Thinking about upgrading your GPU? Hold on! Before you spend some serious cash for that shiny new GPU, you’ve GOT to see this. Not all graphics cards are created equal, and some are darn disasters. We’re showing off GPUs that you should definitely AVOID, saving you from remorse and putting more money in your pocket. From overpriced letdowns to dinosaurs long past their prime, we’re exposing the graphics cards that aren’t worth the silicon they’re printed on.
1. RX 6500 XT 4GB
Priced at just $199, it was supposed to be the lifeline thrown into the sea of price inflation. Instead, it became an anchor. It remained untouchable not for the power it carries but rather for the grave disappointment surrounding it.
The Radeon RX 6500 XT: It was meant to be a laptop GPU but was condemned to be a desktop one. AMD slapped a pitiful 4GB of VRAM and a stingy 64-bit memory bus onto a desktop card. The result is performance so weak it barely managed to surpass over three-year-old cards such as the RX 5500 XT and GTX 1650 Super. A wonderful testament to making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear; or, maybe, more accurately, to vulgar failure.
Get Intel Arc A580 Instead
Do not look at an RX 6500 XT. Intel’s Arc A580 outright dominates that particular card with a staggering 40-50% performance uplift that comes at the same price level. So, Intel Arc A580 is the only credible option for budget-level gaming.
FYI : looking for an affordable GPU? These are the best budget graphics cards.
2. RTX 3060 8GB
During the thick of the pandemic, Nvidia unleashed the RTX 3060 with the surprising 12GB of VRAM. While crypto miners soaked up the bulk of the stock, it was a decent contender for its asking price. Two years later, though, Nvidia released a version that left gamers scratching their heads. The RTX 3060 8GB wasn’t just a VRAM cut; it was a proper downgrade.
Going in with a crippled soul, Nvidia’s RTX 3060 8GB stumbled onto the scene with so constricted a memory bus bandwidth that it could choke memory bandwidth by a staggering 33%. It was a complete misfire. At its price point, even AMD’s offerings were better choices, the 3060 8GB being a dead-on-arrival scenario.
Get RTX 3060 12GB Instead
If you’re considering this one, go for the RTX 3060 12GB – for the same price.
3. RTX 3050 8GB
RTX 3050: ray tracing tease, or tech demo? Let’s be honest; it is the baby of the RTX family, trying to carry the heavy ray-tracing crown. By all means, itcanray trace, but with performance dropping through the floor. It is the training wheels of ray tracing, meant to be used with DLSS, but it certainly doesn’t match the kind of experience Nvidia sells. It seems the brand was frankly spread too thin; enthusiasts have been left wanting for more.
Starting at a price of $250, it failed to gain traction. Why should one buy it when it can’t outshine an already old RTX 2060 or RX 5600 XT?
Get RX 6600 Instead
Provided that the budget is the moot point, the RX 6600 is a genuine pocket-pleaser: a rather modest 15-20% boost in gaming performance.
Avoid RTX 3050, but keep those extra dollars. Intel Arc A580 is a serious contender for performance, overtaking the 3050 in most games at a lesser price. So maybe if ray tracing is the ultimate goal, then the choice is obvious: Arc A580 for the extra frames, less money, and better sense.
4. Arc A770
The comeback of Intel into desktop graphics was indeed a lifeline for very limited-budget gaming enthusiasts, especially after their driver updates. By contrast, not all the Alchemist cards were successful. The Arc A770, in that sense, was just another in a series of failures. Despite having great muscle and a generous 16GB of VRAM, the pricing, however, held it back from becoming a true competitor.
Almost $300- even after the sting of the initial price was muffled-a king’s ransom is still demanded of this gadget when compared with its rivals. Is the premium worth being paid for it?
Get RX 6650 XT/RTX 4060 Instead
Like a dragon of Ray budget, 6650 Xt packs a really hard punch against the more expensive cards. And while in the ring, it trades blows with the Arc A770 in brute performance and ray tracing sells the clear-cut victory for it.
Good to know : wondering about Intel GPUs? Find out whether an Intel Arc GPU is good for gaming.
5. RTX 4060 Ti 8GB
The RTX 4060 Ti: Just another capable card lost in the shadows. In isolation, it’s a potent 1440p gaming contender that brings it to a somewhat accessible price point thanks to the involvement of Nvidia’s Ada Lovelace architecture. The problem is not what itis, rather it is what itisn’t. From the perspective of his predecessors and rivals, the 4060 Ti feels less of a step forward and more of a stumble.
Right out of the gate, the RTX 4060 Ti fumbled. At $400, Nvidia’s offering seemed gagged by only 8GB of VRAM-would that not have been the be-all-and-end-all at this price? But the real insult was that performance-wise, it was only somewhat better-and sometimes, even not better at all-than the previous generation RTX 3060 Ti. DLSS 3.0 and Frame Generation were the supposed saviors but sadly could not cover the unholiest flaw of this ill-fated GPU.
