For someone who wants to build a PC for longevity, at which point does a GPU stop suffering from a poor man's tax?
Posted by GhostDraw@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 35 comments
I've been studying doing a new build, since my PC is suffering heavily to get by even at the lowest specs in most games (Rx 580 8gb, 5600x CPU and 16 gb ram) and, ofc, anything nowadays costs a lot. While in theory I could get a PC with anything short of a 5090, I don't wanna compromise such a large part of my budget, when all I want is say, something that can provide a smooth 1080p experience 5 years from now, so
At which tier does a GPU stop being something that will work for now and struggle by next gen? I really wanna something that can last comfortably
xagds@reddit
1080 is mostly CPU bound. Invest in a 9800x3d cpu and a modern mid gpu and you should be good for a while.
healthycord@reddit
1080p may be mostly cpu bound, but this gpu is quite outdated. OP does not need to update their cpu yet. A 5600x, while not a top of the line cpu, is still perfectly adequate for gaming. I use a 5500 for 4k AAA gaming and the difference between that and a 5800x3d (on my main pc) for 4k gaming is negligible.
An rx580 was a mid range card when it came out. I got one when I built my pc bc it was cheap but still a good value. Nowadays, it’s a budget low end card. It’s equivalent to a 1060.
OP, you only need to upgrade that gpu. For 1080p you do not need a 9070xt or anything like that, although you absolutely could get one and it would last you a long long time at 1080p. If you say you could afford anything except a 5090, then you might as well just buy the best you can afford that you’re willing to spend.
I’ve found I skip at least 1 generation per gpu. Here was my gpu progression through the years, starting in college with little money. Rx 580, 1080ti, 6800xt + upgrade to 1440p, 5070ti + upgrade to 4k. For the cpu I’ve only had 2 on my pc. A ryzen 2600, then upgraded to a 5800x3d. A 5600x is still fine if you don’t want to upgrade it yet. GPU is where I’d focus the upgrade.
mbt20251@reddit
I feel this is the correct take. I've been running what is essentially the same 5800X based PC since 2001 for 1440p gaming. First with an RX480, then an RTX 3060 Ti, and now with a 9070 XT. Since OP wants to game in 1080p I would thing any GPU that is on sale right now with mote than 8GB of vram will do.
Bare_arms@reddit
Since 2001?
digital_n01se_@reddit
he has a 5600X, AM4
9800X3D is AM5
I'd get a 16-core 5900XT for 284 USD
schnaps01@reddit
Why not wait for 5800x3d re release?
digital_n01se_@reddit
waiting for something is the worst option because prices can rise suddenly or you can die tomorrow.
xagds@reddit
Ah good call. Missed that.
digital_n01se_@reddit
I made my comment because people Is blindly emotional with X3D CPUs and forgot the kind of behemoth a 16-core CPU is
evix_flp@reddit
Insane rage bait lol
9okm@reddit
9060 XT 16GB, 5060 TI 16GB, 5070, 9070, 9070 XT, 5070 TI
PotatoFeeder@reddit
Remove the 5070 lol
Comfortable-Fall1419@reddit
Why?
dertechie@reddit
Depends on the generation but -60 Ti or -60 XT is about the point where the cost of the GPU bits starts to dominate over the basic cost of “it’s a GPU” and you get into the relatively linear part of the price performance curve. -50 cards and below often have the fixed costs dominate to the point where they barely save any money from the next card up but the performance is much worse.
Right now, the 5060 Ti 16 GB is overpriced due to the memory crunch, so the 5070 is often a better deal. The 9060 XT 16 GB has this to a lesser extent because GDDR6 isn’t quite as squeezed.
Ok_Medicine3518@reddit
Can I add? General descriptions I find around are a lot like: ~60 = very good 1080p ~60 Ti/Rx = really good 1080p and a bit 1440p ~70 = decent stable 1440p ~70 Ti/Ex = 1440p all the way
This of course is specifically true for the 4000s of Nvidia and the 7000s of AMD. Newer generations can only give you more of the above, and for longer I'd say. Still, I want to believe a 4060ti or a 7600rx can and will perform admirable 1080p for the next 5 years.
Mogura56@reddit
I think that there were graphs of $/fps value and the 5070 was the best of Nvidia’s current gen lineup but idk if that’s still the case with prices being so unstable
Nagol567@reddit
Go to tech power up and look at relative performance. Put in every graphics card compared to a 580. Then take the price you can get a GPU for and divide the percentage in decimal form by the price. This gives you relative price to performance ratio. Once it falls off a cliff like the 5080 and 5090 does you are no longer getting a good value for performance. So 580 8gb 1.00 / $70 = .014 6600 xt 8gb 1.87 / $180 = .0073 RTX 3060 12gb 1.9 / $260 = .0105 Rx 9060 ti 8gb 3.15 /350 = .009 Rx 9070 4.47 / 600 = .00745 Rtx 5080 5.99 / $1200 = .00499 Rtx 5090 9.08 / 3200 = .00284
The higher the ending decimal the better price to performance ratio. But you have to look at the nuance of things like VRAM and also how many FPS you want to target. If you are getting 40 fps now and want 120 fps you need to target a gpu thats 300% faster (assuming your CPU can keep up) but if it cant you can always increase graphics settings until your fps goes down meaning your GPU is under more stress than your CPU.
