10 older GPUs that are still going strong in 2024 (2024)

Graphics cards are a source of unbridled joy for PC builders and gamers. The feeling of getting your hands on a shiny new graphics card and taking it for a spin can't be replicated. This is probably why some of us find it hard to part ways with a graphics card we've been using for ages. The absurd pricing of today's best GPUs is probably another reason.

This realization made me look back at some of the graphics cards from the recent and the not-so-recent past that were not only killer deals at the time, but are still rocking a lot of gamers' rigs today. These graphics cards can still hold their own in many modern titles, plus they happen to be great value for the dollar, either on the new or used market.

10 GTX 1660 Super

I can vouch for this one

Back in 2019, I upgraded from the lowly GTX 1050 Ti to the then-impressive GTX 1660 Ti. Nvidia later launched a slightly slower (and cheaper) version in the form of the more popular GTX 1660 Super. This was the last "GTX" GPU Nvidia ever launched before dropping any plans for new GTX cards. The company completely shifted to its RTX lineup after that.

The GTX 1660 Super is still fondly remembered by gamers as possibly one of the last great value cards Nvidia ever put out. Priced below $300, it delivered excellent performance in every title at 1080p High-Ultra settings, and was even good for 1440p gaming. Even today, you can achieve 60+ FPS in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us Part 1 at 1080p optimized settings. In fact, you can get 60-70 FPS even at 1440p in titles such as Doom Eternal, Apex Legends, and other less demanding games.

All that just for $70-$80 today on the used market? You can hardly complain.

9 GTX 1070

A legend from a bygone era

Launched 8 years ago, the GTX 1070 is from a time when powerful 70-class cards didn't cost around $600. The GTX 1070 was priced at just under $400 and proved to be a smash hit, considering it was nearly 35% faster than the 1060 6GB for around 25% more money. The 8GB card remained a strong contender for the best gaming GPUs long after its initial launch.

In 2024, just like the GTX 1660 Super, the GTX 1070 will net you pretty comfortable 1080p gaming in most of the titles. For those demanding ray tracing games, you'll have to use low to medium settings for 60+ FPS, but in esports titles and other less demanding games, you can easily use high settings and still enjoy a great experience.

You can get a GTX 1070 on eBay for around $70-$100, and the 8GB VRAM comes in handy if you also want to dabble in 1440p gaming.

8 RX 6600

One of the best budget GPUs

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AMD deserves some love on this list for the RX 6600, which isn't really that old when you think about it. But, in terms of performance, it resembles older cards like the RTX 2070. Launched for around $300, the RX 6600 can be had for just under $200 today, which makes it quite exciting considering the 1080p gaming performance you can get out of it.

As for the titles you can expect to play with this card, think of Forza Horizon 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man Remastered, and Elden Ring. Even at 1440p, the RX 6600 is capable of producing 60+ FPS once you enable FSR. On a $200 GPU, you're getting 8GB VRAM and RTX 3060 levels of performance, making this a pretty sweet deal. Of course, ray tracing is not the forte of older AMD GPUs, so you have to make certain compromises.

7 RX 5700 XT

Turning the clock back to RDNA

Source: Flickr

Some of you might not remember this one, but the RX 5700 XT was AMD's flagship GPU from its first-ever RDNA lineup. Launched in 2019, the RX 5700 XT was praised for its new architecture, great mid-range 1440p performance, and for offering the best value at its price point. But, the blower design suffered from higher temps and the lack of ray tracing was telling, considering Nvidia's RTX 2000 lineup was already out for about a year.

Despite a few drawbacks, the RX 5700 XT turned out to be a great performer. Users who became the first adopters of AMD's new GPU architecture were rewarded with an RTX 2070 competitor for a full $100 less. You can still use your old 5700 XT for solid 1440p 60+ FPS gaming in titles like Dying Light 2, Days Gone, Death Stranding, The Witcher 3, and even Cyberpunk 2077 (with medium-high settings and FSR).

6 GTX 1080 Ti

The good ol' days

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Those of you who have a GTX 10 series card in your gaming PCs will agree that the Pascal generation was home to some of the greatest GPUs ever launched. And no GPU illustrates that better than the formidable GTX 1080 Ti. Nvidia delivered incredible gains with the 1080 Ti, beating the previous-gen 980 Ti by 30-40%. The asking price for the flagship card was considerably high at $699, but it was so far ahead of everything else that it was justified.

In 2024, many gamers still proudly feature the GTX 1080 Ti in their gaming rigs, enjoying a great mid-range experience at both 1080p and 1440p. While you can crank up the settings at 1080p even in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us Part 1, you'll have to dial it back a little at 1440p in the latest games. But, outside a few outliers, the Pascal flagship still remains a heavy hitter, over 7 years after its release.

5 RTX 2070 Super

A solid first-gen RTX offering

Source: Wikimedia Commons

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Nvidia's RTX 2000 series didn't exactly receive the warmest of reception, thanks to the massive price jumps compared to the Pascal series cards. Plus, the all-new ray tracing features weren't accompanied by a lot of supported games for the longest time. But fast-forward a few years, and the RTX 2070 Super has proven to be a long-lasting card for almost anything you throw at it.

