So I'm in a place where I have long since intended to upgrade to a dedicated graphics card rather than using my onboard.
This is mostly for gaming and doing video editing and graphics work. You guys can see I've got a decent system - 16GB RAM and a 3.2Ghz 8-core overclocked to about 3.6Ghz, so I'm good on those - I have yet to get above 4GB ram usage at any given time.
 
 
The question is then, is it such that NO MATTER WHAT video card I get, I'll see improvements over the on-board graphics? And if so, are there any recommendations that aren't so pricey?
I don't have a set price range but I really don't need to spend too much anyhow. I'm not needing to run games (for example) at 1080p - my monitor isn't even a 1080p monitor. I would, however, like to get decent framerates and have less trouble editing videos. Plus I've already sunk over $500 into this build through upgrading essentially every component except the case, and I'm looking to build a system that's powerful enough to last me another 10-15 years if I can swing it.
 
Any and all recommendations are welcome - store and name brands alike. :)
 
 

"No matter what" is a bit broad so I'd say no, that isn't the case. I'm sure there are cards out there with horrible performance and unstable drivers that will make your life miserable compared to what you have. 
 
That said, anything NVIDIA GeForce based is typically a safe bet in my experience. Find one in a price range you are okay with and then read up on some reviews, benchmarks, etc. related to your needs. Keep in mind that a lot of these cards are monstrosities that take up two slots and a ton of space and often require power supply upgrades.  

If we're talking about recent make Intel CPUs, the onboard U/HD-630 graphics are pretty decent.
If you're not going to install GTX-1050 (equal or better), I wouldn't even bother.

Dave76
"No matter what" is a bit broad so I'd say no, that isn't the case. I'm sure there are cards out there with horrible performance and unstable drivers that will make your life miserable compared to what you have. 
 
That said, anything NVIDIA GeForce based is typically a safe bet in my experience. Find one in a price range you are okay with and then read up on some reviews, benchmarks, etc. related to your needs. Keep in mind that a lot of these cards are monstrosities that take up two slots and a ton of space and often require power supply upgrades.  

That's a fair reply, Dave. Given that both you and Jim are pointing me in the direction of nVidia GeForce cards, I think that lets me know where to be looking. Initially, around a year or so ago when I started making upgrades I has my sights set on a Gigabyte Radeon Rx 460, probably 4GB model, which was going for around $150 when I was looking but appears to have absolutely skyrocketed for some reason of another.
 
 
I'll check the benchmark sites to get the best I can with what I'm willing to spend.

Get ready for the big sticker shock.  A lot of GPUs are being marked up online due to a supply shortage, causing frequent out of stock notices.
 
I think it is a combination of factors, including cryptominers buying them up to mine Bitcoin, etc., causing a temporary shortage in the supply.
 
I would probably look for a refurb, or order from a reseller that has not jacked up prices, or settle for a back order.
 
If you are looking for a nVidia card, I wouldn't go any lower than a GTX950.  A little over a year ago I tested out a GT710 but it had about the same performance as my integrated Intel HD2500.  So I sent it back and got a GTX950.  It will run some older games like Skyrim or Bioshock Infinite at full HD 1920 with ultra settings.  Not really a gamer, but enjoy some casual gaming, so something in the GTX950-GTX1050 range should get the job done nicely! 

I know nothing about Redeons, but check that what you consider has "silence mode" (GTX-1050+ has, at least when produced by known companies).
In all tests you can find that anything without active cooling will not outperform modern build-in GPUs. But active cooling means at least some noise, not good for a DAW. Silence mode is a good compromise, when in 2D or with light 3D load, GPU is cooled passively. But when you need full power (3D, some video processing, etc), you get it (with noise, but for targeted use cases that is no longer important).
 
I known that my 1050Ti stay silent till quite heavy (for it) load, even in 3D. Jim probably has experience with upper models and can say how far they can stay silent under load (I have asked him once, but he has not replied...  my worry was that since nominal power consumption for upper models is 2x-3x more then for 1050, they can start to produce more heat sooner).
 