HovercraftStock4986@reddit
man i just got a 5090 and stopped looking at my bank account. never looking back baby
OscarDivine@reddit
Poor Man’s tax is so relative and completely subject to the currently wild swings of the market within short periods of time. I bought a 7900 XTX for $850 shortly after launch (approx 3 years now) and thanks to the 24gb I fully expect this to last me much much longer than it should have at the time. Meanwhile, prices on components have skyrocketed, RAM has been substantially reversed in new GPUs and the trend has completely gone haywire. If we were following the same trends from 3 years ago, we would have all entry level GPU’s at 16gb VRAM and top end at 36gb. Instead, we are STILL watching brand new 8gb models release and top end GPU’s have stagnated in their RAM offerings. What will tomorrow hold? Who even knows. My recommendation? Get the highest RAM model you can comfortably afford and just wait out this absurd market.
George_MenethilW3@reddit
I have an AMD Sapphire Nitro+ 7800XT. Bought it for around 600 euros back in 2024. Now I see that the newer generation of AMD is even more expensive at around 700-800 euros which is crazy. If you can find a 7800XT it's rock solid for 1440p and it can do 4k too. I'm playing every possible game that I own at 3400x1440p 165hz resolution (so an ultrawide monitor) and on Ultra settings. I get solid 100-200 fps or more for every game. Nvidia 5090 or even 4090 is overkill and the sad part is that they will be surpassed by newer generations in a few years just like it happened to 3090. So money wasted for something that won't be the best in the world in just a few years. I'd say you don't need to look for the best or trust the hype that you only need the best to enjoy games on Ultra. My AMD 7800XT is the equivalent of Nvidia 4070, and both are very very good and will continue to be for a long time.
Also when I built my own PC in 2024, I preferred to not over invest in GPU and instead get some solid other components too, so I got an Intel I9 14900K, a 1500W premium be quiet PSU that can run enough power for all my components without sweating and that has good protections for power surges. 64GB DDR5 Kingston RAM which I know nowadays is extremely expensive but you could get 32GB or even 16GB and wait for the prices to drop in the next 2 years. A 2TB NVMe M2 SSD with 7,3GB/s download / upload speed. A good case with enough ventilation (be quiet pure base 500 FX). And a good CPU cooler the Noctua NH-D15 Chromax.Black.
My point is that it's better to have a well balanced PC with superior components in every area (as far as your budget allows) than to just buy a good GPU and the rest to be trash. At least from my experience it's been good for gaming and everything this way. Had I went for an AMD 7900XT or Nvidia 4080 and instead dropped on the RAM, PSU, motherboard, CPU to save money, I think my system would not have been as stable and as performant in games.
Bosfordjd@reddit
Any of your 70 cards (5070, 9070, 9070 XT, 5070 TI) will probably give you smooth 1080p for a decade. Personally I'd go 9070 XT at current prices, you could easily take that up to 1440p for just as long probably.
Educational_Being_58@reddit
A 7900 xt from eBay is about $600 and has 20gb gddr6 I use that card with a 5800x non 3d and it works great at 1440p
zpedroteixeira1@reddit
I believe a 9070XT or even a 9070 will be able to guarantee a smooth 1080p in 5 years. Maybe even 1440p with some concessions
Soggy-Airline@reddit
With all these new GPU features like Upscaling and Frame Generation, the lack of longevity is not much of a concern anymore.
For your case, a 9060 XT or 5060 Ti (both with 16gb) will serve you well into the future.
Upscaling like FSR and DLSS, along with Frame Gen, are seriously game-changers for future-proofing. Even if you decide to jump to 1440p, that's even better for the two GPU's I mentioned.
Look no further than the 9060 XT or the 5060 Ti
GhostDraw@reddit (OP)
Here I can get the 9070 XT at the same price tag of 5060ti (16gb), so would 9070 win this out?
PotatoFeeder@reddit
How much is the 9070 vs the 9070xt?
GhostDraw@reddit (OP)
9070 might be roughly the same or more expensive
PotatoFeeder@reddit
Then xt
calgy@reddit
9070 XT is much better
aragorn18@reddit
Yes, absolutely!
iceseayoupee@reddit
9060xt is your friend, and 5060ti 16gb is your even richer friend
Grimn90@reddit
Usually the mid tier option will last a few generations.
9070/9070xt and the 5070/5070ti
Dimo145@reddit
Absolutely anything modern will deal with 1080p nowadays. If you want to build a pc for longevity right now, it's as simple as, get on AM5, get 32gb of ram, get a 16gb GPU - 9070xt or 5070ti can handle even 4k with ease - or 1440p for however the F long one can think of.
1080p as I said anything goes - regardless I wouldn't get an 8gb GPU thou.
Ok_Scientist_2762@reddit
16gb vram, but that's generally a 14.4 or 4k answer. I bought a 6800xt a few years after launch, it still does old games at 4k. I know you said 1080, but 16gb is just more years of viability.
digital_n01se_@reddit
5060Ti 16 GB will last those 5 years for 1080p, sure.
-fast enough in raster
-it has the best and widespreaded software support (vs radeon and intel arc)
-top notch AI hardware for upscaling if needed
-you don't need to enable RT, but you won't lose that much FPS in mandatory RT-games because it has the latest RT Tech
-you can run a LLM in those 16 GB and use your card to help you to pay your bills improving your productivity/income, I'd get the 5060Ti over a 5070 solely for that.
-hardware encode and decode of the latest and hottest codec, AV1.
the only downside is the lack of support of 32-bit CUDA applications, it runs old nvidia tech (32-bit based gameworks and physX) like garbage.
if your solely purpose is to game, for the same price you can get a RX 9070