Shopping for one of the best graphics cards is a minefield right now. It’s not that the latest generation is bad (that’s a different subject entirely), it’s that the prices still haven’t gone back to normal, despite it being a few months since these GPUs first surfaced.
If you have an unlimited budget, then of course, you can buy any GPU — even the mighty powerful RTX 5090. But if you’re trying to squeeze out the most performance-per-dollar, there are some GPUs I’d recommend avoiding right now.
AMD RX 9070 XT
Adding the excellent RX 9070 XT to this list is something I’m doing with a heavy heart. The GPU received stellar reviews from just about every publication that got to try it, and those who ended up buying it largely seem happy with it, too. I have no complaints about the performance of this graphics card; if anything, it surpassed the expectations that I had for it going into the launch of RDNA 4.
Capable of rivaling the RTX 5070 Ti, the RX 9070 XT arrived with a $599 price tag, and at first, it was glorious. Gamers flocked to various retailers, with AMD’s Frank Azor sharing a photo of a long line of shoppers waiting outside a Microcenter. The consumer market welcomed the RX 9070 XT with open arms.
Perhaps the welcome was overly enthusiastic, though.
Let me reiterate: The problem with the RX 9070 XT is not its performance. I don’t think anyone can find any major fault in it … at its intended $600 price point. But unfortunately, the recommended list price (MSRP) didn’t last all too long.
Once the initial batch of RX 9070 XTs (and non-XTs) sold out, which didn’t take long, the prices started rising. Upon launch, there were many models above MSRP, but not wildly so — and some cards were indeed sold for $599. These days, outside of rare stock drops, good luck finding an RX 9070 XT at MSRP.
The cheapest option I was able to find on Amazon costs $848, meaning nearly $250 above the MSRP. At that price point, the RX 9070 XT loses some of its charm; the RTX 5070 Ti costs $900, and with comparable performance but better ray tracing and DLSS 4, many GPU shoppers will choose it over the AMD card.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB
This was always bound to happen. Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti launched in two flavors: One with 8GB VRAM, and one with 16GB. The 8GB model starts at $379, followed by $429 for the 16GB version. At such a small price gap, it was almost a given that most gamers would favor the version with more VRAM, even though they both share the same 128-bit interface (which affects their bandwidth, and that also means their overall performance). The frame rate gap between the two versions of the RTX 5060 Ti might not be as large as it seems, but still, the 8GB version is a GPU you should avoid right now.
Unsurprisingly, the RTX 5060 Ti with just 8GB of VRAM sells at MSRP on Amazon. There are models that sell for more, but in general, you can grab it at $379. But, while it can match the RTX 5060 Ti with 16 gigs of memory at 1080p, it’s always better to have more VRAM if possible, and the 5060 Ti 16GB wins most benchmarks at 1440p.
If you’re set on buying the RTX 5060 Ti, you might as well spend $100 more and get the (currently overpriced) 16GB version. But if you want my advice, I’d say wait it out and hunt for a 16GB model at MSRP — they do pop up occasionally.
Intel Arc B580
This is another GPU that I am sad to have to mention on this list. The Arc B580 surprised everyone when it launched. Our reviewer called it the “$249 Nvidia killer,” and who would’ve expected this kind of results from an Intel Arc GPU?
Knowing the rocky start that the Arc Alchemist generation had to go through, many were wary of Battlemage, but Intel surprised us in the best way possible. The GPU offered fantastic performance for the inexpensive $250 price point — something which is rare right now, at a time when most GPUs cost well above $350.
Unfortunately (for the buyers, at least), the Arc B580 wasn’t able to stay at MSRP for too long. The GPU now sells for $359 to $409 on Amazon, and at that price, you’re better off getting the new RTX 5060.
If there’s one thing these GPUs have in common, it’s that they’re all selling far above the price point they were made for. Solid in their own right, they fail to impress when they’re suddenly placed one or two pricing brackets above the one they belong in. But if sold at MSRP? All three are worthwhile picks.
If you’re currently buying a GPU, my advice is to keep an eye out for models selling at MSRP, and then be quick, because they continue to sell out fast.