Get RX 6750 XT/RX 7700 XT Instead
The RX 6750 XT and RX 7700 XT are easily the better buys in this price range.
Tip : buying a new PC? Here are the Consider these factors before building a new gaming PC.
6. RX 7600
At a price tag of $269, the RX 7600 was born quietly, not with a bang. It surely gave some smooth 1080p gaming performance, but like the indie act that could’ve been really great if only their drummer were truly up to it, it just wasn’t quite there yet.
With power sipping from the modern 5nm chip factory by the rest of the RX 7000 family, the RX 7600 is built on the slightly older, more matured 6nm node. Think of it as the black sheep of the family, missing out on the glorious efficiency gains enjoyed by its siblings. To topple that insult, it sits right there in the same performance bracket as the very affordable RX 6650 XT. Is this one really a next-gen card at all, or just a rehash in disguise?
Get RX 6650 XT/RTX 4060 Instead
You can also consider the RTX 4060 for just $50 more for significantly better ray tracing performance.
7. RTX 4070
It was the once-crowned champion of the RTX 4000 lineup for the best performance per price. While it was never really pocket change at $599, it returned far more smooth frame rates per dollar spent than the more expensive Ti, 4080, and even mighty 4090. So, why are the bargain hunters now turned away by the recent price cuts? There is a good reason to say no to the RTX 4070, even today.
Some time back Nvidia turned the entire gaming realm upside down and refurbished many of its predecessors into the sunset once it launched the RTX Super series.
Get RTX 4070 Super Instead
Forget the RTX 4070. The RTX 4070 Super has been released with 22% extra CUDA cores and 5-10% extra performance, all for the same price as what the RTX 4070 was originally sitting at. Nowadays, spending an extra $30 on the Super is a no-brainer upgrade-a raw power play.
FYI : need the best performance per dollar? Check out our best value gaming PC build guide.
8. RTX 4070 Ti
The RTX 4070 Ti was a significant leap upon the RTX 4070, but it was some time before it could bask in the sun. Brave Nvidia went ahead to launch the RTX 4070 Ti Super. The all-burning question: did the Super justify the hype? The resounding answer is yes. For a modest bump in price (at current rates), there were tangible performance gains for gamers and creators. So much so did Nvidia kill off its own RTX 4070 Ti for its superior replacement. The Super was not just an upgrade; it was a declaration.
Get RTX 4070 Ti Super Instead
Forget about the traditional 4070 Ti: The big upgrade in the RTX 4070 Ti Super accountable for a 10% rise in CUDA cores and 16GB of VRAM instead of just 12GB. Usually, this means a gain in 5-10% performance, placing it far ahead of the 4070 Ti. And here comes the kicker-the “Super” edition can be bought at just $10-$20 extra. They pretty much give you no choice! The obvious winner is the 4070 Ti Super.
9. RTX 4080
The RTX 4080 was poised to deliver an all-but-flagship-tier experience at non-flagship prices and had a brief stint at the pinnacle. Nvidia decided to kill the 4080 in favor of the beefier RTX 4080 Super. What did Super do for us? Let’s just say a $200-price cut, about 5 percent more CUDA cores, and a buttery-smooth 4 to 5 percent more performance were all Super gave-a-gift-a-gain to 4080. I mean, seriously, that price reduction and upgrade had gamers salivating.
Get RTX 4080 Super Instead
So, you want to get your hands on an RTX 4080? They still seem to linger in the online spaces and in some stores; but this is a cold unfortunate truth of the matter: unless you happen to find a massive steal, the 4080 Super will obliterate it. Speak of anything less than amajordiscount, and you ought to skip the 4080 altogether and go Super. Your eyeballs will thank you, and so will your wallet in the long run.
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10. RTX 4090
Let’s call the RTX 4090 the king of GPUs; unchallenged in its speed. So why, then, this one? Simple: unmitigated power does not always equate to smart power. Welcome to sticker shock. From an RTX 4080 Super to a 4090, the wallet is pulverized with a 70% price increase for amaybe30% performance bump.
Get RTX 4080 Super/RTX 4070 Ti Super Instead
Chasing the RTX 4090 dragon is a lost effort. Unless you have surgical attachments to your rig and a disdain for dollars, the RTX 4080 Super (or perhaps the 4070 Ti Super for slightly less) will melt the face of 99% of gamers. Ridiculous already with a starting price of $1,599, the 4090 is now demanding ransom prices somewhere between $1,700-$1,800. Be honest; that is the price enthusiasts pay so the returns can diminish.
FYI : building a white-themed PC? These are the best white GPUs for your all-white gaming PC.
Buying the Right Graphics Card in 2024
Finding the perfect GPU is a balancing act; the inherent challenge is to maximize power within your reach financially. You feel the temptation to throw your money away? Go along with that, but be careful where you put your cuts. The cardinal sin? Spending money on an inferior card when a better one exists. Always look for the cheapest card that offers the best performance; your wallet will thank you.
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