NEVER BUY These 5 GPUs in 2025!If you are considering buying a graphics card, you have to stay away from the 5 graphics cards I will talk about. I of course won’t just say “do not buy these”, I will also tell you what sensible alternatives you can consider. If you’ve subscribed and left a like, let’s jump in.
Table of Contents
The 8GB VRAM Trap
First up, I’ll start off with the GPUs that I definitely do not recommend.
When buying a modern GPU, you need to stay away from models that have 8 GB VRAM!
The VRAM requirements of modern games are incredibly demanding, and 8 GB is already proving insufficient for smooth gameplay in most recent titles.
A graphics card that releases with 8 GB VRAM today is doomed to cause performance issues and disappointment in the very near future.
But don’t forget! If your budget is very tight and if you are willing to lower some graphical settings on the games you’re going to play, you can still buy an 8 GB card keeping what I said in mind.
1- RTX 5060
It may be the biggest disappointment of the RTX 50 series.
On paper, it offers a noticeable performance increase over the RTX 4060. In fact, it is very close to the RTX 4060 Ti in terms of gaming performance. As a matter of fact, for a more accurate comparison, we can say that it performs somewhere between the RTX 3070 and 3070 Ti.
This might sound good at first. Most of us were already expecting the RTX 5060 to perform like a “4060 Super” in terms of performance. As you know, the RTX 5070, 5070 Ti and the 5080 did not offer a big difference in performance compared to the previous generation. So, the expectations were low for the 5060 and the 5060 Ti as well. But the RTX 5060 somewhat challenges that preconception thanks to its performance which is close to the 4060 Ti.
But there’s a really big issue here: Nvidia only released this card with 8 GB VRAM. While the GPU’s processing power is decent, 8 GB VRAM is definitely insufficient for current and future games. So, it’s not a reasonable long-term investment to buy this card. That’s why I placed the RTX 5060 at the top of the list. Whatever your budget may be, avoid this card at all costs!
2- RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
Warning! If the card you’re interested in has a 16 GB variant, stay away from the 8 GB model! This warning very much applies to this card as well.
The RTX 5060 Ti generally performs similarly to the RX 7700 XT. This means that it is noticeably better than the RTX 4060 Ti. Considering that many RTX 50-series GPUs haven’t offered huge leaps over the RTX 40-series, this improvement is at least something.
Though the card has a really good raw power, the VRAM limit is a really big issue for this card as well. Even though the RTX 5060 Ti is strong enough to compete with the RX 7700 XT, its performance is significantly impacted as the card is bottlenecked by its 8 GB of VRAM. Especially if you’re considering gaming in 1440p resolution, stay away from this card!
For this reason I recommend you pick the 16 GB version instead of the 8 GB version of this card if you’re able to find a good deal. This way, you can reach the full potential of the card without hitting the VRAM limit. There’s not much else left to say here. The RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB is a card that should not be bought.
3- RTX 5090
Please hear me out before you attack me in the comments section. The RTX 5090 might indeed be a great card for professional uses like AI-based workloads, video editing and 3D modelling. But if you’re building a computer just for the purposes of gaming, this card is a major overkill and a headache to deal with. Why? Let me explain.
Firstly, the prices are extraordinarily high. If you are buying it just for the purpose of gaming, it is not a sensible choice from a price-to-performance standpoint. The RTX 5080 and models such as 5080 Ti or Super which are expected to come out soon make more sense from a price and performance standpoint and are more than enough for gaming. This is the biggest reason why but it’s not the only one.
Another factor that’s directly reflected onto the prices is how difficult the card is to cool. The RTX 5090 can draw over 600 watts at times. This translates to significantly high temperatures. If we factor in issues that build up over time such as dust collection and the degradation of thermal paste or pads, you really have to pick a good quality model and this means extra spending.
For example, even generally successful models such as the ASUS TUF and the Palit Gamerock can sometimes struggle to cool the RTX 5090. As it is easier to cool less powerful graphics cards such as the RTX 5080 or the 5070 Ti, we don’t experience such issues on those cards.
Speaking of power consumption… This is another problem. Computers with RTX 5090s usually pull more power than 800 watts. Therefore, you need to pick a high quality PSU, meaning that you have to buy a high-quality and reliable PSU that is 1000W or even more.
Don’t forget about the huge size of the card either. Even if the RTX 5090 technically fits your case, it might block airflow. There’s no denying that the RTX 5090 is an industrial-grade toaster.
To summarize: If you’re building a PC just for gaming, it’ll be a better decision to lean towards models such as the RTX 5080 instead of the RTX 5090 for both your budget and your peace of mind. But if you are planning to use your computer for professional use cases such as content production, AI or 3D modelling, then you can buy the RTX 5090.
