I'm considering buying a friend's used RTX 2070 in Germany because current GPU prices are so high. Assuming the rest of the PC is reasonably up to date, how long could it realistically keep running newer games at 1080p with medium-to-high settings around 60 FPS? Would using it for another three to five years be feasible, or is it already nearing the point where newer games will require major compromises?
3 Answers
There isn’t a fixed expiration date. It becomes obsolete when it no longer runs the games you want at settings and frame rates you’re happy with. For current 1080p gaming, it’s still a capable card, especially if you’re willing to lower settings in newer releases. Three more years is plausible, but the newest demanding AAA games may require medium or low settings, particularly if ray tracing is involved.
It depends heavily on the games. Competitive and older titles could run well for many more years, while demanding AAA games may start pushing the 8 GB of VRAM and the card’s ray-tracing performance sooner. At 1080p, 60 FPS, and medium settings, you should have a reasonable amount of life left. As a rough guide, a very cheap used card could be worthwhile, but paying much more than roughly €120–€140 would make the deal less attractive.
Game requirements usually rise significantly when developers stop targeting the current console generation. Until then, the RTX 2070 is broadly in the performance range needed for many modern games. It should remain usable for a few more years, though newer releases will increasingly require reduced settings, upscaling, or disabling ray tracing. Driver support will probably last longer than the card remains satisfying for demanding games, and the GPU will still work even after it stops receiving the newest drivers.
That makes sense. I hadn’t considered how much the current console generation influences PC game requirements, so I’ll mainly judge the purchase by the price and whether I’m comfortable lowering settings later.