Conclusion
There is considerable focus on the premium end of the PC gaming market. Rightfully so, you may say, as the stringent demands of immersive virtual reality and ability to push high-quality pixels at a 4K resolution can only be met by the best of GPUs.
Such a viewpoint conveniently ignores the bulk of the market - the mainstream GPUs that far outstrip sales of uber cards. The Radeon RX 460 is a case in point. It straddles the financial lines either side of £100 and is offered in many cooling forms and either 2GB or 4GB flavours. Best of all, one can build a competent, cool, quiet gaming PC for less than the cost of a single premium card such as the GeForce GTX 1080.
A sub-£600 outlay purchases a decent game-playing experience at a 1080p resolution common amongst those dipping their toes into real PC gaming waters. Able to mete out acceptable framerates at high/very high settings, the overall effect is enhanced if paired with a value FreeSync monitor for judder- and tear-free gaming at around the 60fps mark.
One potential question mark is whether or not a 4GB card warrants the additional outlay over a cheaper 2GB alternative. The benefit is negligible in many titles, yet the eye-opening results obtained with Doom suggest that there's merit to taking a 4GB path that's likely to be a little more future proof. AMD is strong here because it offers 4GB for the price of a 2GB GTX 1050 while also offering adaptive-framerate monitors at a keener price.
Yet the RX 460 offers more. Easily flashed from the standard, shipping 896 cores to the full complement of 1,024 offers an additional seven per cent performance at the framerates that matter, often falling right into the middle of FreeSync territory, plus with additional headroom to overclock farther.
In summary, it is clear to see why AMD is eager to have entry-level solutions positioned under the editorial spotlight. The company hasn't been able to truly compete at the premium end of the market, but it continues to offer affordable products that make good sense when judged accordingly. Want to experience PC gaming without breaking the bank? A Radeon RX 460 offers a solid 1080p experience and serves as a fine choice for a budget PC, especially in its full-on 1,024-shader configuration. Interested? We're giving this review PC away in our unique competition right over here.
The AMD Radeon RX 460 GPUs are available from Scan Computers.
PowerColor RX 460 Red Dragon 2GB
