Previous generation cards
Not everyone wants to spend $ 1,000 or more for a GPU, and you have some options if you work on a tighter overall budget. Normally, I would recommend a previous generation card, but the RTX 40 and AMD 7000 cards are almost entirely out of stock or massively marked at large retailers. These cards only target 1,920 x 1,080 for the game, so do not make your hopes if you have a higher resolution or refresh rate.
There are still some older generation cards that you can pick up relatively easily, but when you get more than $ 400, see the RTX 5060 Ti above. They are easily available in less than $ 400, and performance will be a significant improvement compared to the options below, with the additional advantage of the latest DLSS Tech.
Dmla
Before the launch of the 50 series, I used a pulse 7900 XT sapphire, a card that I would like to recommend now, because it served me well for two years at 3,440 x 1,440 and was less than $ 700 in June 2023. Unfortunately, it is currently difficult to find in stock, and the replenishments will slow it considerably that the new AMD cards are currently on the market.
Instead, I reach a little further in the food ladder and I would grab an RX 7600. Although I did not spend time with this model, I was historically satisfied with sapphire cards, and this should be quite capable of 1080p in older titles, independent games and an excellent for your average evening Rocket league Or Minecraft.
Again, this card will not push 1440p, especially in the new games, and some of the features you see on the most recent and the best GPUs. This should bring you down until things have calmed down a bit.
Nvidia
At the beginning of 2025, the only previous generation card that I can constantly find in NVIDIA stock is the RTX 4060, a GPU who also approaches two years on the market. It was a card capable of 1080p, but it does not continue as well with today’s games, and you will have to refuse the parameters to even consider 1440p.
Among the choices available, I like the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ventus 2x Black, a compact card with a low -power requirement which should adapt to a modern system. MSI has an excellent assessment for reliable and simple graphics cards, and it is in stock and recently reduced.
Besides, I think the AMD is a better purchase, even if its performance is slightly less impressive on paper than RTX 4060. At the price of less than $ 500, a price difference of $ 100 can be massive, so keep an eye on the discounts to make sure you get the best transaction, especially since these generations are starting to close.
Buy the opportunity
Regarding GPUs, I am generally a fan of the purchase again. Not only will you make sure that you have an appropriate warranty and a RMA support in the event of a problem, but it can be difficult to know if someone has misused the GPU, either by a high exploitation of cryptography, poor temperature control in its system, or artifacts and problems that they have not disclosed. I am often a fan of purchase used in other areas, but with demand and so high prices, it can be difficult to trust foreigners.
If you buy the opportunity, be sure to do your leg work. Local meetings via Craigslist or Reddit can have good deals and give you a chance to inspect the GPU, even if you cannot make sure it stands out. You can also request video proof of the card running a game that also includes the serial number in a continuous photo. If you plan to buy an online card online, make sure you are aware of the return and dispute policies for payment and payment processors.
When you bring the card to the house, immediately inspect it for any damage to the card, especially on fine PCIe and the power connectors. Once installed, a software tool called GPU-Z can check the card hardware to ensure that it corresponds to the expected numbers of the model. Run a few games right away, so that if something is wrong, you can immediately contact the seller.
