Do you have an SFF build and not happy with the gaming performance? You will typically need a low profile graphics card due to space constraints. In this article, we do just that. We listed out the best low profile graphics cards suited for SFF builds.
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Since the inception of video games, the gaming industry has massively evolved and reached a whole new level. We went from Counterstrike v1.6 to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, GTA to GTA 5, and Call of Duty to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and so on. The rapid development of video games was possible due to the evolution of the computer hardware and graphics technology. Thanks to AMD and Nvidia, the technological development in all these components enabled us to create realistic games that we enjoy today.
Also Read: Top Mini ITX Motherboards for AMD Ryzen 7 (B350 and X370 Chipsets)
A typical gamer wants to max out everything. However, if you are a part-time, casual gamer and wouldn’t mind a little compromise, then SFF builds ideal. Since you don’t want to invest a lot of money in a high-end gaming rig, you might be looking for a simple platform that is capable of JUST running the game properly on low or medium settings.
Considering the resource needs for these rare gamers, today, we will be discussing some light performance graphics cards for your simple rig that is not being built with the sole purpose of gaming. You are much likely to use mid-level components with a power supply of 240W, or somewhere near it, more or less. Considering that, here is the list of some of the best budget graphics card that you can use with a 240W PSU:
Out List of the Best Low Profile Graphics Cards
While we update our list on a regular basis, we have two sections based on dates. Some of these cards are still available on several online marketplaces. Check them out and pick the one that suits you the most. So, here we go!
<2019 List>
MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti GAMING OC 2GB GDDR5
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We have already discussed the 1050 Ti graphic card from MSI, and the 750 Ti is an excellent option even though it is launched a couple of years ago. It is capable of running most of the games at 1080p resolution. Based on the Maxwell GPU architecture, the graphic card and offers you 2GB of memory.
The overclocking offered by the card will make it one of the preferred choices for all your needs. The Twin Frozr dual fans would be an exceptional choice for effective cooling performance. It can help you play the resource-hungry games even if you opt for continuous gaming. The power efficiency that reads 60 Watts should be one of the best options you would want to go with. The graphic card comes with the military class 4 components.
Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti
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In case you are looking for the perfect low graphics cards for gaming, the Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti is a great option. The graphic card does offer you an exceptional 1080p performance even at 60 fps. The graphic card is capable of running a few high-end games if you have no issues with lowering the settings to medium or low. Of course, the games that are demanding may experience frame drops at 30 fps.
It can be the best-suited option for the systems with 300Watts power efficiency. The graphic card itself consumes 75 Watts power. The device comes with a few great features like DirectX 12 Ready and Gamestream to NVIDIA Shield. The device also supports 3x display monitors.
XFX Radeon RX 560
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The X560 is the answer that AMD plans for the GTX 1050 Ti from Nvidia. It can be slightly poor in performance in comparison and also a little cheaper option. In any case, if you are looking for the pre-built PC and checking out the possibility of improving the performance would be an excellent option. The card comes with a power consumption of 75 Watts. It supports a single PCIe slot.
The real clock for clock performance would be an added advantage. You can experience an exemplary optimization. You can be assured of an Enhanced VRM and Memory Cooling. The graphic card reduces the VRM temperatures to up to 30 percent.
Gigabyte Geforce GTX 1050 Ti OC
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The lower profile design would make it one of the perfect choices for the PCs with the low form factor. The 167 mm length of the card would best suit the slimmer and smaller system. The XTREME engine utility is what would make it one of the perfect choices for improved overclocking performance. Multiple connectivity options would help you add up to 4 displays.
The dual-link DVI-D ports, one DisplayPort and 2 HDMI ports can be the best option when it comes to the versatility. The 4 GB memory capacity should make it one of the best options for playing a few AAA games that tend to be resource-heavy. Anesthetic look, an excellent performance, and perfect cooling efficiency are a few features that should ideally make it one of the great choices.
<2018 List>
1. ASUS AMD Radeon R7 250:
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We are beginning the list with a graphics card based on AMD Radeon R7 250 graphics engine, which is known for SFF builds. It possesses 1 GB of GDDR5 128-bit dedicated video memory. Extreme auto technology backs it by ASUS, which delivers cent percent performance automation. The fan is dust resistant and protects the central unit from harmful particles. Overall reliability is reinforced with high quality allow components. Robust monitoring and adjustment options can be accessed using GPU Tweak II software.
It is entirely compatible with DirectX 12 on windows 10. The game that supports DX 12 would look better than anything else with this graphics card. Besides, the base memory clock speed, it can go as high as 725 MHz, and we are confident there is still some space for overclocking. It is a good option when you are looking for a budget graphics card with average performance. Comparing the price and the performance it delivers, the graphics card deserves a shot.
Buy it here:
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2. EVGA GeForce GT 730:
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It is powered by GeForce GT 730 graphics engine. It needs a PCIe 3.0 or lower compatible motherboard to run on. It comes with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 64-bit memory. The base clock sits around 902 MHz, where the effective memory clock can go as high as 5010 MHz. The graphics processor has 384 Cuda cores. It is capable of delivering 0.4ns memory speed and more or less around 40 GB/s memory bandwidth. It supports triple display thanks to the HDMI, DVI, and VGA output slots and is capable of delivering 240 Hz refresh rate.
