I'm in Europe and have around €300–€400 to spend on a graphics card for 1080p gaming. I mainly play BeamNG, Counter-Strike 2, War Thunder, and Teardown, but I'd also like some headroom for future games such as GTA 6. My current system has an Intel Core i7-8700, a GTX 1660 6GB, and I'm considering an Intel Arc B580 for about €350, an RX 7600 for €360, an RTX 5060 for €429, or a used RTX 3060 Ti around €423. Which option would make the most sense, and should I consider buying used instead?
5 Answers
New Nvidia cards are quite expensive for their performance in this price range, so I’d lean toward AMD or a used card. A used RTX 4060 Ti around €400 could be an option if you specifically want Nvidia features, but compare it carefully with faster used cards before buying.
At these prices, I’d seriously consider the used market instead of buying a new RTX 3060 Ti or RX 7600. A used RTX 3080 can sometimes be found for roughly €350 and would be a major upgrade over the GTX 1660. Just check the card’s condition, power requirements, and whether your power supply can handle it.
Look for a used RTX 3060 Ti or RX 6600 XT. The 3060 Ti is often around €200 or more, while the RX 6600 XT can be cheaper, so either could offer better value than paying over €400 for an older or slower new card.
The Arc B580 has plenty of VRAM and could be useful if you eventually move to 1440p, but the i7-8700 may hold it back in CPU-heavy games. Counter-Strike 2 and BeamNG can be limited by the processor, so a more powerful GPU won’t always translate into higher frame rates. The RTX 5060 should handle 1080p well, while a 16GB card such as a newer RX 9060 XT would offer more long-term headroom if you can save a little more.
A used RX 6950 XT is another strong option if you find a good deal, although it uses more power and may be excessive for 1080p. Make sure your power supply and case cooling are suitable before considering one.
A used RX 6800 XT is also worth checking out if you want more VRAM and can find one in good condition.