4- Intel Arc B570
Before I tell you why sibling, the B580. The 10 GB VRAM is a nice plus and it offers similar raw power to the RTX 4060, but things get confusing when we check the prices. On some websites such as Newegg, the price of some B570 models can get as high as the RTX 4060 or even the B580.
If you encounter similar prices during your research,
I definitely recommend that you stay away from the B570 because the RTX 4060 is much more stable in terms of driver support and the B580 is a more powerful alternative. It’ll make much more sense to pick the B580 which provides a performance close to the 4060 Ti while also being cheaper.
5- RX 9070
The RX 9070, much like the Arc B570, is a card that is overshadowed by its bigger sibling, the RX 9070 XT in terms of price-to-performance ratio and it has another significant drawback.
As you know, AMD had a great launch with the RX 9070 XT releasing it at a lower price and with better availability compared to its rival, the RTX 5070 Ti. As this was happening, the RX 9070 took a backseat. While the 9070 XT competes with the RTX 5070 Ti, the RX 9070 competes with the RTX 5070.
In terms of pricing, the 9070 XT is at a more advantageous spot compared to the 5070 Ti, but the price of the RX 9070 is oftentimes closer to the RX 9070 XT. Due to this, it almost becomes nonsensical to buy this card, similar to the situation with the Arc B570 and B580.
Moreover, when there is an alternative like the RTX 5070 at a similar price, the case for the RX 9070 weakens considerably. Unless a major price cut happens, this doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. As much as I don’t really like the 50 series, I have to say that the RTX 5070 is a much more sensible pick compared to the RX 9070.
As it offers lower power consumption, Multi-frame Generation and CUDA cores for the same price, the RTX 5070 is much more advantageous compared to the RX 9070.
Recommended Alternatives
Now, it’s time for the 5 GPU that I do recommend. These graphics cards I’m about to discuss are some of the most sensible options currently available. If you’re ready, let’s dive in.
1- Intel Arc B580
It’s great in terms of price to performance! It’s almost at the same level as the RTX 4060 Ti in terms of gaming performance and moreover, it’s cheaper too. As it offers 12 GB VRAM, you don’t need to worry about hitting the VRAM limit when gaming in 1080p resolution. You can use it for gaming at 1440p too if you’d like but it’s not something I would recommend.
Even if the VRAM is enough, the raw power of the GPU could be insufficient in the future.It is a much better card in terms of both software and hardware compared to the previous generation A750 and A770. It’s also a nice plus that it’s more successful at power management and temperatures compared to the previous generation. But of course, this card has some cons as well.
These are some software-related issues and incompatibility issues with older processors.
If you’re planning to use this GPU with CPUs older than the AMD Ryzen 5000 series and Intel 12th Generation, I recommend doing some research on compatibility. I think these kinds of issues happen because Intel is still a new player in the GPU market.
2- RTX 5070
Please hear me out before attacking me in the comments section again. I’m aware of the frustration surrounding the RTX 50 series, I already have a detailed video about that on the channel. The reason I recommend the RTX 5070 is not because it’s a “perfect card” but because it supports a lot more features compared to its rival, the RX 9070.
To be honest, AMD has to offer more in order to be a more compelling option against Nvidia. Like more challenging cards such as the RX 9070 XT and the Arc B580, for example. Yes, the gaming performance of the RTX 5070 didn’t really meet expectations, that’s right. It’s actually positioned more like a “4070 Super Plus”.
The fact that it has 12 GB VRAM can be a bottleneck from time to time, especially when gaming in 1440p. I’m aware of all of these and am recommending this card with this in mind.
It’s a GPU to consider over the RX 9070 if you can find it at an affordable price.
3- RX 9070 XT
The card everybody’s been waiting for me to mention… This card can provide a gaming performance close to the RTX 5070 Ti for cheaper. In fact, even higher end and generally more expensive models such as the ASUS TUF, Asrock Taichi or Sapphire Nitro+ can be found at cheaper prices compared to the RTX 5070 Ti. With its 16 GB VRAM,
better ray tracing performance compared to the RX 7000 series and the Frame Generation support which is exclusive to the RX 9000 series for now, the RX 9070 XT holds a special appeal for me.
But of course, this card has cons too.
- The power consumption is a bit higher compared to the RTX 5070 Ti. If you’re planning to swap your current graphics card with the RX 9070 XT, you have to make sure that your power supply is enough.
