Need Help Please - Buying First Graphics Card

Lead Wings on 14/08/2025 - 13:43
Last edited 14/08/2025 - 13:58 by 1 other user

My son has decided he really really needs a graphics card. Neither of has ever bought a GPU, so want to get it as right as we can. To help him I want him to research and understand what is important, and what he will get for his money. But I also want to be ahead of him to help guide him.

I'm semi computer literate, and get there are the 3 main manufacturers/lots of model numbers and the model numbers represent generations and capability level, and the new/better/more expensive give you better frame rate and resolution. I've read up a bit on what bottlenecks etc, and I don't think my son will be playing super intensive games for a while, and he can alway address that later at his cost. So looking for something with some longevity, but in no way a forever card (if there is such a thing).

Currently he plays Arma Reforger and War Thunder (both older/less demanding) and getting 25Hz frame rates at lower settings. But he will want to move up with time to more advanced games.

At this stage budget will be the limit (he needs to buy the card with his own money) - he is thinking $300 (because that is what he has), I want him to explore/understand up to $500 max.

Starting point is the machine we now have: https://www.nebulapc.com.au/products/focus This is my WFH machine, and that is it's primary purpose. We are not about to get a dedicated machine.

  • 5600G CPU (pcie 3.0 cpu)
  • B450M motherboard. I think I have just found that the onboard graphics/monitor connections refresh rates have limitation:
    • 1x HDMI™ 1.4 port, supports a maximum resolution of 4K 24Hz
    • 1x DVI-D port, supports a maximum resolution of 1920x1200 60Hz
  • 16 GB RAM 3200 MHz (but running at ~2667MHz?)
  • 650W bronze power supply
  • mATX case. Will need to check physical case space for length of card, but hopefully not an issue - web site says it could have come with 2 fan RX6600, RTX4060
  • Current Monitors (Not going to buy him a new monitor)
    • Dell S2721QS 4K 60Hz (connected to HDMI port)
    • Dell ST2420L 1080P 60Hz (connected to DVI port)

When I asked Google AI what cards it recommends, it came back with:

  • 1080p RX 6600 or RTX 3060
  • 1440p RX 6700 XT, RX 6750 XT, or RTX 3070
  • 1440p RX 7800 XT and RTX 4070

So questions:

  • Anything in particular we should watch out for? minimum 8GB on graphics card?
  • Also not sure how much the PCI 3.0 may be an issue/limit?
  • Any advantage on going AMD so talks better to the CPU?
  • Does brand matter?
  • Any recommendations on the best place to buy?
  • Also what are your thoughts on second hand cards?/best place to look?

Any advice appreciated!

Gaming Computer Component Video Card

Comments

  • darkkito on 14/08/2025 - 14:11

    If willing to explore used market, 6700xt is around 300-400$, nivida 3070 roughly around the same.

    • Lead Wings on 14/08/2025 - 15:06

      When you say used, where are you thinking - Facebook marketplace, gumtree?? I see even Aliexpress comes up with second hand?

      • darkkito on 14/08/2025 - 15:58

        facebook!

  • 7ekn00 on 14/08/2025 - 14:13

    Also what are your thoughts on second hand cards?/best place to look?

    $300 might get you a 6700XT second hand (which would be great for anything 1080p) ..

    With a $300 new budget, you are really only looking at the RX6600 /XT as your only option (it's not a bad 1080p option) :/

    Make sure to play on the 1080p screen, to drive the 4k screen to even look half reasonable you are talking $1500+ …

    • Lead Wings on 14/08/2025 - 14:45

      The 1080P screen is orientated vertically (this is my WFH machine and it is good that way for reviewing documents etc) and it would be a PITA to move it every time he plays on the machine. Is there any reason the 4K screen can't be used on a 1080P setting?

      • CrispyChrispy on 14/08/2025 - 14:54
        -1

        It won't look very good. Everything will be soft/slightly blurred, especially when it's blown up onto a 27".

        • Lead Wings on 14/08/2025 - 14:58
          +1

          thanks. So much to learn. To my old eyes, his current games scaled to 1080P on the 27" look amazing. But last time I played it was CRT screens and SVGA was a big thing!

        • freefall101 on 15/08/2025 - 10:21
          +1

          4K is exactly 4x the number of pixels, so it will simply render each 1080p over 4 pixels on the 4K screen.

          It won't look any different to playing a game on a 27" 1080p screen.

          • CrispyChrispy on 15/08/2025 - 10:32

            @freefall101: I'm aware, which doesn't look very good in the first place.

