My RTX 3080 died—what GPU should I buy for $600–$1,000?

Your target resolution matters a lot. For 1440p, an RTX 5070, RX 9070, or RX 9070 XT should be plenty. For 4K, I’d lean toward the 9070 XT, 5070 Ti, or a well-priced used 4080. Also check your power supply, processor, case clearance, and CPU compatibility before ordering.

Used RTX 4080 or 4070 Ti Super cards could also be good choices if you find one at a reasonable price. A used RTX 4070 Super is closer to the $500 range and already performs similarly to or better than a 3080, with newer upscaling and frame-generation support.

For the best performance-per-dollar, the Radeon RX 9070 XT is probably the strongest option right now. It’s a substantial upgrade over the 3080 and generally costs less than an RTX 5070 Ti. The regular RX 9070 is also worth considering if you want to spend closer to the lower end of your budget.

Before writing off the 3080 completely, it may be worth checking whether the cooler has lost contact with the VRAM or whether the thermal pads have deteriorated. Some cards can be temporarily revived with new pads or a cooler service, although that’s not guaranteed and can cause damage if done incorrectly. Even if it stays dead, you may be able to sell it for parts.

If you want to stay with Nvidia, look at the RTX 5070 or 5070 Ti. The 5070 is enough to roughly match or exceed a 3080 in standard gaming, while the 5070 Ti makes more sense as a clear upgrade—especially if you care about ray tracing, DLSS, CUDA, or Nvidia-specific creative and broadcasting features. The problem is that 5070 Ti pricing has risen enough that it’s often poor value compared with the 9070 XT.