I'm building a computer for my girlfriend's birthday, which she'll use for gaming and her studies as a computer science major aiming for software engineering. I have her setup ready to go, including a Ryzen 7 9700x, 32GB of RAM, and a 4TB SSD, but I'm on the hunt for a GPU. I want something that performs well for 1440p gaming, especially for open-world and simulation games like The Sims, Civilization VI, Assassin's Creed, and others. Ideally, I'd like to spend under $350, but I'm more comfortable in the $250-$300 range. I'm also open to buying used or refurbished cards if that helps with the budget.
5 Answers
If you're lucky, you might find a 5060 Ti with 16GB, but it can be a bit of a long shot. It’s worth checking!
Just a heads up, you need to update her BIOS to version 3.40. There have been some issues with the Ryzen 9000 CPUs overheating on ASRock boards, and that update helps a lot.
Consider looking for second-hand deals on the RX 6800 or 6900 XT—they're both around 16GB and should fit your budget used. Also, the Intel A580 has good performance with 12GB if you see one at a good price!
The 9060 XT is probably your best bet for performance and value, often found at MSRP recently. Just keep an eye out, though; they might be selling fast!
I was looking at one too, but I already missed out on a good deal last week!
You might want to consider the 9060 XT with 16GB. It's a bit on the edge of your budget at around $350 but offers great value for 1440p gaming.
If you can manage to find a used 9070, that could also be a solid option within your price range.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll ensure the BIOS is updated right away.