I built this PC about three years ago and currently play most games on medium or low settings. I'd like to upgrade it so I can run the new Gears of War and Red Dead Redemption 2 at a decent frame rate, while also keeping future games in mind. My current system has a B550M DS3H AC motherboard, a Ryzen 5 5500 with a 360mm cooler, 16GB of RAM, and an AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT with 4GB of VRAM. My budget is around $600, and I'm using a Cooler Master MWE Gold V3 850W modular power supply. What graphics card would make the most sense?
3 Answers
At this price point, prioritize a modern card with at least 12GB of VRAM. The RX 9070 would be the best option if it is available around $600; otherwise, the RX 9060 XT 16GB or a used RX 7700 XT are sensible alternatives. You may eventually want to upgrade the Ryzen 5 5500 for especially demanding games, but the graphics card should be the first upgrade since the RX 6500 XT is currently the biggest limitation.
I’d look at a 16GB RX 9060 XT or a used RX 7700 XT. Both would pair reasonably well with the Ryzen 5 5500 and give you much better performance and VRAM for newer games. An RTX 3060 12GB can work too, but it usually isn’t priced competitively for the performance it provides.
My budget is about $600, and I’m hoping whatever I buy will also be useful for future PC releases.
With an $600 budget, an RX 9070 would be a strong choice if you can find one near that price. A used RX 9070 XT might also fit the budget. Either card would be a huge jump from the RX 6500 XT and should handle modern games at high settings with smooth frame rates. Your 850W power supply should be more than enough.
I’m also waiting for the PC version of GTA 6 eventually, so I’d prefer a card that won’t feel outdated too quickly.