or more increase in FPS.
Graphics Card on Discount – Sapphire AMD/ATI R7 250X 1 GB GDDR5 Graphics Card
- Price – Rs. 10,500
- Resolution – 1366*768 or 1280*720, 1600*900
- Memory Width – 128 Bit
- VRAM Size – 2GB VRAM
- Core Clock – 1072
- SMPS Required – 400 Watts
Remarks – While AMD R7 260X is also a great option in this range you cannot go wrong if you buy that as well. The only caveat is it requires a 500 plus PSU which may cost more compared to 400 watt PSU which you can use with a GT 750ti. In games like Far Cry 3 or Battlefield 3 Nvidia GT 750 ti can marginally take the lead. While in metro last light and Crysis 3 AMD R7-260X can perform slightly better. The graphics card supports HDMI output display and comes with a 3 year domestic carry in warranty. It is based on the first generation of Maxwell architecture and is very power efficient and less heat generating.
Graphics Card on Discount – MSI NVIDIA GTX 750 Ti 2GB OC 2 GB GDDR5 Graphics Card
- Price – 14,200
- Resolution – 1600*900, 1920*1080
- Cores – 1280
- Memory Width – 256 Bit
- VRAM Size – 2GB
- Core Clock – 1000 Mhz
- Boost Clock – 1050
Remarks – The AMD R9 270X is better in comparison to GTX 660 and lags the GTX 760 by a small margin. It is one of the best graphics card if your budget is 15,000 or lower. The Card is based on GCN 1.0 architecture and was released in October 2013.
Graphics Card on Discount – Sapphire AMD/ATI Dual-X R9 270X 2GB Graphics Card
You can read the detailed review for AMD R9 270X.
- Price – Rs. 22,000
- Resolution – 1920*1080
- Stream Processors – 2048
- Memory Width – 384 Bit
- VRAM Size – 3 GB
- Core Clock – 1100 Mhz
- Boost Clock – 1150 Mhz
Remarks – Recently Nvidia launched the much hyped GTX 960, which has 128 Bit memory and pricing is really high with Gigabyte and MSI or Asus Available for 19,000. Which puts the $200 GTX 960 beyond affordable range and it will be better to go with AMD R9 280X for gaming on 1080p due to wider memory bus width and additional VRAM. The only low point is that it requires a massive power Supply. The card has excellent ability to overclock and can push the limits with new AMD Omega Drivers. Requires a massive 750 Watt Power Supply & 2X150 Watt 8-pin PCI Express power connector.
You can even grab a HD 7950 if you wish to spend 18,000 compared to a GTX 960. The AMD HD 7950 offers more value for money compared to overpriced GTX 960.
Graphics Card on Discount – SAPPHIRE TOXIC R9 280X 3GB GDDR5 , Sapphire HD 7950 Priced 18k
- Price – 29,000 -31,000
- Resolution – 1920*1080, 2560*1440
- Cores – 1664(in actual
- Memory Width – 256 Bit
- VRAM Size – 4 GB (3.5 GB + 0.5 GB)
- Core Clock – 1050
- Boost Clock – 1178
Remarks – Would suggest to buy the Asus or Gigabyte or in case buying Zotac should buy the AMP extreme, the cooler on base card is really poor and graphics card runs at 80 degree Celsius on stock speed. While Asus and Gigabyte are doing great with cooler on the cards which make them run lower than 75 degree Celsius in most punishing games like Assassin’s Creed Unity or Crysis 3.
Graphics Card on Discount – Asus Strix GTX 970 or MSI GTX 970 are my top choices. Gigabyte G1 and Zotac AMP extreme are too expensive.
- Price – Rs. 46,000
- Resolution – 2k or 4K
- Cores – 2048 Cuda Cores
- Memory Width – 256 Bits
- VRAM Size – 4GB
- Core Clock – 1126
- Boost Clock – 1216
Remarks – Nvidia GTX 980 is a great graphics card with highly efficient Maxwell Architecture and offers great gaming experience if you plan to do a multi-monitor setup or wish to play games on 2K or 4K monitor. You can also look for an Nvidia GTX 970 SLI if you have the budget to buy a single graphics card. Nvidia GTX 970 SLI outperforms the single GTX 980 but in case you are looking to run the GTX 980 in SLI in future you can surely get the single post powerful graphics card.
Graphics Card on Discount – Asus GTX 980 for Rs. 46,000 is a good deal currently.
If you are adding a new card to your old PC rig for playing the new gaming titles like Far Cry 4, Assassin’s Creed Rogue or Unity, Fifa 15, GTA 5, Battlefield 4 or Call of Duty Advance warfare must check the game requirements before buying the graphics card.
8) NVIDIA GTX 980 TI
If you are looking for a graphics card above Rs. 50,000, the Nvidia GTX 980 Ti is a great option. The current price is close to 60K to 65K in the Indian market and it offers great performance compared to the GTX 980.
The Nvidia GTX 980 Ti Graphics card Specs
- Manufacturing Process – 22 nm
- Core Clock – 1000 Mhz
- Memory Clock – 7010 Mhz
- Memory Bandwidth – 384-bit
- VRAM capcity – 6 GB GDDR5 Memory
- Power Supply Required – 600 Watts
The Nvidia GTX 980 Ti comes very close to the performance of GTX Titan X , infact is 3% slower compared to the Nvidia GTX Titan X. If you are thinking of doing a GTX 970 SLI would suggest you read – Nvidia GTX 980 Ti Vs Nvidia GTX 970 SLI.
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