Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Nvidia ’s GTX 1650 is nothing myopic of alegendary graphics card . The low , budget - focused GPU has achieve a monumental status among microcomputer gamers , sitting at the top of the Steam hardware survey for years . It ’s taken a back seat to Nvidia ’s newer RTX 3060 in late months , but it ’s still owned by around 4 % to 5 % of gamers who take part in the Steam hardware survey .
It ’s bulge out to mature out of relevance , however . The GTX 1650 is four years sometime , and it ’s struggling to keep up with advanced games likeAlan Wake 2andAvatar : Frontiers of Pandora . Although the GTX 1650 is still a great alternative for low - lift esports championship likeOverwatch 2andValorant , you should upgrade if you require to experience AAA games in 2024 and beyond .
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
We ’re go to run away down the full upgrade alternative if you ’re add up from the GTX 1650 , keep back in brain the budget nature of that graphics card . That means limiting options to GPUs that are as nigh to the $ 160 to $ 200 price tag you ’d see on a GTX 1650 and focusing on 1080p gaming .
Nvidia RTX 3060
Without a dubiousness , the best GPU rise you’re able to make from the GTX 1650 is Nvidia ’s own RTX 3060 . There ’s a cause this GPU has slowly overtaken the GTX 1650 in 1080p gaming PCs . The RTX 3060 , at its worst , is twice as fast as the GTX 1650 , and close to three clock time as truehearted at its sound .
You carry a massive jump in raw execution out of a newer ( and more expensive ) GPU , but the RTX 3060 has two other tricks . For starters , it supportsray tracing . You may not be able-bodied to apply ray trace in more demanding titles likeCyberpunk 2077orAlan Wake 2,but less demanding carrying out likeResident Evil 4are certainly on the table .
More significantly , the RTX 3060 supportsNvidia ’s Deep Learning Super Sampling ( DLSS ) . DLSS has beenthe defining featureof Nvidia ’s art cards for the last several years , and it ’s unfortunately not useable on the GTX 1650 . It gives the RTX 3060 a lot more leg in those demanding claim likeAlan Wake 2,where the erstwhile GPU would otherwise struggle .
The hardest sell with the RTX 3060 right now is price . A raw one will run you around $ 280 , which is n’t too impressive debate the newerRTX 4060starts at $ 300 . gratefully , there ’s a vibrant used market for the RTX 3060 . At the time of writing , for example , I bump therefurbished on Newegg for $ 210 .
AMD RX 7600
If you look at raw performance in ourAMD RX 7600 review , AMD ’s 1080p GPU actually beats the RTX 3060 , and it ’s even cheaper at lean price . It ’s coming in second here due to its comparatively unsatisfying ray tracing performance and the fact that it does n’t have access to DLSS . That does n’t mean it ’s a bad ascent option if you ’re coming from a GTX 1650 , however .
The principal haulage is that cost - to - performance proportion . The RX 7600 come in at $ 270 , and you could often observe it on sale for $ 250 . Overall , the RX 7600 ends up slightly faster than the RTX 3060 , but that broker in ray tracing . If you take ray trace out of the mix , the RX 7600 is sometimes up to 35 % faster , as we insure inCyberpunk 2077 .
The lack of substantial beam tracing prowess and DLSS is easier to take at this cost . You ’re looking for solid all - around carrying into action at 1080p , and for a humbled price , and that ’s precisely what the RX 7600 birth at $ 270 . It ’s quite a scrap more expensive than a used RTX 3060 , however , and league ahead of the original price of the GTX 1650 .
Refurbished models are possible , however , with some models as low as $ 200 . you may also tell on secondhand , where I ’ve seen cards sell for as slight as $ 190 . Of course , there are the sales as well . At the time of written material , for example , theis merchandising at Newegg for $ 260 .
Intel Arc A750
TheIntel Arc A750is doubtless the weakest circuit card on this list , but it ’s also the cheapest . Intel ’s own innovation amount in at $ 240 , but you ’ll commonly chance models from ASRock and Sparkle for $ 220 and sometimes even a straight $ 200 — for example , is going for $ 220 right now .
For overall performance , the A750 trade blow with the RTX 3060 . It ’s somewhat ahead in some game likeForza Horizon 5,but slenderly behind in others , likeCyberpunk 2077.The chief draw is that the Arc A750 is significantly flashy ( at least for a new good example ) and it come with similarly herculean ray trace — something the AMD competition fall short on at this toll .
There ’s a major trade - offs here for such a low price , however . First , there ’s the driver . Intel has massively ameliorate its drivers since the Arc A750 put out , but there are still now and again games where Intel ’s GPUs fight . The most recent representative isStarfield , which was n’t in workings shape for a few weeks after discharge . Some legacy titles still have issues toss off up , too . The most recent Intel driver update take a 268 % execution jump inJust do 4,for example — you do n’t get those kind of increases without former execution issues .
Intel has accost enough games at this point to justify picking up an Arc GPU . It ’s something you should be cognizant of , however . Intel is still very new to the discrete GPU grocery store , so you may have to go some acquire pain in the ass .
That does n’t leave the A750 dead in the water , though . Due to its execution and how inexpensive it is , the card is still worth consider if you ’re on an extreme budget . regrettably , the option from AMD and Nvidia around $ 200 just do n’t obtain up . TheRTX 3050is significantly underpowered liken to the A750 , andAMD ’s RX 6500 XTis one of the bad GPUs we ’ve ever reviewed .
Time for an upgrade
The GTX 1650 has served its character as a stopgap GPU for a lot of gamers . Arriving just before the brunt of the GPU shortfall go away into effect , it has remained a small - cost choice for PC gamers who just involve a distinct graphics card for 1080p gaming . It ’s time to upgrade , though .
With the GPU shortage in the rearview mirror , there are several budget option that provide a monumental carrying out boost over the GTX 1650 . Not only will you get a grownup operation bump , but you ’ll also have access to newfangled features like re trace and DLSS that are n’t available on GTX bill of fare .
The three GPUs we rounded up here are your estimable options , but always be on the observation tower for sales . Other GPUs like the RTX 4060 and RX 6700 XT are fantabulous options if you could find a peculiarly safe deal on them .