With performance comparable to the 1080 Ti, the RTX 2070 Super was frequently compared to the RTX 2080 as well. Outside of 4K high-end gaming, you could get away with anything on this GPU. Thanks to the brand-new DLSS upscaling tech at the time, the card got a significant boost in performance. And even 5 years later, many gamers still haven't upgraded to anything else, enjoying a more-than-decent 1440p experience.

You can easily extract 60-70 FPS at 1440p high settings with DLSS in titles like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, A Plague Tale Requiem, Dying Light 2, and Cyberpunk 2077.

4 RTX 3060 Ti

Ray tracing comes to the masses

Nvidia's RTX 2000 series stumbled, so that the RTX 3000 series could run. The Ampere generation was universally applauded for delivering impressive gains with each of its SKUs, while slashing prices to levels users had never hoped. Alas, those MSRPs rarely materialized for most users at launch, but for others, the RTX 3000 cards proved to be one of the best GPUs to come out in a long time. And the RTX 3060 Ti was one of the best-selling cards in the lineup.

Priced at $399 (if you were able to get it at that), the 3060 Ti handily beat the RTX 2080 Super, just like Nvidia had claimed in its announcement. It offered excellent value for 1440p gaming, featured all the new DLSS upscaling wizardry, and was more energy-efficient than its brethren, the RTX 3070, RTX 3080, and RTX 3090.

You can easily get a solid 60+ FPS experience at 1440p high settings in almost all titles, with outliers like Alan Wake 2 running at a respectable 45-50 FPS. It's hard to find one new these days, but you can try your luck with renewed models or hunt for a good buy on the used market.

3 RX 6750 XT

Great alternative to the RTX 3060 Ti

AMD returned to the high-end GPU arena with the RX 6000 cards featuring its RDNA 2 architecture. For the first time in years, people had a real choice between Nvidia and AMD when choosing a high-end graphics card. While the 6900 XT might have been the flagship, it's the RX 6750 XT that appeals to me the most. It was launched for $549 to compete with the RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3070. While it couldn't beat the latter, it was comfortably ahead of the former.

Over 2 years later, you can find it at an enticing price of $300 — all new. A full $100 less than the RTX 4060 Ti, it handily beats the 3060 Ti successor in almost every title. 1440p gaming is a breeze with this card, thanks to its powerful hardware, 12GB VRAM, and FSR 3 upscaling. You can enjoy the latest titles at high settings with only a few compromises where ray tracing is concerned.

2 RTX 3070

A 2080 Ti for $500

Source: Nvidia

That was the sales pitch, yes. And it was true, as far as the performance of the RTX 3070 goes. However, the stock and pricing issues aside, the RTX 3070 proved to be an even better value than the RTX 3060 Ti. You could now get RTX 2080 Ti levels of performance with an improved architecture and a nearly $700 discount. It even ran cooler than the Turing flagship.

The criminally low 8GB VRAM has started affecting its performance 3-4 years after its launch, but the card is still more than capable of 1440p Ultra and even 4K High settings gaming. You can play titles like Dying Light 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Metro Exodus (Enhanced), and God of War at 4K 60+ FPS with little hit to the visual goodness. Compared to the RTX 4070, the RTX 3070 is around 25% slower, but you can also get it for only around $200-$250 on the used market.

1 RTX 3080 10GB

The last near-flawless Nvidia offering

The RTX 3080 was a clearly standout GPU in Nvidia's Ampere lineup, with the RTX 3090 being virtually pointless at $1,500. For $700, the 3080 was around 20-25% faster than the RTX 2080 Ti for $500 less. I was one of the lucky few to grab one at the $700 MSRP, and I still marvel at what this GPU is able to do. The 10GB VRAM, while being plenty for 1440p, might become an issue at 4K in some titles. Also, the high power draw might be a downside for some users.

But, with everything else, the RTX 3080 pretty much flies. Even after the RTX 4070 has replaced it for around $500, RTX 3080 users can continue using it for a few years to come. I'm currently playing Alan Wake 2 at 1440p with high settings and ray tracing enabled, and getting 50-60 FPS. For those upgrading from 1440p to 4K monitors, you'll find that the 3080 can easily handle most titles at high settings.

You might have to compromise on ray tracing at 4K, but that's about it. You can easily find a used RTX 3080 for $350-$400 on sites like eBay.

Buying a GPU in 2024

The graphics card market is familiar with both disappointing launches and remarkable products. Nvidia seems to be alternating between the two strategies every generation, and AMD keeps playing catch-up. Choosing the best GPU in 2024 depends (like always) on your budget, monitor setup, and PC compatibility. But you also need to know that both Nvidia and AMD are rumored to launch their next-gen cards at the end of the year.

If you own one of the 10 still-capable GPUs from the above list or even something else you're happy with, it might prove beneficial to wait and watch.