Preliminary card
Not everyone wants to spend $1,000 or more on a GPU, and if your overall budget is more stringent, you have some options. Normally, I recommend a previous generation card, but the RTX 40 series and AMD 7000 cards are almost out of stock or are marked in large quantities at major retailers. These cards are for 1,920 x 1,080 games, so don’t expect if you have a higher resolution or refresh rate.
There are still some older cards that you can pick up relatively easily, but when you get over $400, check out the RTX 5060 TI above. They are easily available under $400, and the additional benefits of the latest DLSS Tech will make significant improvements to the following options.
AMD
Before launching the 50 series, I used the Sapphire Pulse 7900 XT, a card I would like to recommend now, as it served me for two years at a price of 3,440 x 1,440 and was under $700 for June 2023. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find stock at the moment, and now the new AMD is posted on the market, it will be very slow.
Instead, I will go further to the magnitude of strength and grab the RX 7600. While I haven’t taken the time to use this model, I’m very happy with Sapphire’s cards and in older games, indie games it should be at 1080p, perfect for your average night and perfect for your average night. Rocket League or Minecraft.
Again, this card won’t increase 1440p, especially in new games, and lacks some of the features you’ll see in the latest and greatest GPUs. It should keep you on the road, though, until there is hope to calm things down.
Nvidia
As of early 2025, the only previous generation card I could always find from NVIDIA is the RTX 4060, which is the GPU, which is the two-year GPU on the market. It’s a capable card at 1080p but doesn’t get along well with today’s games and you have to lower the settings to consider 1440p.
Of the options available, I like the MSI GEFORCE RTX 4060 VELTUS 2X BLACK, a compact card with low power requirements that should basically fit any modern system. MSI has an excellent record of reliable, straightforward graphics cards, and this one is in stock and has been discounted recently.
Of the two, I think AMD is a better buy, even if the performance on paper is impressive than the RTX 4060. At a price point below the $500 price point, the $100 price difference can be large, so be aware of the discount to ensure you get the best deal, especially since these generations start to close.
Buy second-hand
When it comes to GPUs, I’m usually a fan of buying new products. If something goes wrong, you can not only make sure you have the proper warranty and RMA support, but it’s hard to know if someone abuses the GPU through a lot of crypto mining, poor temperature control in the system, or no artifacts and issues disclosed. I’m usually a fan of buying that I use in other fields, but it’s hard to trust strangers due to the demand and the price.
If you do buy second-hand, make sure to do leg work. Local partying with Craigslist or Reddit can achieve great deals, and even if you can’t make sure you start it, it can give you the chance to check your GPU. You can also ask for video proof of the card of the game with serial numbers in succession shooting. If you are considering buying a used card online, make sure you understand the returns and controversial policies of the market and payment processor.
When you bring the card home, check it immediately for damage to the card, especially for the PCIE fins and power connectors. Once installed, a software tool called GPU-Z can verify the card’s hardware to ensure a match to the expected number of the model. Run some games in it now so that if you have any questions, you can contact the seller immediately.