            24" is the biggest I'd go for a 1080p monitor

            • freefall101 on 15/08/2025 - 12:46

              @CrispyChrispy: Get a wireless controller and sit further back 😂

              It's definitely a good argument for getting something with better scaling tech though, the B580 someone mentioned below makes sense (looks like OPs board supports ReBAR, and XeSS 2.0 was a vast improvement). I almost bought a B580 myself until I picked up a 6800XT for $400.

              It wouldn't look amazing scaled to 4K, but it would be better than 1080p if they're sitting up close.

      • pinchies on 14/08/2025 - 14:57
        +1

        No, it can definitely be used. Yes there is a hit to quality, but it will certainly still be "fine". He can decide on a per game basis whether he prefers higher frame rate with lower resolution, or higher resolution and lower frame rate. He also can always play around with the graphic settings in-game, which also affect performance.

      • 7ekn00 on 14/08/2025 - 15:58

        Is there any reason the 4K screen can't be used on a 1080P setting?

        It's going to look crap to young eyes (extremely "blurry") - which is going to lead him down the rabbit hole of $2000 GPUs to get decent FPS at native resolutions …

        You might be able to stave off this pursuit with FSR4 or DLSS4 on $1000 GPUs, but again, these aren't cheap technologies either :/

  • Lead Wings on 14/08/2025 - 15:02

    So after some poking around, I have found these:
    - Radeon RX 7600 $400 https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/graphics-cards/amd/11467…
    - RTX 3060 VENTUS 2X OC 12G $429 https://www.centrecom.com.au/msi-geforce-rtx-3060-ventus-2x-…

    On Userbenchmark they seem about comparable?

    Also another alternative is hang out for the black friday sales?

    • CrispyChrispy on 14/08/2025 - 15:19
      +4

      FYI userbenchmark is highly biased against AMD cards and is not trustworthy at all. Techpowerup's relative performance graph is an easier and more reliable/accurate tool to use

      And would definitely recommend looking on the 2nd hand market if your budget is $300 AUD, either Gumtree or FB Marketplace.

    • 7ekn00 on 14/08/2025 - 16:02

      7600 about 10% faster than 3060 12GB, here

      Should be able to get a secondhand 2070 Super (similar performance) for around $300 …

    • tanksinatra on 15/08/2025 - 11:55

      The scores on Userbenchmark are basically crackhead rambling. Don't use them. Have a look at Techpowerup instead.
      Value in the new mid-low end graphics card segment is pretty poor, often times a used mid range card is better value.

      An alternative option might be a Geforce Now subscription if his games are available for streaming. It's a lot cheaper.

  • jv on 14/08/2025 - 23:11
    -3

    Buying First Graphics Card

    💻

    jv on 14/08/2025 - 23:11 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
  • kiitos on 15/08/2025 - 08:43

    If going secondhand, is there anything in particular you should look out for or ask about the card? Eg Is it usual to go and see it running in person?

    • freefall101 on 15/08/2025 - 10:33
      +1

      Biggest problem is them wanting to do the sale in a safe place, you could ask but it's reasonable for them to say no. Only thing to look for in person is signs of rust (mining card exposed to the elements) and making sure it looks physically reasonable (no burnt marks on the card itself from it being fried).

      You could ask for evidence of it passing 3dmark, although it's not hard to fake.

  • ElChepo on 15/08/2025 - 09:16
    +2

    https://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=intel+arc+…

    GPU Approx Price (AUD) Performance vs B580 Pros Cons
    Intel Arc B580 ~$450 100% 12GB VRAM, strong 1080p/1440p, XeSS Higher power draw, newer drivers
    RTX 3050 ~$420–450 ~60% slower DLSS, mature drivers, efficient Lower perf, less VRAM
    RTX 3060 ~$500+ ~50–70% slower DLSS 2, stable software stack Pricier, weaker in recent titles
    RX 6600 ~$480+ ~50% slower Power efficient, stable drivers Less VRAM (8GB), weaker in some games

    The Intel Arc B580 works with PCIe 3.0, but may see 5–15% lower performance (up to 25% in some games) due to reduced bandwidth. Enabling Resizable BAR in your motherboard BIOS is essential—it lets the CPU access the GPU’s full VRAM in one go, reducing data bottlenecks and avoiding much larger performance drops. Make sure your motherboard and CPU support it, and enable it alongside Above 4G Decoding for Arc cards.

  • frondono on 15/08/2025 - 14:05

    theres been some good deals on here lately for new cards I would look at a 9060 xt or a 5060 ti 16gb versions. they will work with the power supply you have

  • Mudcrab Merchant on 17/08/2025 - 21:31

    Ask Google AI - then come to OB for a reality check.

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