I built this PC about six years ago and have dealt with frequent crashes in GPU-intensive games ever since. I've tried a wide range of software, driver, and troubleshooting fixes without finding a solution, so I'm considering replacing the graphics card. My current system has a Ryzen 5 3600, MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX motherboard, Gigabyte RX 5700 XT Gaming OC 8GB, 16GB of DDR4-3600 memory, and a Corsair CX650M 650W 80+ Bronze power supply. I have a budget of $200–$500 USD and would like solid 1440p performance. I'm open to buying new or used. What cards would be compatible and worthwhile with the rest of this system?
3 Answers
If you can stretch the budget, a higher-tier card such as an RX 9070 XT could provide a more substantial 1440p upgrade. Just make sure the specific model’s power requirements and connector setup are compatible with your power supply. A 12GB-or-larger card is preferable for longer-term use.
Before replacing the GPU, it would be worth confirming that the graphics card is actually the cause of the crashes. The RX 5700 XT is still roughly comparable to a GTX 1080 in traditional performance and isn’t inherently unusable. Persistent crashes could also come from unstable memory settings, drivers, overheating, the power supply, or another component. If the system is stable outside demanding games, then upgrading the GPU makes more sense.
The Radeon RX 9060 XT with 16GB of VRAM looks like one of the best matches for this budget, especially around $400–$420. It should handle 1440p well and is a reasonable pairing with the Ryzen 5 3600. Your 650W power supply should also be sufficient.
The card isn’t universally bad; it has simply been troublesome for some users. Since the crashes have continued for years despite troubleshooting, testing with another GPU or checking system stability would help identify whether the card is actually faulty.