Important! The models presented are more like conceptual alternatives to the RTX 5060 Ti for 1080p gaming rather than direct competitors in price. Some of them came out earlier, others cost more, but each offers its unique balance of features and capabilities. Outdated models are often available with good discounts or at attractive prices on the secondary market.

1. GeForce GTX 1660 Super

  • Pros: Cost-effective, low power consumption, quiet and cool, compatible with FSR 3.
  • Cons: Does not support DLSS and ray tracing, 6 GB of video memory.

Despite its advanced age, it's too early to write off the GeForce GTX 1660 Super. The card can provide an Xbox Series X-like experience ― i.e. most popular games, except for the newest ones, with moderate graphics settings will output 30 – 50 FPS with moderate drops and micro-freezes in particularly complex scenes. The card is suitable for those catching up on games like RDR2, The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring — all of which run without significant issues. Despite the lack of tensor cores and DLSS, users can make use of the free FSR 3 upscaling from AMD, which is supported in a number of projects. Additional benefits include compact size, low power consumption, and nearly silent operation even under load.

Popular GeForce GTX 16 Series Graphics Cards

2. GeForce RTX 2060

  • Pros: Support for DLSS and ray tracing, reliable performance in Full HD, availability on the secondary market.
  • Cons: 6 GB of video memory, weak ray tracing implementation, relatively high power consumption, old version of DLSS without frame generation.

The GeForce RTX 2060 remains relevant thanks to its support for DLSS and decent performance in modern games. The main limitation is the 6 GB of video memory ― for example, in Resident Evil 4, Hogwarts Legacy, and demanding projects on Unreal Engine 5, the volume may be insufficient for proper loading of HD textures and shadows. In some cases, an overflowing buffer leads to freezes or crashes. However, quality of shadows and textures can be reduced, lighting settings lowered, and particularly demanding effects disabled as a workaround. Unlike NVIDIA graphics cards from previous generations, the RTX 2060 supports hardware ray tracing and DLSS 2.0 supersampling, although its upscaling quality is noticeably inferior to newer models, and frame generation technology is not supported at all.

3. Radeon RX 5700 XT

  • Pros: Good price-performance ratio (especially on the secondary market), performance on par with RTX 3060, FSR support instead of DLSS.
  • Cons: Does not support ray tracing, increased heat in some versions.

The Radeon RX 5700 XT is one of those "transitional" releases from AMD that turned out to be more interesting than discussed at its launch. The card was released before FSR arrived, and in the wake of the hype around DLSS and RTX features, it was undeservedly overlooked. Nevertheless, in pure rasterization, it is on par with RTX 3060 (with slight variations), and it is often sold on the secondary market at the price of two RAM sticks. It becomes an excellent option for budget-conscious builders, allowing comfortable play in almost any AAA game of recent years, except for the most demanding and poorly optimized ones. Just note that reference RX 5700 XT versions run hotter and noisier than popular modifications from Sapphire, PowerColor, and Asus. And it does not support ray tracing, which AMD added only in the next generation starting with RX 6000-series models.

4. Intel Arc B580

  • Pros: 12 GB of video memory, performance on par with RTX 4060, supports ray tracing and XeSS, good price.
  • Cons: Unstable performance in older games, occasional driver issues, weak ray tracing optimization.

Intel Arc B580 is one of the most interesting options in the budget segment in recent years. With a recommended price of around $250, it offers 12 GB of video memory, which is often lacking even among more expensive competitors. In pure rasterization, the card slightly outperforms GeForce RTX 4060, making it excellent for Full HD gaming and moderate 1440p. The increased amount of memory reduces the risk of freezes in heavy projects like Black Myth: Wukong and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and allows more active use of ray tracing, although its implementation still significantly lags behind NVIDIA solutions. It's also worth considering that compatibility issues may arise in some older projects, especially if the game hasn't been updated in years. Nevertheless, with new releases, the B580 performs fairly stably, and complaints about drivers are decreasing. A good choice for those seeking maximum value for every dollar. But if you don't want to risk driver issues, it's better to choose a proven option from NVIDIA or Radeon.

5. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

  • Pros: Excellent performance in 1080p, 256-bit bus, support for DLSS and ray tracing.
  • Cons: Outdated architecture, DLSS without frame generation.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has matured like fine wine and is currently one of the most balanced options for gaming in 1080p. Despite a difference of 2 generations in basic rasterization, it doesn't fall too far behind the new RTX 5060 Ti: depending on the games, the gap can be from 10 to 30%. Without upscaling and frame generation, it can sometimes even win due to a wider 256-bit bus. Quite the reverse progress. If you don't plan to rely heavily on upscaling and frame generation using DLSS, there's no particular reason to buy the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti.

Popular GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Graphics Cards

6. Radeon RX 7600 XT

  • Pros: 16 GB of video memory, excellent performance in Full HD, FSR 3 support.
  • Cons: Ray tracing inferior to NVIDIA solutions.

The Radeon RX 7600 XT is a rare example of a mid-range graphics card with a 16-gigabyte memory buffer. In terms of performance in Full HD, the RX 7600 XT confidently handles most modern games, maintaining a stable framerate at high settings. Support for FSR 3 upscaling and frame generation allows performance to be boosted to average FPS without noticeable loss in quality. Although FSR post-processing slightly falls short of the main competitor in the form of NVIDIA DLSS, and ray tracing functions less efficiently. Overall, the RX 7600 XT is a cost-effective solution for those wanting a reserve of video memory for current and next-generation games, which in many cases find 8 GB inadequate or barely sufficient.

Popular Radeon RX 7600 XT Graphics Cards

7. Radeon RX 6750 XT

  • Pros: Excellent performance in 1080p and 1440p, 256-bit bus, support for DLSS and ray tracing.
  • Cons: Outdated architecture, DLSS without frame generation.

The Radeon RX 6750 XT is gradually being phased out by newer graphics cards, which is why many stores are selling off leftover stock at small discounts. In terms of performance, it is on par with the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti (range of 5 – 10% depending on the games) but is 15 – 20% cheaper and has 12 GB of video memory. At the same time, the RTX 4060 Ti consumes slightly less power and provides higher upscaling and frame generation quality. In principle, both options are excellent, but if you're not planning to use DLSS, confidently go for the Radeon RX 6750 XT.

Popular Radeon RX 6750 XT Graphics Cards

8. GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

  • Pros: Excellent performance in 1080p, support for DLSS 3 with image scaling and frame generation, improved ray tracing cores.
  • Cons: None found.

Two years after its release, the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti remains one of the top bestsellers in the mid-priced segment. It easily handles high-budget current-generation games, consistently delivering over 60 FPS in 1080p with high graphical settings. Noticeable lagging begins only when increasing resolution to 1440p or in some next-gen games on Unreal Engine 5. At the moment, the RTX 4060 Ti is 30 – 35% cheaper than the RTX 5060 Ti, while its native rendering gap without upscaling and frame generation rarely exceeds 15%. Unlike earlier GeForce generations, this model supports DLSS 3 with an improved upscaler and frame generator.

Popular GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Graphics Cards

9. GeForce RTX 3080

  • Pros: 10 GB video memory, decent performance in 1440p, support for DLSS 2 with image scaling, dedicated ray tracing cores.
  • Cons: High power consumption, does not support DLSS version 3.0 and above.

GeForce RTX 3080 is more of a premium option, overpowered for most 1080p games. Traditionally for Hi-End models, it does not have the most optimal price-performance ratio, but it is gradually being replaced by newer graphics cards, and remaining models often receive discounts in stores. Due to the RTX 3080's high specific power, it feels more at ease when using high graphical settings and ray tracing. However, it heats up considerably and requires a quality power supply unit with at least 750 watts. It does support DLSS version 3.0 and higher, which adds frame generation.

Popular GeForce RTX 3080 Graphics Cards