Introduction
There are many gamers who don't spend much on hardware and also often have computers that can't power a high end graphics card. I've been asked before what low end graphics cards are better for World of Tanks. I had the opportunity to test several of them recently.I used Fraps and a WoT replay of the M41 Bulldog on the Windstorm map to compare the GTX 1050 vs the RX 460. Fraps recorded the minimum, average, and maximum FPS for the battle. The RX 460 that was used cost $95 and the GTX 1050 that was used cost $100. Both are models that don't use any additional power and get all their power through the PCI Express x16 slot. Also, both cards have 2 GB of memory.
The computer used for the comparison had these specs:
i7 6700K overclocked to 4.6 GHz and water cooled.
32 GB DDR 4 RAM (8GB x 4 sticks)
1 TB Samsung EVO 850 SSD
Seasonic 750 Watt power supply
Windows 10 Pro
The faster processor was used to ensure neither graphics card was hindered by CPU performance.
The two graphics cards tested were:
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1050 Mini $99.99
PowerColor RED DRAGON Radeon RX 460 $94.99
Both graphics cards were run at their default clock speed.
For smooth game play you want to keep your minimum FPS(Frames per Second) above 30 FPS. Games can start looking like a slide show below 30 FPS. Games tend to look smoother and are easier to play when you keep your minimum frame rates higher. Generally 50-60 FPS is where games start to look much smoother to most gamers. Some people with 60 Hz monitors prefer to have their minimum FPS never drop below 60 FPS then enable V-sync to reduce the visual effect called screen tearing. Other players have monitors that are capable of 75 Hz, 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 144 Hz, or faster refresh rates and want higher average FPS in game. Minimum and average frame per second are a matter of both game play quality and personal preference and can be limited by the hardware. Maximum FPS isn't as important for game play as minimum FPS and average FPS.
The Results:
