Slight GPU Upgrade

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Well, TBH, I have been running a 5600G for awhile now. And have a 8600G right now. BUT.

I saw an awesome price for a 9600X, and I should get it by this Thursday (or sooner) from Amazon.

So.. I need a new Graphics card. Been using onboard for too long now. The last one I got eons ago was a XFX R7850. So yeah, I'm a bit behind in the GPU department.

I have a 750W PSU, so I think I'm set there.

So, I am not a HEAVY gamer. I just play Minecraft, and a few lighter games on Steam. Like Stumble Guys, Chicken Horse, and C++ (CPlusPlus)

I don't need a big beefy card like a 5090 or anything. Anything within the $200-300 range sounds about right. I only want AMD or Intel GPUS. As I'm running EndeavourOS (Arch)

 

My first choice (before this new 9600X) Was an ASRock AMD Radeon RX 6600 Challenger 

My next choice was an XFX Speedster SWFT210 Radeon RX 7600 (It was recommended for the best budget pair-up with a 9600X)

Then I was wondering about the Intel ARC B570/B580. They are around the same price as the top 2. Are they worth it? As I said above, I don't need something heavy.

 

I was recommended from a friend to look at GPUSniper.com for the cheapest prices.

 

What says you? If you need more info, ASK!

[Steven P. Administrators]

It looks like your budget is around $250, correct?

A quick Google search:

The RX 7600 offers better raw rasterization value and lower cost for 1080p gaming, while the RTX 4060 provides superior features like DLSS 3 (Frame Generation), better ray tracing, and significantly stronger performance in AI/productivity tasks (CUDA/Tensor cores) at a slightly higher price and lower power draw, making the 4060 better for feature-rich experiences, but the RX 7600 great for budget-focused pure rasterization. 

Pros:

• Better Value: Often cheaper, offering strong 1080p rasterization.
• Raw Power: Higher TFLOPS and memory bandwidth for pure gaming.
• Open-Source Upscaling: Supports FSR, works on more GPUs.

Cons:

• Weaker Ray Tracing: Significantly behind Nvidia in RT performance.
• Limited AI/Productivity: Lacks dedicated cores (Tensor/RT) for AI/rendering.
• Higher Power: Higher TDP (165W) compared to the 4060. 

So in saying that, a 4060 wouldn't be a great alternative (although it costs roughly within your budget)

Honestly if you can afford $50 more you could get the 4060Ti (new) at Amazon (it is a Neowin affiliate link) for that $50 it's a 36.5% uplift and you're sorted for Ray Tracing and 1440p gaming (anything higher than 1440p will start to eat up that 8GB VRAM):

Edit: I see the 4060Ti is used, but all the same shipped and covered by Amazon, so it might be a great deal?

Maybe @hellowalkmancan suggest an AMD equivalent if you prefer to stay with an AMD GPU.

[hellowalkman Reporter]

The 9060 XT 8GB looks to be right for you. You probably don't need the 16 GB variant, considering you play light; and also it's a bit outside your budget.  

https://amzn.to/4puOHzx 

https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=8000 4131 600494828 100007709&d=rx+9060+xt&PageSize=96&Order=1

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

I prefer to stay with AMD/Intel, as NVIDIA has trouble with Linux.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 09/12/2025 at 06:29, hellowalkman said:

The 9060 XT 8GB looks to be right for you. You probably don't need the 16 GB variant, considering you play light; and also it's a bit outside your budget.  

https://amzn.to/4puOHzx 

https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=8000 4131 600494828 100007709&d=rx+9060+xt&PageSize=96&Order=1

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Is there much a difference between 2 fans or 3 fans? I take the 3 fans have bigger heatsink, but what does that do for cooling?

[hellowalkman Reporter]

On 09/12/2025 at 18:08, Mindovermaster said:

Is there much a difference between 2 fans or 3 fans? I take the 3 fans have bigger heatsink, but what does that do for cooling?

not a deal breaker IMO, you can get the 2 fan model if your case has decent airflow.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 09/12/2025 at 06:40, hellowalkman said:

not a deal breaker IMO, you can get the 2 fan model if your case has decent airflow.

I didn't think it would make a difference. My case has rather well airflow.  

[fLk]

If you have room for it in the case it's worth getting the one with 3 fans, runs cooler and quieter.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 09/12/2025 at 07:20, fLk said:

If you have room for it in the case it's worth getting the one with 3 fans, runs cooler and quieter.

Can't understand how 3 fans would be quieter, but, I have a large fan in front pushing a lot of air in. So I think 2 fans would be fine.

[Matthew S.]

On 09/12/2025 at 08:34, Mindovermaster said:

Can't understand how 3 fans would be quieter, but, I have a large fan in front pushing a lot of air in. So I think 2 fans would be fine.

Larger heatsink, slower fans, more cfm.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

@hellowalkmanis this any better than the 9060XT 8GB?

 

https://www.neowin.net/deals/deal-this-intel-graphics-card-has-more-than-8gb-vram-and-it-is-hard-to-deny-at-just-200/

 

Via the benchmarks, they look very similar.

[hellowalkman Reporter]

On 03/01/2026 at 05:42, Mindovermaster said:

any better than the 9060XT 8GB?

no the B570 is more in line with an RX 6600/7600/3060/4060. The 9060 XT is significantly better,

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 03/01/2026 at 01:03, hellowalkman said:

no the B570 is more in line with an RX 6600/7600/3060/4060. The 9060 XT is significantly better,

Is the B580 any better? I see them for $250

[hellowalkman Reporter]

On 03/01/2026 at 20:21, Mindovermaster said:

Is the B580 any better? I see them for $250

B570 ------> B580 = +20%

B580 ------> 9060 XT = +30%

 

The 9060 XT is well worth the extra money assuming you get it for around ~$300

 

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 03/01/2026 at 10:15, hellowalkman said:

B570 ------> B580 = +20%

B580 ------> 9060 XT = +30%

 

The 9060 XT is well worth the extra money assuming you get it for around ~$300

 

OK, thanks, boss  

There's quite a few 9060 XT available for under $300. 

[Mockingbird]

What is your budget?

Also, if you are buying a video card, you should do it soon since memory prices are going through the roof and that will affect video card prices.

[hellowalkman Reporter]

On 03/01/2026 at 22:56, Mockingbird said:

if you are buying a video card, you should do it soon since memory prices are going through the roof and that will affect video card prices.

this is likely going to be correct!

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 03/01/2026 at 11:26, Mockingbird said:

What is your budget?

Also, if you are buying a video card, you should do it soon since memory prices are going through the roof and that will affect video card prices.

Read my first post? 🤔

I should be able to next week. So no worries on the GPU price jack.

Edit: I thought the RAM spike was for DDR, not GDDR?

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 09/12/2025 at 06:29, hellowalkman said:

The 9060 XT 8GB looks to be right for you. You probably don't need the 16 GB variant, considering you play light; and also it's a bit outside your budget.  

https://amzn.to/4puOHzx 

https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=8000 4131 600494828 100007709&d=rx+9060+xt&PageSize=96&Order=1

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

I chose this one. PowerColor Hellhound 9060 XT

Thanks for all your help, @hellowalkman!

[hellowalkman Reporter]

Enjoy the upgrade mate!

[tsupersonic]

Blech - prices are going up, but 9060 XT were just $250 when you posted this thread. I know that doesn't help unless you have a time machine. If you have a Microcenter near you,  there is a 9060 XT w/ 16 GB for $350. https://www.microcenter.com/product/696272/asrock-amd-radeon-rx-9060-xt-challenger-overclocked-dual-fan-16gb-gddr6-pcie-50-graphics-card. This is in-store only, and it hurts to see microcenter deals that are in-store only, because I don't have a store anywhere near me (flip-side probably best for my wallet :))

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 05/01/2026 at 03:41, tsupersonic said:

Blech - prices are going up, but 9060 XT were just $250 when you posted this thread. I know that doesn't help unless you have a time machine. If you have a Microcenter near you,  there is a 9060 XT w/ 16 GB for $350. https://www.microcenter.com/product/696272/asrock-amd-radeon-rx-9060-xt-challenger-overclocked-dual-fan-16gb-gddr6-pcie-50-graphics-card. This is in-store only, and it hurts to see microcenter deals that are in-store only, because I don't have a store anywhere near me (flip-side probably best for my wallet :))

I do have one near me, in Chicago. But it's to far. Takes about a 2-hour drive.

[hellowalkman Reporter]

On 05/01/2026 at 20:00, Mindovermaster said:

Takes about a 2-hour drive

well need to figure out if that drive is worth the savings i guess.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 05/01/2026 at 14:10, hellowalkman said:

well need to figure out if that drive is worth the savings i guess.

Got it today. Just need to wait on my new SSD's before I can put it in the  new system.

[hellowalkman Reporter]

woohoo!!