I'm upgrading from a GTX 1050 Ti, and these are the only graphics cards within my budget where I live. I would strongly prefer the RX 6600, but the available Biostar model has a reputation for being loud and having poor cooling. The alternative is an RTX 3050 6GB from a more reputable brand, though it seems to offer much worse performance for the money. I mainly play Palworld, Elden Ring and other Souls games, plus occasional competitive titles. I don't usually play extremely demanding games. Since my budget is tight and replacing a failed card would take months of saving, would the RX 6600 be reliable enough to last for years, or would it be safer to choose the slower RTX 3050 6GB?
3 Answers
The Biostar model may have mediocre cooling, but cooling problems are generally easier to address than choosing a GPU that is too slow for its price. A sensible fan curve, good case airflow, and, if necessary, fresh thermal paste can help. The RX 6600 also uses relatively little power, so it should not be an especially hot card.
Before buying, check whether the card is new and covered by a real warranty. If it’s used, test it with a demanding game or benchmark and check temperatures, fan noise, crashes, and visual artifacts. Biostar is more of a budget brand, but that does not automatically mean every card will fail.
Go with the RX 6600. It is substantially faster than the RTX 3050 6GB in ordinary gaming, especially at 1080p. The 3050’s better branding doesn’t make up for its poor performance and limited 6GB of VRAM.
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