- A lot of users mention that there are stock issues with this card. It can be found for cheaper than a RTX 5070 Ti but it may take some effort to find due to stock shortages.
- If the price of the RX 9070 XT is closer to the 5070 Ti, the 5070 Ti might be a sensible choice. Just something to keep in mind. In summary, if you are looking for a GPU for gaming, the RX 9070 XT is one of the best options in the market right now.
4- RTX 5060 Ti 16GB
Honestly, I was torn as to if I should recommend this card or not. It wouldn’t be wrong to call this card “the new-gen version of the RTX 3060 12 GB”. Even though the 16 GB VRAM is really compelling, it doesn’t offer a massive leap in gaming performance over its predecessors. Generally, it performs similarly to the RX 7700 XT and it’s often possible to find it for cheaper than it.
Besides this, the distinguishing technological advantages of the RTX 50 series such as Multi Frame Generation and advanced Ray Tracing performance make this card a good choice for upcoming games as well.
Even though I’m speaking positively here, there’s something you need to pay close attention to.
The prices are too unstable! Sometimes you can find it for a price close to the Intel Arc B580 but if you want to buy a high-quality model, you may need to increase your budget a bit more. Also, with the newly released RX 9060 XT 16GB on the market, if you can find the right price balance, the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB could be a reasonable choice.
5- RX 9060 XT 16GB
This card is a newly released model that was met with high expectations. The RX 9060 XT 16GB is positioned directly as a competitor towards the RTX 5060 Ti and offers similar performance as well. Even though the 5060 Ti generally seems one step ahead, we can see that the RX 9060 XT can catch up to it or sometimes even pass it in some scenarios.
If you’re curious about the price, at the time of making this video, While the RX 9060 XT 16 GB was around 350 and 400 dollars, the RTX 5060 Ti was around 450 and 500 dollars. So there’s around a 100 dollar difference and this makes the RX 9060 XT very compelling in terms of the price to performance ratio.
There’s an important detail that you need to pay attention to here: There’s both 8 GB and 16 GB versions of the RX 9060 XT. As I’ve mentioned at the start of the video, 16 GB VRAM is almost a must-have for modern GPUs because newly released games require more and more VRAM with each passing day and this directly affects future gaming performance of the card.
At this point, you must decide keeping the price difference in mind. As I’ve just said, if the difference is around 100 dollars, the 9060 XT 16 GB is a sensible choice.
Of course, that means that you have to forgo stuff like Multi Frame Generation, better ray tracing and production performance that are available in the RTX 5060 Ti.
FAQs: NEVER BUY These 5 GPUs in 2025!
- Why should I avoid GPUs with 8GB VRAM?
“The VRAM requirements of modern games are incredibly demanding, and 8 GB is already proving insufficient for smooth gameplay in most recent titles. A graphics card that releases with 8 GB VRAM today is doomed to cause performance issues and disappointment in the very near future.” - Is the RTX 5090 really bad for gaming?
*”If you’re building a computer just for gaming, this card is a major overkill and a headache to deal with. The prices are extraordinarily high, it’s difficult to cool, draws over 600 watts, requires a 1000W+ PSU, and blocks airflow. Models like the RTX 5080 make more sense for gaming.”* - Should I buy the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB version?
“Avoid this card at all costs! Even though it performs similarly to the RX 7700 XT, its performance is significantly bottlenecked by its 8 GB VRAM. Especially for 1440p gaming, stay away. Only consider the 16 GB version.” - Why is the RX 9070 not recommended?
*”Its price is often closer to the RX 9070 XT, making it nonsensical to buy. The RTX 5070 offers lower power consumption, Multi-frame Generation, and CUDA cores for the same price, making it a much more sensible pick.”* - What’s wrong with the Intel Arc B570?
“When priced near the RTX 4060 or B580, avoid it. The RTX 4060 has better driver support, and the B580 is more powerful and cheaper while offering performance close to the RTX 4060 Ti.” - Why recommend the RTX 5070 despite its flaws?
“It supports more features than the RX 9070. Even though its gaming performance didn’t meet expectations and 12GB VRAM can bottleneck at 1440p, it’s worth considering over the RX 9070 at an affordable price.” - Is the RX 9070 XT worth buying despite higher power consumption?
“Yes, for gaming it’s one of the best options. It delivers performance close to the RTX 5070 Ti for cheaper, with 16GB VRAM and better ray tracing. Just ensure your PSU is sufficient, and watch for stock issues.” - Which GPU is the absolute worst choice in 2025?
“The RTX 5060: Nvidia only released this card with 8 GB VRAM, which is insufficient for current and future games. Whatever your budget, avoid this card at all costs!”
