The concept of gaming in 720p resolution has become archaic. In spite of this, gamers on a tight budget continue to be drawn to the ridiculously low price point and minimal hardware requirements. Although if certain games are beginning to transition away from the resolution, the vast majority of titles still support 720p, making it a choice that should at least be considered.
Back in 2006, the resolution was first seen on the market thanks to the introduction of the PlayStation 3. Because of this, it should not come as a surprise that gamers can get away with using quite outdated hardware if they go with this display.
This article will discuss some of the most reasonably priced AMD graphics cards that are able to play games in 720p resolution without causing significant performance concerns. The list covers everything from the least expensive graphics processing units (GPUs) to the most up-to-date resolution options.
The price of gaming in 720p on AMD graphics cards is lower than it has ever been.
1) AMD Radeon RX 550 ($45-60)
Back in 2017, AMD introduced the Radeon RX 550 as a low-end budget option for playing games at lower resolutions while accepting a certain level of performance sacrifice. Although it was possible to play games in full high definition when the card was first released, it is now more suitable for 720p gaming. Because the 550 only has 512 shading units and 2 gigabytes of video memory, users using it for gaming should not have particularly high expectations for the experience.
| AMD Radeon RX 550 | |
| Shading units | 512 |
| Compute units | 8 |
| Maximum boost clock | 1183 MHz |
| Memory size and type | 2 GB GDDR5 128-bit |
| TDP | 50W |
| Price | $45-60 |
The graphics processing unit (GPU) is significantly slower than the GTX 1050, which is already a card that is not recommended for gaming. On the other hand, you can acquire it for as little as $45 on eBay right now, making it the greatest choice for Team Red fans on a restricted spending plan.
2) AMD Radeon RX 560 4GB ($60-80)
The Radeon RX 550 is the younger of the two siblings that make up the Radeon RX 560. This low-cost card, which is widely regarded as the closest counterpart of the GPU found in the PlayStation 4, continues to keep up with 720p gaming without any noticeable slowdowns. The graphics processing unit (GPU) has 1024 shading units, 16 computation units, and 4 gigabytes of video memory, which is twice as much as the RX 550’s capacity.
| AMD Radeon RX 560 | |
| Shading units | 1024 |
| Compute units | 16 |
| Maximum boost clock | 1275 MHz |
| Memory size and type | 4 GB GDDR5 128-bit |
| TDP | 75W |
| Price | $60-80 |
When shopping for an RX 560, it is important to review and recheck the machine’s specifications. The card is available in two different iterations, the first of which has 12 Compute Units while the second has 16 of them. The 12 CU version is far less powerful and struggles to keep up with the most recent video game releases like Watch Dogs: Legion and Hogwarts Legacy.
These days, you can purchase the speedier card for somewhere around $70. So, it is an option that does not break the bank to play the most recent games.
3) AMD Radeon RX 470 ($49-80)
Although one could argue that the RX 470 is an extremely outdated card at this point, it is important to keep in mind that it is really an RX 570 with a lower clock speed. Both budget cards offer a performance that is pretty comparable when gaming at 720p resolution. The older Polaris card, on the other hand, may be purchased for just about $50 at any given time.
The graphics processing unit (GPU) is highly powerful, as seen by its 2048 shading units, 32 computation units, and 4 GB of video memory supported by a 256-bit bus.
| AMD Radeon RX 470 | |
| Shading units | 2048 |
| Compute units | 32 |
| Maximum boost clock | 1206 MHz |
| Memory size and type | 4 GB GDDR5 256-bit |
| TDP | 120W |
| Price | $49-80 |
On the secondhand car market, you won’t have any trouble finding an RX 470. Despite this, the GPU has reached the end of its production cycle and cannot be purchased in its fresh form anymore. Because it only had 4 GB of video memory (VRAM) and a memory bandwidth of 211 GB/s, the card was never really lucrative for mining. As a result, gamers might score a good deal by shopping on eBay or Craigslist.
4) AMD Radeon RX 580 ($85-105)
Even now, some six years after its initial release, the Radeon RX 580 manages to blow our minds in a variety of different video games. Even though it was designed to compete with the GTX 1060 6 GB, the card is still extremely capable at 1080p resolution. In terms of performance, it is easily capable of competing with both the GTX 1650 Super and the next-generation RX 5500 XT.
The graphics processing unit (GPU) is not very power efficient; high-end models might consume more than 180 watts of power while providing optimal performance for 720p gaming. But it has a lot to offer, including 8 gigabytes of video memory and a speed of over 400 gigabytes per second.
| AMD Radeon RX 580 | |
| Shading units | 2304 |
| Compute Units | 36 |
| Maximum boost clock | 1340 MHz |
| Memory size and type | 8 GB GDDR5 256-bit |
| TDP | 185W |
| Price | $85-105 |
The RX 580 may be considered by many to be an overkill for gaming at 720p resolution. Despite this, the rig will be future-proof for at least the next few of years thanks to the additional rendering horsepower and the 8 gigabytes of video RAM. In the used market, the card can be purchased for close to one hundred dollars.
5) AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT ($149.99)
The RX 6500 XT, the newest challenger on the list, comes equipped with capabilities that are essential to the gaming experience of today. This card is a significantly scaled-down variant of its more expensive RDNA 2 family members. It is designed to compete with the Nvidia GPU known as the RTX 3050, but it is far slower than that device.
Despite this, it is still a good choice for gaming at 720p resolution due to the affordable price tag and the reduced specifications. This card comes equipped with 1,024 shading units, 16 compute units, and 4 gigabytes of GDDR6 memory.
| AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT | |
| Shading units | 1024 |
| Compute units | 16 |
| Maximum boost clock | 2610 MHz |
| Memory size and type | 4 GB GDDR6 64-bit |
| TDP | 107W |
| Price | $149.99 |
The graphics processing unit (GPU) is capable of ray tracing, which enables some well-optimized games to play in 720p resolution while still supporting the feature. Additionally, it includes specialized hardware for the upscaling of temporal data. This AMD graphics card, which costs $149, is the most efficient low-cost option for 720p gaming.
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