Best Graphics Cards (GPUs) for PC: Nvidia, AMD, Intel

Previous-Generation Cards

Normally, I’d urge a erstwhile procreation card, but the RTX 40 Series and AMD 7000 cards are astir wholly retired of banal oregon massively marked up astatine large retailers. There are inactive a fewer older-generation cards you tin prime up comparatively easily, and they’re immoderate of the lone options nether $500, with newer generations lone having the much costly cards live. These cards are squarely targeting 1,920 x 1,080 for gaming, truthful don’t get your hopes up if you person a higher solution oregon refresh rate.

AMD

Before the 50 Series launch, I was utilizing a Sapphire Pulse 7900 XT, a paper I would emotion to urge now, arsenic it served maine good for 2 years astatine 3,440 x 1,440 and was nether $700 successful June 2023. Unfortunately, it’s presently hard to find successful stock, and restocks volition dilatory down considerably present that the caller AMD cards are connected the market.

Instead, I'd scope a small further down the powerfulness standard and drawback an RX 7600. While I haven't spent clip with this model, I’ve been historically pleased with Sapphire’s cards, and it should beryllium reasonably susceptible astatine 1080p successful older titles, indie games, and large for your mean evening of Rocket League oregon Minecraft.

Again, this paper isn’t going to propulsion 1440p, particularly successful newer games, and it’s going to deficiency immoderate of the features you’re seeing connected the latest and top GPUs. It should get you down the roadworthy until things person hopefully calmed down a bit, though.

Nvidia

As of aboriginal April 2025, the lone previous-generation paper I tin consistently find successful banal from Nvidia is the RTX 4060, a GPU which is besides approaching 2 years connected the market. It was a susceptible paper astatine 1080p, but it doesn't support up rather arsenic good with today’s games, and you'll person to crook the settings down to adjacent see 1440p.

Of the disposable picks, I similar the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ventus 2X Black, a compact paper with a debased powerfulness request that should acceptable into fundamentally immoderate modern system. MSI has a large way grounds for reliable, straightforward graphics cards, and this 1 is successful banal and precocious discounted.

Of the two, I deliberation the AMD is simply a amended buy, adjacent though it’s show is somewhat little awesome connected insubstantial than the RTX 4060. At the sub-$500 terms point, a $100 terms quality tin beryllium massive, truthful support an oculus retired for discounts to marque definite you’re getting the champion deal, particularly arsenic these generations statesman to adjacent out.

Buying Used

When it comes to GPUs, I'm mostly a instrumentality of buying new. Not lone volition you guarantee you person due warranty and RMA enactment if thing goes wrong, but it tin beryllium hard to cognize if idiosyncratic misused the GPU, either done dense crypto mining, mediocre somesthesia power successful their system, oregon artifacts and issues they didn't disclose. I'm often a instrumentality of buying utilized successful different areas, but with request and prices truthful high, it tin beryllium hard to spot strangers.

If you bash bargain used, marque definite to bash your legwork. Local meetups via Craigslist oregon Reddit tin person large deals and springiness you a accidental to inspect the GPU, adjacent if you can't marque definite it boots up. You tin besides inquire for video impervious of the paper moving a crippled that besides includes the serial fig successful 1 continuous shot. If you’re considering buying a utilized paper online, marque definite you’re alert of the marketplace and outgo processors' instrumentality and quality policies.

When you get the paper home, inspect it instantly for immoderate harm to the card, peculiarly connected the PCIe fin and the powerfulness connectors. Once installed, a bundle instrumentality called GPU-Z tin verify the card’s hardware to marque definite it matches the expected numbers for the model. Run immoderate games connected it close away, truthful that if thing is incorrect you tin scope retired to the seller close away.