AMD remains the king of PC gaming value with Radeon RX 500 series graphics cards

With the launch of AMD's Polaris-based Radeon 400 series of graphics cards, the company did something amazing -- it targeted the average consumer (the "every man"). While NVIDIA often targets the expensive high end, AMD instead opted to cater to realistic budgets. The company's focus paid off, as many budget and mid-range gamers had positive experiences from the cards.

Now, the company is back with the newer Radeon 500 series -- the second generation of Polaris. While the performance increase from 400 to 500 series will be modest, pricing remains virtually identical. In other words, owners of, say, an RX 480, will probably not want to bother upgrading to an RX 580. For owners of older cards, however, these new 500 series cards will offer solid performance at very affordable prices. With these cards, AMD is also introducing a new feature called "Radeon Chill" which allows the user to decrease performance for lower temperatures.

"The Radeon RX 500 series was designed specifically for system upgrades, catering to the 9 out of 10 PC gamers today who are hindered by outdated technology and aren't able to enjoy optimal experiences in modern games, smooth VR experiences, or the latest display technologies. Radeon RX 500 series graphics cards feature a variety of the most compelling new technologies and features," says AMD.

Scott Herkelman, corporate vice president and general manager, Radeon Technologies Group explains, "Radeon was built on the promise that all gamers can enjoy the most advanced graphics technologies in their favorite games. Our launch today of the Radeon RX 500 series doubles down on that effort. With higher performance, revolutionary gameplay capture software, latency-reduction technology, Day 0 driver support for game launches, open and affordable standards like Radeon FreeSync, and innovative features like Radeon Chill, we know gamers who have been patiently waiting to upgrade will have more than enough reasons to now."

There are currently four models in the series, with memory ranging from 2GB to 8GB -- the RX 550, 560, 570, and 580. There is a rumored RX 540 due in the future, but that has not been verified -- yet. AMD shares the following details about each card model below.

• Radeon RX 580: For smooth 1440p gaming -- The Radeon RX 580 delivers up to an average of 57 percent better performance compared to the Radeon R9 380X in testing, delivering smooth gaming in leading AAA games and VR experiences for an SEP of US$229 for the Radeon RX 580 8GB GDDR 5 graphics card, and an SEP of US$199 for the Radeon RX 580 4GB GDDR5 graphics card
• Radeon RX 570: For maximum 1080p gaming -- With 4GB of GDDR5 memory, the Radeon RX 570 boasts up to an average of 2.3X better performance compared to the Radeon R7 3709 for an SEP of US$169
• Radeon RX 560: For efficient 1080p gaming -- With 2GB of GDDR5 memory, the Radeon RX 560 delivers up to an average 57 percent higher performance of the Radeon R7 36010 for a fluid and smooth gaming experience in the world's most popular games at an SEP of US$99
• Radeon RX 550: The doorway to PC gaming -- Featuring 2GB GDDR5 memory, the Radeon RX 550 delivers up to an average 4X higher performance vs. competing integrated graphics, and up to an average of 1.7X the performance of the Radeon R7 250 at an SEP of US$79.11 The Radeon RX 550 is also ideal for home theater PCs with support for HDMI 4K60, 4K playback and HEVC content. It's also HDR ready, supports Radeon FreeSync 2 technology for smooth, tear-free gaming, and ships in many low-profile designs ideal for small form factor cases.

If you want to upgrade to a 500 series card, you can get the 570 and 580 variants today, from retailers like Newegg. As a matter of fact, yours truly bought this Gigabyte AORUS 580 model here. The lower-end RX 550 and 560 cards will make an appearance at stores in the not-so-distant future.

Which one of these RX 500 series cards will you buy? Tell me in the comments below.