PS. Last time when I was ready to upgrade, I have invested ~$400 into PSU+GPU instead. I have super silence now, but PC itself you can find in my signature

abacab
Get ready for the big sticker shock.  A lot of GPUs are being marked up online due to a supply shortage, causing frequent out of stock notices.

 
That's something I'm actually struggling with RIGHT NOW, abacab!!! The Rx 460 was stated to be the direct competitor to the 10% better GTX 1050 2gb, so I'm looking to the 1050 but can't find it ANYWHERE at the purported $130 price point!! This is after some 2.5 hours of watching videos and reading up on the best performers around this price point.

Everywhere online is at least $135 (which isn't much more to pay at all but it's more the principle - in 2016 this card new was going for about that, right? I don't expect to pay ANY more than that, haha!)
 
The newest game I'll probably be playing on this system is 2008's Fallout 3, so it'll at least be nice to have a system with a lot of headroom in terms of how much it CAN do vs. how much it HAS to do. I do intend to learn Blender at some point, and when i launch YouTube I'm going to need something capable of video editing and rendering pretty decently in comparison to what I have at the moment.

azslow3
In all tests you can find that anything without active cooling will not outperform modern build-in GPUs. But active cooling means at least some noise, not good for a DAW. Silence mode is a good compromise, when in 2D or with light 3D load, GPU is cooled passively. But when you need full power (3D, some video processing, etc), you get it (with noise, but for targeted use cases that is no longer important).

For me, azslow3, my tower isn't optimized for silence anyway - I'm only running a bedroom studio and right now I'm getting about the best recording quality I can with what I've got - and that's adding in the noise created by the bathroom fan and drippy-noises right next to me, the CPU fan that's only a 3-pin so it remains at a constant speed at ALL times (I need to fix this)... And then of course, there's me, banging and clanging and strumming - I'm sure that can't be too pleasant either 
 
Good thoughts though, I definitely should pay some more attention to that because room noise has made recording difficult.
 
 
 
So right now, my mind is set on a GTX 1050 2gb model. I'm hoping to find one at roughly $130... most are going for $140 - $200, but as I said, the principle matters first - I'll hold out a little while and if the price doesn't move, then I will.
 
 

davdud101
 
So right now, my mind is set on a GTX 1050 2gb model. I'm hoping to find one at roughly $130... most are going for $140 - $200, but as I said, the principle matters first - I'll hold out a little while and if the price doesn't move, then I will.
 

I paid $130 for my GTX 950 in 2016.  I laughed at what some of those were listed for now, LOL.  Like 2-3x that!  That is probably close to the most I've ever spent on a GPU, but well worth it, as it is 2GB and a good performer.  I would never consider spending >$200 for a GPU...
 
Like you said, lot's of headroom for games from 10 years ago.  And you can get those cheap today!  Nice to be able to play with settings maxed out and never have to worry about frame rate! 

Ran across this video card in stock tracker.  Can't vouch for it, as have never used it.  Was posted up on Tom's Hardware forum recently... they have a 1050ti tracker showing a few in stock...
 
https://www.nowinstock.net/computers/videocards

abacab
Ran across this video card in stock tracker.  Can't vouch for it, as have never used it.  Was posted up on Tom's Hardware forum recently... they have a 1050ti tracker showing a few in stock...
 
https://www.nowinstock.net/computers/videocards

Thanks for the link!
 
The only ones I'm finding at the sub-$150 mark are NOT EVGA's, only the Zotac and ASUS models. Hmmm.... is this issue actually CAUSED by manufacturers jacking up prices because of miners?
 
Came across this article in connection with that... https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/9knj73/as-cryptocurrency-miners-buy-gpus-in-bulk-nvidia-says-gamers-come-first 
Really strange stuff, especially since it seems all this cryptocurrency stuff emerged from the woodworks into the public eye only 5 or so years ago. Makes me sort of wish I'd upgraded this time last year, I would definitely got what I wanted at the price I meant to pay