I'm putting together a compact ITX gaming PC for my wife so we can play together. It will mainly be used at 1080p for older co-op games and indie titles, but I'd also like enough performance for newer games in the future. This is meant to be a budget build, so I'm not trying to match my higher-end system.
I already own a GTX 1060 6GB from my first build and found a used Ryzen 5 3600X for $60. For the graphics card, I'm considering these used options:
- Sapphire Pulse RX 5600 XT for $100
- Sapphire Pulse RX 5700 XT for $140
- Gigabyte Aorus RTX 2070 Super for $180
Is the RX 5600 XT a meaningful upgrade over the GTX 1060? Is the extra $40 for the RX 5700 XT an obvious choice, or is the RTX 2070 Super worth paying another $40 for features like DLSS and ray tracing? Since this will be in an ITX case, thermals and long-term usability matter too.
4 Answers
The RX 5700 XT is the value pick. At $140, it offers a huge jump over the 1060 and should be excellent for standard 1080p gaming. The main downside is that it lacks DLSS and has weaker ray-tracing support, so the 2070 Super makes more sense if you care about those features. In a small case, check temperatures and fan noise carefully because both cards can run fairly warm.
The RTX 2070 Super is probably the best overall choice here. A GTX 1060 is starting to struggle in newer games, while a 2070 Super should handle 1080p at a smooth 60 FPS for quite a while. DLSS can also help extend its lifespan when a game gets demanding. Just make sure the specific card fits the ITX case and has adequate cooling.
I’d skip the RX 5600 XT at that price. The RX 5700 XT and RTX 2070 Super are both around twice as fast as the GTX 1060, so either would be a substantial upgrade. The 5700 XT gives you excellent traditional 1080p performance for $140, while the 2070 Super adds DLSS and better ray-tracing support. If the card is known to be in good condition, I’d lean toward the 2070 Super for the extra features and longer useful life.
For this use case, keeping the GTX 1060 is only worth considering if the budget is extremely tight. The 5600 XT is faster, but the 5700 XT is a much more compelling upgrade for only $40 more. The 2070 Super is the safer long-term buy because of DLSS and ray tracing, but the 5700 XT is likely the better performance-per-dollar option for older games and regular 1080p rendering.
The $180 price on the 2070 Super is firm, so I’m weighing whether the extra features justify the cost. I may choose the 5700 XT if it’s in good shape and runs cooler in the case.