Part Recommendations

[Axxemann]

So finances have improved for me now and I can start setting aside money for a GPU upgrade to replace the RX570 4gb I currently have and pair it up with my R5 5600. I've been running the 570 for a few years and picked it up just before things got stupid in 2020.

It'll see the most use in 1080p gaming at high to ultra settings, but I want enough beef to move up to 1440p if I score a sweet deal on an appropriate monitor. I play mainly FPS games, but I also dabble in racers and flight sims, so pushing maximum frames to the monitor is as important as creating a pretty picture to see.

I've been keeping an eye on the used market with some trepidation, and the prices are pretty crappy here in Canada. Especially since it's hard to tell if a card was mined on without the seller actually being forthright about it. I was already burned once back in September on an RX580 (it was the first thread I created here on the AMD forums) so I'll be sure to verify a local sale in a test rig first (my old FX-8120 rig serves as an occasional test stand for me when it's not sitting in a box) but I'm leaning towards a brand new GPU, a refurb, or a used GPU from Ebay where there is at least some buyer protection.

Here's what local pricing looks like for GPUs in my corner of the Canadian Prairies, in Canadian Dollars:

RX 5600 & 5700s routinely see pricing of ~$350

RX 6600s start at $500 new when you can find them. They seem to be all GONE and see the same used pricing as the previous generation, so around $350

RX 6700s start at ~$600 and will go as high as $800 new. Average price on the used market is $700.

I think an RX 6800 or higher will be overkill, and way out of my intended budget. But I saw pricing around $1000 locally for brand new. That's 7900XT territory around here.

Amazon Canada's pricing seems to be all over the place, but I think that's because Amazon themselves are out, and the 3rd Party sellers jack the prices when stock dwindles.

I was really disappointed that no news came out of CES regarding fleshing out the 7000 series GPU lineup because that would make it easier to wait and see. I think an RX 7600 model would be the cat's meow for me, but not at $500+.

Ideally, I want to keep my purchase around $300, but that's looking to be impossible. Unlike some people, I simply cannot justify buying PC components that cost more than my monthly car payment (about $600) let alone cost more than my monthly rent. Living on Kraft Dinner and instant ramen for a couple of weeks to scrape up an extra hundred bucks is one thing. Being homeless or walking everywhere is not an option.

[ajlueke]

My local shop here in the states has a 5700 XT for $338 and the 6650 XT $375.  The 6650 XT is slightly faster, so that would probably be where I would focus.  After that, you can order an RX 6750 XT directly from AMD for $450.

[MADZyren]

Maybe list a couple of games you either do play or intend to play with the new GPU.

It is not that much about what resolution you use, but which games you play. Some games are easier to run at 4K than some others at 1080p for instance.

Some people set a fixed budget, buy what is available at that price level or below, but I don't think it is a good idea. The difference with computer hardware and let's say cars is, you can drive with a slow car and save money, because all cars are fast enough for normal traffic. However if you hardware, for instance GPU is too slow, you really might not be able to play something at all or have to drop resolution and detail so low, it no longer makes sense.

This is why it is important not to buy hardware that does not offer reasonable performance in whatever you plan on doing with it, even if that is the only thing that fits some kind of preset budget. If suitable hardware is too expensive, rather wait and save some more money or consider used components.

If your budget is 300-500, check what is available at that price and watch some reviews to see how different models perform.  If it's mostly e-sports -titles, 300-500 is quite enough. If you want to run triple-A titles at 1440p, I'd recommend at least 12, if not 16 gigs of VRAM. In this case something like 6800(XT) would be a great option if you can find one at your price range.

[Amber_AMD]

I agree, this is a great direction to go in with deciding which GPU is right for you. Considering the games you play and what you'll be using the PC for overall 🙂 

[Axxemann]

Read the wall of text above. 🙂

My PC is primarily for gaming, but I watch movies, surf the net and do some productivity work with it, but since my laptop is equipped with Office, I do most of my productivity on that hunk of junk, at least until the licensing on Office expires.

[Axxemann]

Well, as I stated earlier, I play a lot of FPS, a couple of racers and flight sims. I game in 1080p, but would be happy with high-ultra settings just so that I can have a pretty picture while getting blazing framerates. 1440p might be up for consideration once those monitors start getting cheaper, but that's a couple years off by the looks of it. I just can't justify a car payment equivalent for buying a monitor or GPU. I've got limited funds. If I buy AAA titles, they're had for cheap because they're a couple years old by the time I get them, and most of them I'm not even keen on since if they don't have a campaign that can keep me busy for at least a month it just isn't worth it to me.

The games I play most are as follows.

FPS: Halo Infinite, Halo MCC, Rogue Company and CS:GO getting the most play time.

Car/racing: Need for Speed Heat, and I'll probably pick up NFS Unbound when it goes on sale. Rocket League is another one I've recently gotten into (late to the party, I know.)

Flight sims: X-Plane 12 (mainly demo mode right now, since I lack peripherals.) MSFS & DCS are on the want list. I don't spend much time in these right now since I really want to get some more peripherals to make them playable. I have a stick, but I've been on the hunt for a throttle and some rudder pedals that will work for a guy with bad hips.

I also play War Thunder, but stick exclusively to planes in that game. Tanks & boats just don't do it for me.

I've also been looking at picking up a few of the older Tom Clancy games (Wildlands, The Division come to mind) because they can be had for under $20 when on sale. I refuse to pay $50+ for a game that I'd have the campaign completed on in a weekend.

I got a chuckle out of your car analogy, @MADZyren. When I shop for a vehicle, I shop for a very specific set of criteria (I'm a truck guy so I'll use it as an example) I rarely and often never find what I'm looking for and get stuck overpaying for crap I neither wanted nor have a use for. No one makes an extended cab, short bed 4x4 midsize/compact truck with a big V6 and a manual transmission anymore; and they sure as heck don't come in 4 wheel drive. The closest I got to that was my GMC Jimmy in 2005, and I had to settle for an SUV. But hey, the price was right, and I had that truck (body on frame design based on a pickup truck, the Jimmy is a TRUCK) for 15 years.

[ajlueke]

Based on the 25 game average from Techpowerup, 5800 XT and 6650 XT performance will land you at 40 fps worst case scenario (Cyberpunk, Warhammer III at 1440p).  That is certainly playable, but will probably be the lower limit of cards you should consider for that resolution.

If you can make the jump, the RX 6750 XT will push you up to around 60fps in those demanding titles.  Of course, $450 is a 50% increase in your original budget, but you will likely be much happier with the final result.

[Axxemann]

The only game on that list I play is Halo. And I play that and all my games in 1080p.

[ajlueke]

Based on those results, the RX 6650 XT will definitely have enough muscle for 1080p, and will be acceptable for 1440p if you go up in the future.