I'm not very knowledgeable about PC hardware and my current system struggles with newer games unless I use the lowest settings. I have a GTX 1660 Super, an Intel Core i5-10400F, and 23GB of RAM—a mismatched amount from adding an extra stick years ago. I'm in the United States and would like to spend no more than about $500 on a graphics card. I'm hoping to play newer games such as Space Marine 2 and God of War Ragnarök at reasonable settings. What GPU would be the best upgrade, and would my current processor or memory hold it back?
4 Answers
It’s worth checking the used market for a regular RTX 4070 or RTX 4070 Super. If you can find one around $450–$500, it offers excellent performance, modern features, good upscaling support, and generally hassle-free Windows driver support compared with some newer budget options.
The 23GB of RAM is an unusual configuration, and mismatched memory can sometimes run in an imperfect dual-channel setup. It would be better to replace it with a matched 16GB or 32GB kit eventually, but the GTX 1660 Super is likely the main reason modern games perform poorly. I’d confirm your power supply, case clearance, and current RAM layout before buying the card.
A Radeon RX 9060 XT with 16GB would be a strong new-card option around the upper end of your budget. It should be a substantial improvement over the GTX 1660 Super and is better suited to modern games, especially at 1440p. Your i5-10400F is still reasonably capable, so I’d upgrade the GPU first.
For a lower-cost choice, an Intel Arc B580 around $300 could work well for 1080p gaming. If you want more headroom for 1440p, the RX 9060 XT 16GB around $450 is the more appropriate pick. Just make sure your motherboard has Resizable BAR enabled, since Arc cards benefit significantly from it.
I’ve seen RTX 4070 Super cards locally for roughly $450–$500, so I’ll definitely keep an eye out for those.