All gamers know how important a graphics card is so you can play games like Assassin’s Creed or The Witcher in beautiful, smooth quality. While many graphics cards require external power, particularly the high-end powerhouses, it might well be that your PC, laptop, or gaming device can’t accommodate an upgrade to a graphics card that requires external power or a PSU.
This is a likely circumstance if you’ve got a pre-built or mass-produced computer. Or, maybe you want to replace your graphics card, but you want to keep to a budget.
However, you don’t need to worry that your graphics card will underperform if you choose one that runs on power supplied by the motherboard. Technology is changing every day, and there are lots of options out there to improve your gaming experience. Also, maybe you need a best graphics card without external power just for watching Youtube or Netflix without glitches and pauses, or you need to be able to run your video editing software without a hitch. Read on to find out what you should be shopping for!
8 BEST GRAPHICS CARD WITHOUT EXTERNAL POWER REVIEW
1) MSI GAMING GEFORCE GT 710 - BEST BUDGET GRAPHICS CARDS WITHOUT EXTERNAL POWER
PRODUCT INFORMATION
A great and inexpensive entry-level option for a gamer looking for a budget upgrade, this best graphics card without external power MSI GeForce GT 710 is great if you want to give your device a bit of a graphics-boost. It’s particularly relevant to you if you’re an amateur or occasional gamer, looking to give your older computer a new lease on life so it can handle some better games.
It can also be useful if you’re not a gamer, but you need to stream some movies or give your computer a little more to work with graphics. Don’t expect it to run high-graphics games at the highest quality, but it will help drive up performance, and it doesn’t consume a great deal of power.
You can expect it to heat up a bit, though. It also supports dual monitors, which is always a plus. It’s a fan-less card, and the installation is smooth. It also comes with a CD so you can install and upgrade the required drivers.
FEATURES:
PROS
CONS
2) GIGABYTE GEFORCE GTX 1050 TI - BEST LOW PROFILE GRAPHICS CARD
PRODUCT INFORMATION
This is a best graphics card without external power that’s a bit pricier for the more dedicated gamers out there, but you can expect a bang for your buck. The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 Ti runs on NVidia Pascal, an advanced piece of gaming architecture. It’s a mid-range card but can run a lot of high-quality games without much strain on your device.
You can expect great performance on many games, and it can run all the usual favorites (like Grand Theft Auto, The Witcher, Final Fantasy) on medium or high settings, as long as your device is up to it. If your machine comes with integrated graphics and you want it to run the heavier stuff, within reason, this is the best graphics card without external power.
This is also great if you’re not good with tech and you’re worried about installing a new card. This is pretty much a plug and play setup, so not much of a learning curve for amateur techies.
If you want some promise performance upgrades over the existing RTX cards, then check these new range of RTX 2070 graphics cards that offers better value for money.
FEATURES:
PROS
CONS
3) ASUS GEFORCE GT 710 - BEST GRAPHICS CARD FOR AUTOCAD
PRODUCT INFORMATION
This best graphics card without external power from Asus is another entry-level option if you don’t want to splash out too much in one go. It has a premium alloy make, which means it definitely won’t crash on you halfway through a round of Fortnite. It doesn’t draw much power, even when it’s working overtime.
It’s also a Stable Corporate Model (CSM), designed to be compatible with several operating systems and hardware. So even if you’re not a gamer, but you’re running a business, and your tech needs some help on the graphics end, this is the solution.
Older models with integrated graphics or on-board graphics would benefit from this card. Don’t expect it to perform miracles like a high-end graphics card, but it can pull its weight for sure. Installation is pretty easy, and you’ll see a marked increase in performance on your screens.
If you are the type of person who does not compromise on quality and can afford to spend a little extra, then check out these best Graphics Card For Autocad for high-end performance.
FEATURES:
PROS
CONS
4) EVGA GEFORCE 210 - BEST PCI EXPRESS X16 GRAPHICS CARD
PRODUCT INFORMATION
EVGA’s graphics card is another budget option to boost your low-end machine. This might not be the best option for intense gaming sessions with the latest hi-fi releases, but it could probably handle some older games on lower settings. It can handle HD video, so you can look forward to streaming Netflix in butter-smooth quality without lags or glitches.
It also has a pretty low power consumption, and it’s fan-less and doesn’t heat a lot. The card is pretty quiet, so that you won’t have any issues at all on that end. There’s a CD with the card, and the drivers are easy to install, no hassle.
So this card isn’t anything fancy or a powerhouse by any means, but if you need a little assistance on the graphics end, it could do the trick for you. It’s particularly good to need a little help with doing standard things on your old computer. Don’t expect it to run all the newer games that are out today, though.
FEATURES:
PROS
CONS
5) VISIONTEK RADEON 5450
PRODUCT INFORMATION
VisionTek’s best graphics card without external power promises an HD gaming experience and comes in at a very affordable price point. You can also enjoy hours of entertainment with great video playback with high image quality, and you can also use it for video editing if that’s your jam.
It might be better for the latter and streaming movies than for any solid gaming, but you can probably accomplish some light gaming on it. It’s got both DVI and HDMI functions and has no fan. It uses a heatsink for cooling, and there’s not much noise.
The Radeon 5450 is an older model, so you might not get any more driver updates, but it’s good for what it is, and VisionTek has great customer support if you need any assistance. It’s a basic staple that you can grab if you have basic needs for an old machine.
FEATURES:
PROS
CONS
6) ZOTAC GEFORCE GT 1030
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Somewhere between budget and mid-range is a best graphics card without external power by ZOTAC, the GeForce GT 1030. It also comes with an extended warranty, which is always good news. Super compact and slim, and it’s also low-profile so that it can fit into small systems with ease.
It can run 4K. Get ready to get a fantastic performance from your PC. Installation is pretty easy, download the required drivers, and you’re good to go. It’s better for amateur gamers who aren’t interested in heavy sessions with hi-tech games. A beginner can start with this.
FEATURES:
PROS
CONS
7) DIAMOND MULTIMEDIA AMD RADEON
PRODUCT INFORMATION
This is another best graphics card without external power on the budget end, practically a steal for the features it offers. The AMD Radeon HD 5450 provides multi-purpose graphics, and it comes with a CD for quick installation. Pretty much a plug and use for compatible devices and good for old Windows systems.
Comes with additional software so you can customize your experience, but the basics are good as well. It has three connections (HDMI, DVI, VGA) and produces smooth HD video. Although this particular graphics card is a bit dated, it still runs very well, and you can expect to chug along for a few years at least.
FEATURES:
PROS
CONS
8) PNY NVIDIA NVS 510
PRODUCT INFORMATION
This is a card on the higher end in terms of price, but it provides a very good payoff in terms of display. It can easily drive 4 monitors and is particularly great for streaming and movies. Installation is easy with a CD and documentation, and it comes with a 3-year warranty.
Gaming isn’t its wheelhouse, but you could probably improve on your current gaming setup with this. It would be more effective for business use.
FEATURES:
PROS
CONS
CONCLUSION
Hopefully, you’ve found best graphics card without external power to run now. As long as you’ve got a compatible machine, budget cards can run quite well these days, considering how far technology has come. You can run even more recent games and do some nifty video editing on a card that costs hardly anything.
Although some graphics cards can break the bank, it’s good to start with a reasonable option and see what your device can handle.
