I'm currently sporting an Intel i5 11th gen processor paired with a GTX 1060, but it's been underwhelming for VR gaming—my Rift is just gathering dust! I'm not really into modern games since I've got a PS5 for that. So, I'm considering two options: the RTX 5050 for $240 from MSI or the Arc B570 for $200 from Sparkle. The Arc has 10GB of VRAM versus the RTX's 8GB, but I'll miss out on the RTX features. Any opinions? To add, I usually play older games like GTA4 at 1080p, which isn't a big deal to me. Thanks!
4 Answers
The B570 does have Intel's Ray Tracing, but for VR, you might want to stick with Team Green. Intel’s VR support has been rather limited, which could be a problem for your setup.
Honestly, the B570 is a steal at $200. It's not as fast as the 5050, but the extra VRAM can come in handy for certain games. Plus, if you consider stepping up to the B580 for about $250, you get a slight performance boost and 12GB of VRAM. Just keep in mind you'll be trading off some ray tracing and DLSS features.
But the B580 is often priced similarly to the 5060. It's a tough call trying to balance those features and prices.
I'd personally go with the RTX 5050 if VR is your main focus. It'll give you better support for those features you're interested in, and even though it has less VRAM, it mainly shines with the RTX perks.
Has to be said, Arc GPUs have had issues running older games due to driver problems. If your goal is playing older titles and VR, you might run into headaches down the line.
That's exactly what I'm worried about! I mainly want to play games that aren't on modern consoles, like The Saboteur and GTA 4, so that driver issue is a concern.
I'm not completely against Team Red; it's just that I haven't found anything in my price range. The Arc B570 is $200, B580 is $290, while the RTX 5050 is $240 and 5060 is $300. AMD's 9060 XT has been suggested, but it's priced higher than all these!