It is powered with a bunch of graphics processing cores developed by Nvidia. There is also a PhysX coprocessor, Adaptive vertical sync, DirectX 12 API support, 3D vision support, CUDA technology, OpenCL support, OpenGL 4.4 support, FXAA technology, TXAA technology, Pure Video HD, technology, etc. For a low-end graphics card, it surely delivers more than you expect in the return of its price.
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3. ViewMax Nvidia GeForce GT 730:
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This one is also powered by the GT 730 graphics engine as the previous graphics card was. It comes with 2 GB of DDR3 64 bit dedicated video memory. It supports PCIe, DVI, HDMI, and HDCP. It has 384 graphics processor cores paired with faster GDDR3 memory bus. The engine clock sites around 900 MHz where the shader and engine clock can go as high as 1600 MHz. Since it is fully compatible with PCIe 2.0, you are much likely to have comparative safe and smooth overclocking experience.
It is backed by various modern graphics technology including GeForce driver, DirectX 12 support, OpenGL 4.4 support, etc. Moreover, it comes with Nvidia Adaptive vertical sync, unified architecture, PhysX technology, Cuda technology, video decode acceleration, Blue-ray 3D ready, xvi color and deep color technology, lossless audio stream technology, etc. It is capable of supporting 3x displays with HDMI, VGA and DVI slot available. For the price, you are getting the worth of your money.
Buy it here:
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4. VisionTek Radeon R7 250:
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Since we are talking about graphics card supporting a 240W PSU, the overall rig would also be SFF one with low-mid performance components. AMD’s R7 series GPUs are known for their compact design that is suitable for such builds. Talking about this graphics card, it is powered by AMD Radeon R7 250 graphics engine, backed with 1GB of dedicated 128-bit GDDR5 graphics memory. If fully supports the DirectX 11.2 technology. It uses PCI Express 3.0 hardware interface technology for connectivity.
The base memory clock or core speed is around 750 MHz, which can go as high as 800 MHz in boosted mode. Moreover, the memory speed is 900 MHz x2. However, it can go as high as 1150 MHz. VisionTek is offering a limited lifetime warranty on this product. In the criteria of small budget and performance graphics card, this card is one of the best in the category. If you are looking for a budget graphics card with outstanding performance, you can always go with this one. Looking at the features, you will surely get the worth of your bucks.
Buy it here:
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5. XFX Radeon R7 250:
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This Radeon R7 based graphics card comes with 1 GB of GDDR5 128 bit dedicated memory. The memory has core or base clock of 1000 MHz, and boosted clock can go as high as 1050 MHz. It comes with two video output ports including a single DVI and an HDMI port. It supports PCI express 3.0 hardware interface technology for providing connectivity. It is powered by AMD Radeon R7 250 GPU that is based on AMD generation 28nm GCN architecture.
Thanks to the low profile design, it is suitable for small form factor systems as well. All games supporting DirectX 11.2 looks impressive on it. With Mantle integration, it fully optimizes the capabilities of GCN architecture. AMD app acceleration technology improves performance in web surfing, office applications, and video rendering. Moreover, it comes with AMD power tune technology that helps in delivering higher clock speed and better performance.
Buy it here:
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6. Zotac Graphics Cards ZT-70702-10M:
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When it comes to a light 240W CPU, a low-end graphic card would be perfectly compatible. It is GTX 750 Ti based graphics card with 1 GB of video memory. It comes loaded with many Nvidia technologies including GPU Boost 2.0, Adaptive vertical sync technology, SMC shader architecture, PhysX technology, Cuda technology, 3D vision surround support, Shield gaming portable ready technology, etc.
As graphics card interface connectivity, it used PCI express technology and supported x16 mode/speed. As mentioned before, it comes with 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. The memory clock speed can go as high as 5000 MHz. This graphics card probably won’t max out everything, but it is capable of playing all modern games at low to medium settings on 1920 x 1080 resolution.
Buy it here:
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7. MSI GTX 1050 TI 4GT-LP
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As the name implies, this graphics card is based on Nvidia’s GTX 1050 Ti graphics engine. Being a low profile graphics card, a 240 – 300W PSU is much likely to endure the load. Since it has three graphical output including Display port 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0 and 1x DVI-D port, it supports a maximum of three display outputs. It comes with 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory along with the faster 128-bit memory interface.
The memory clock speed can go as high as 1290 MHz. The sleek body design makes it ideal for all type of builds, including the small form factor ones. It is entirely compatible with DirectX 12 so games with DirectX 12 would look simply awesome. The display refresh is synchronized to GeForce GTX GPU so that fast and smooth gaming experience is delivered. It is kind of under-budget graphics card with decent performance.
Buy it here:
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Conclusion
We hope you like our list of the best low profile graphics cards for your 240 Watts Power Supply. Small form factor PC’s have limited power to provide to your graphics card. A standard graphics card draw at least 200 Watts or more under full load. So, there needs to be a compromise, and that is where these low profile graphics cards fit in.
Questions and suggestions are welcome in the comment section below. We would be happy to help. Cheers!
Indrajit
Feedback taken. Tweaked that last line. Cheers!
Ken
Regarding your last statement: "You can get a Snapdragon 835 powered Android device at hal...
Indrajit
6 core 12 threads?