I have a PC that was previously used only for work, but I'd like to start gaming on it. It has a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and two 27-inch 1440p 160Hz monitors.
My main target is World of Warcraft Forever when it releases in November. Until then, I'll mostly be playing indie games and working through my backlog. I'd also like to try Star Citizen eventually, assuming it continues moving forward and performs well with Vulkan.
GPU prices are currently higher than I'd like, but I need to buy one after giving my PlayStation 5 to a friend's son. I don't have a strict budget, though I don't need every visual setting maxed out. What graphics card would be a sensible match for this system and resolution?
4 Answers
For your stated games, you don’t need an ultra-high-end GPU. Intel’s Arc B580 or a Radeon RX 9060 XT could work for a new build, though the B580 is the safer option for 1440p than the B570. If you want more longevity for Star Citizen and other demanding games, stepping up to an RX 7800 XT, RX 9070, or RX 9070 XT would be worthwhile.
If you’re buying new and don’t need Nvidia-specific software for work, I’d lean toward AMD. The RX 9060 XT is a reasonable choice for moderate 1440p gaming, while the RX 9070 GRE or RX 9070 XT gives you more headroom for demanding games and future releases. Used cards such as an RTX 4070, RX 6800 XT, or RX 7800 XT can also offer excellent value.
A used previous-generation card may be the best way to avoid current pricing. An RTX 3080, RX 6800 XT, RX 7700 XT, or RX 7800 XT should be more than enough for World of Warcraft and most backlog games at 1440p. If you want something new, an RX 9070 XT is a particularly sensible pairing; an RTX 5070 Ti is also powerful, but usually harder to justify unless you need CUDA, ray tracing, or Nvidia’s upscaling features.
An RTX 5070 is a strong fit for 1440p high-refresh gaming. It should handle demanding games at high frame rates, especially with DLSS or frame generation enabled where appropriate. The main concern is value, since Nvidia cards can be substantially more expensive than similarly performing AMD options.
Do you find DLSS and the other Nvidia features essential, and how is the card’s VRAM holding up? I’d be willing to lower settings or even play at 1080p if necessary.