I'm assisting a friend with his gaming PC upgrade. He's currently using a GTX 1070 paired with a Ryzen 5 5600x (3.7GHz, 6 core) and has a 650W power supply. His budget for a new GPU is between $200 and $300 because he's finding it hard to play modern games—the latest one being Dune: Awakening—so he's looking for something that offers a good performance boost. He's open to buying used GPUs from eBay or local marketplaces and there's also a Microcenter nearby. Right now he's gaming at 1080p but he might switch to 1440p later on. Any advice on what GPUs to consider and if he needs to upgrade his PSU too?
3 Answers
Have you thought about the 16GB RX 9600XT? It's an entry-level 1440p card that should be good for 1080p gaming long-term. But it does require saving a bit more, which I know your friend might not want to do right now.
His PSU should be adequate for the GPUs in this budget. If he can find an RTX 4060 at a good price, that could offer solid value too!
You’re right on the new options being slim. The RX 570/580 and the GTX 1660 are solid choices. However, the RX 580 is a decent 1440p card but might not handle every game at high settings smoothly. I’d suggest looking for the best used card available for around $300, or consider a new RX 580 if that fits the budget. Your current PSU should be just fine with most options in this range.
Yeah, but I’m not too familiar with models either. Any pointers on what to look for when searching on marketplaces?
True, but he really wants something immediately. Maybe there are better budget options that can keep up the performance without saving too long?