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Best Budget GPUs for FPS Games (CS2, Valorant, Apex, Fortnite)

By / Tech / July 10, 2025

Here are the four best budget GPUs you can buy right now for FPS games. From Intel to Nvidia and AMD, respectively.

Best Budget GPUs for FPS Games (CS2, Valorant, Apex, Fortnite)
An image showing two Nvidia GPUs (Image via MSI | Nvidia)

As time passes, GPU manufacturers continue to disappoint gamers with more AI and less VRAM, as well as subpar GPUs. In this case, technology is a double-edged sword, as the GPU cores continue to improve with node shrinks, consume less power, and deliver increased performance. Even with GPU vendors compensating for this performance hit with a weaker memory bus and lower amounts of VRAM, the benefits of the new technology are still evident. 

For example, with GDDR7, there is a 2x increase in bandwidth over GDDR6; however, GPU vendors compensate for this by using a weaker memory bus and lower amounts of memory. Even though GDDR7 can have a 3GB module per bank, compared to the 2GB module found on GDDR6, using a 3GB module per bank approach over a 128-bit bus would have made the RTX 5060 a 12 GB GPU, alleviating a lot of the criticisms it faced initially.

Currently, for esports, 8GB VRAM appears to be more than enough at 1080p. You can look forward to the options below if you plan to play esports games such as CS: 2, Dota 2, Valorant, Apex Legends, and Fortnite most of the time, with occasional AAA titles. 

Note: The pricing data is to be used as a reference, for actual pricing details, contact your nearest retailer.

1. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 8 GB

Avowed RTX 5060
An image showing the RTX 5060 (Image via Nvidia)

Nvidia has updated the 60 series lineup with the new RTX 5060 8GB GPU. At its price, around $299 MSRP, it is a good upgrade over the 4060, particularly for esports titles, as VRAM does not limit these. You can expect around 165+ FPS at 1080p with competitive settings (low settings mostly) with whichever esports game you play.

Specifications:

  • CUDA Cores: 3,840
  • Boost Clock: 2,497 MHz
  • Memory: 8 GB GDDR7 @ 1750 MHz
  • Memory Bandwidth: 448 GB/s
  • TDP: 170 W
  • Architecture: Blackwell, GB 206

2. AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB

AMD launched RX 9060 XT at Computex 2025 (Image via AMD)
An image showcasing the RX 9060 in a system (Image via AMD)

The RX 9060 XT, the 8GB model, has been heavily criticized for its existence. In reality, it’s a great esports GPU. Sadly, due to the 8GB VRAM, it’s heavily limited. This is the fastest 8GB budget option available, priced at approximately $ 299. It’s the same as the 5060, but far more powerful, with the same 8GB caveat. Meaning even if you could drive your AAA titles at 1440p, the VRAM ruins everything.

Specifications:

  • Compute Units: 32 (2,048 Stream Processors)
  • Boost Clock: Up to 3130 MHz
  • Memory: 8 GB GDDR6 @ 20 Gbps (128-bit)
  • Memory Bandwidth: 320 GB/s
  • TDP: 150–182 W
  • Architecture: RDNA 4

3. AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT 8 GB

Best Budget GPUs for FPS Games (CS2, Valorant, Apex, Fortnite)
An image showing the RX 6650 XT (Image via AMD)

If you can find any of these new, they come at a great price, starting at $230, and even lower. If used, it’s around the $180 mark. The performance it offers is identical to the RX 7600, raster to raster, which is why it was chosen instead of the RX 7600. That said, for 1080p competitive gaming, such as the titles mentioned here, you can expect 144+ FPS at ease.

Specifications:

  • Stream Processors: 2,048 (32 CUs)
  • Boost Clock: Up to 2,650 MHz
  • Memory: 8 GB GDDR6 @ 17.5 Gbps (128-bit)
  • Memory Bandwidth: 280 GB/s
  • TDP: 180 W
  • Architecture: RDNA 2 (Navi 23)

4. Intel Arc B580 12 GB

Arc Battlemage B580
An image showing the Intel Arc B580 GPU (Image via Amazon)

The Intel Arc B580 sits right in between the RTX 5060 and the RTX 4060. The performance it delivers is excellent for its asking price, which is around $300. But the big difference it makes is the VRAM. No other GPU in this price bracket offers 12GB VRAM, meaning you can play esports, which would work fine at a 120+ FPS range. Additionally, you can play your favorite AAA titles, albeit with adjusted settings, so that you can fit in nicely within the game’s VRAM usage limit.


Specifications:

  • Xe Cores: 20 (2 560 shaders)
  • Boost Clock: 2,850 MHz
  • Memory: 12 GB GDDR6 @ 18 Gbps (192-bit)
  • Memory Bandwidth: 456 GB/s
  • TDP: 190 W
  • Architecture: Xe 2 (BMG-G21)

Verdict

All of the GPUs mentioned here are excellent options for esports titles such as Apex Legends, CS2, Valorant, and Fortnite, as well as other popular games. If you start running out of VRAM in the future, even with the competitive settings, which you will likely use when playing, consider lowering the resolution and see how it turns out.

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