Are Refurbished GPUs a Smart Temporary Upgrade?
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TechieGamer92
I'm currently gaming with a GTX 1080 at 1440p, powered by an i7-9700K and 32GB of RAM. My main game is Microsoft Flight Simulator, and while I want to fully upgrade my setup, that won't be feasible for another year or two. I'm considering buying a refurbished GPU as a temporary solution, looking specifically at the 2080 Ti or 3080 Ti models, since they've been around for a bit and are available for about $400 to $600. Is this a wise decision, or should I look at other options?
Answers
I'd suggest checking out the 9060 XT 16GB for around $370. You'd likely see about double the performance while staying within your budget. I upgraded from a 2070 to a 9060 XT and I'm thrilled with the results!
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I mostly buy used GPUs these days too. If you're already looking at spending close to $600, I don't get why you wouldn't just grab a 9070 XT or a 5070 for around $520. They're way more worth it for that price point!
TechTraveler: That's a fair point. I guess my concern is about the CPU bottlenecking.
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Keep in mind that refurbished usually means used. Most just blow the dust off; they rarely repaste or replace thermal pads properly. I’d recommend just getting a used GPU instead of a pricy refurbished one. That 9070 XT for $600 is way better. You won't need to worry about bottlenecks as much—it's all about maximizing the FPS your CPU allows, and it gives you more room for graphics or future upgrades!
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That price seems a bit steep for older generation cards. For up to $600, you can snag a brand new RTX 5070 or RX 9070, both of which outperform the 3080 Ti by a noticeable margin and offer more VRAM (especially the RX 9070). Why not consider that instead?
FlightSimFan: I'm just worried about bottlenecking the system with such a new card and an older CPU.
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GPUHunter24: I'll definitely give that a look.