What’s the best used GPU upgrade for my $150–$200 budget?

Radeon cards often offer better performance for the money because used Nvidia cards can hold their resale value more strongly. Check the prices of RX 6000-series cards, an RX 7600, or Intel options such as the Arc A750 or A770 if your games support them well. A used RTX 2060 or another comparable AMD card would also fit the budget. After the GPU, upgrade to 16GB of RAM; your CPU should be fine for now, and the 256GB SSD can remain usable until you need more space.

The GPU is the biggest upgrade from integrated graphics, so I’d prioritize that first. In some used markets, an RTX 3060 can be found near $200, while an RTX 2070 Super may be closer to $150. If you can stretch to the 3060, it’s likely the better long-term choice. Afterward, move to at least 16GB of RAM, then expand the 256GB storage because modern games can fill it very quickly.

Don’t limit your search to the RTX 2060. Depending on local used prices, an RTX 2070 Super, RTX 2080, GTX 1080 Ti, RX 6600, or RX 5700 XT might offer more performance for the same money. Check the card carefully, test it before buying, and make sure your power supply has the required connectors and enough capacity.

An RX 6600 would be a particularly good card to look for, and an RX 5700 XT could also be worthwhile if you find one in good condition. Whichever GPU you choose, add another 8GB DDR4 stick soon—16GB is a much more comfortable minimum for current games and general use.