I'm assembling a microATX PC and the RTX 5050 at $250 looks tempting for a newer graphics card. I'm curious about its price-to-performance ratio. I want to keep costs down as much as possible and plan to avoid used parts. I'll mostly play less demanding games like Hitman and Hogwarts Legacy, although my primary use is hacking with Kali Linux. So, is the RTX 5050 a good choice for my needs, or should I look elsewhere?
4 Answers
I'd recommend checking for a single fan 4060 Ti if you can find one. It might be a bit tricky, but it’s a decent upgrade over the 5050.
There aren’t any good new GPUs for that price right now, aside from maybe the Arc B580, but that’s often not available at $250. Maybe reconsider getting a used GPU since that's common in gaming builds.
Honestly, the RTX 5050 isn’t worth it. You’d be better off looking into AMD GPUs if you're focusing on Linux for gaming. They generally perform better in that environment.
What AMD GPU would you recommend around the $300 mark? I have a Microcenter nearby and am looking to get a decent CPU and motherboard too.
The general consensus is that the 5050 is pretty awful. Honestly, almost any alternative would serve you better. If you can, consider searching the used market; plenty of solid options are available.

Isn’t the B580 not great since it needs a powerful CPU to shine? My parents really want me to buy everything new though, so I'm trying to stick to that.