The 8 Best GPUs in the Used Market

GPUs or Graphic Processing Units, are incredible because of their raw computing power. They’re the stronger twin to the CPU because they handle all of the strenuous tasks on a computer. For one, they’re useful for a wide variety of tasks, such as: 

• They’re perfect for video and photo editing.
• Cryptocurrency miners use them to process transactions and earn a living. 
• The best esports gamers have a powerful GPU to gain a competitive edge.
• GPUs are tasked with rendering animations and programs or applications.

This is still a top 8 list of GPUs for gaming. However, our reviewers from Player.com listed some products that can crush everything from animations and rendering to video editing and programming. 

Also Read: Stardew Valley Developer Teases Haunted Chocolatier Game with 4 New Screenshots

Top 8 GPUs in the Used Market

GPUs have limitless applications in the world of technology and data science and wizardry. However, they’re not necessarily pricey, with the cheapest of them costing at least £100 (Brand new). Remember that buying a £100 graphics card still opens up a world of opportunities. Just steer away from the most demanding tasks, like playing Assassin’s Creed Mirage or mining some Bitcoins and you’ll be good. 

To play the most demanding games at 4K, you’ll need a GPU that costs at least £300. This is exclusive of the costs of the other parts like the monitor, CPU, speakers, and keyboard. However, our list breaks down the best graphics cards that you can purchase. The highlight is that they’re used but they’re still in pristine condition. To that end, here are the top 8 GPUs that you can easily find in the used marketplace. 

#1: AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

This is considered the best GPU by a lot of gamers and developers because it strikes the perfect balance between price and power. AMD’s RDNA 3 architecture powers it, and it offers 16 GB of GDDR6 RAM as well as a huge bus. This translates to quick loading times in games, speedy texture loading, and smooth 4K gameplay. If you’re a fan of ray tracing, then it’s also a capable performer in that regard.

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For all of this power, you can purchase the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT for £350 or less. This GPU costs roughly £430 (Brand new), so you can save more than £100. The only issue is its availability or lack thereof. After all, it’s still expensive for many consumers, especially as it’s one part of a computer (Out of many). 

#2: AMD Radeon RX 7600 

The AMD RDNA 3 architecture is a revolutionary piece of hardware. Luckily, the chip maker brings it to the £200–300 price segment. What this means for the used market is that the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is more readily available than the beefier AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT. This unit isn’t the best for gaming at 4K, but its 1080p performance up to 1440p is stellar so, it’s perfect for games like Red Dead Redemption. That’s all thanks to the 8 GB of VRAM and a 128-bit memory bus. 

Part of the reason why the gaming performance is so good is because of AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution. So, 60 FPS isn’t only achievable; It’s super smooth too. Nevertheless, this technological marvel isn’t the best for games that support ray tracing. If you’re a fan of Cyberpunk 2077, you’ll want to tweak the settings to reduce the ray-tracing effects. Ultimately, you won’t completely miss out on ray tracing if you go for this GPU. 

#3: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is better than its predecessors, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 and its variant, the RTX 3070 Ti. Though it can be a little pricey, this is the best NVIDIA graphics card for gaming at 1440p. You’ll be able to play at that resolution at max settings and with excellent ray-tracing capabilities. Moving forward, the GPU also supports DLSS 3, and it remains reasonably priced. Also, while it’s not the most capable in terms of 4K gaming, you’ll only have to tweak the settings a little bit to enjoy your games at that resolution. Finally, this chip is always cool under pressure, despite its modest size compared to more powerful GPUs.

#4: AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT

Despite the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT being cheaper than the NVIDIA GeForce 4060 Ti, it often outdoes its rival in performance. Brand new, you can get this GPU for less than £350. However, you’ll save at least £120 if you purchase it. Nevertheless, getting your hands on this GPU is tricky because most users don’t want to part with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT. Its value for money is impressive, especially when you factor in features such as:

• Chunky so heat dissipation is a non-issue.
• It supports 12 GB of GDDR6.
• The memory bandwidth is impressive.
• Its base clock speed is 2171 MHz, which can be boosted to 2544 MHz.

#5: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

While the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti comes with only 8 GB of RAM, it’s a powerful device capable of playing games at 1080p. There won’t be any lag or stutter, but the best part is that it can do 1440p gaming too. Sure enough, it’s the ideal processing unit for gaming at 4K. However, the fact that you can snatch one up for around £250 in the used market is great news. 

Additionally, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is super quiet and doesn’t get hot under load. Likewise, it’s capable of ray tracing with DLSS. Finally, you can expect a host of other NVIDIA features like Reflex, Shadowplay, G-Sync, Broadcast, and RTX IO. 

#6: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT

You can find the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT in the used market for less than £200 and yes, it’ll be in pristine condition. For the price, you’ll be getting a capable processor that can crush 1080p and 1440p games underfoot. Still, the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT doesn’t offer the best ray-tracing performance or 4K gaming. Those reasons aren’t deal breakers but we still wouldn’t buy this unit brand new. So, if you can’t find one that’s used, we don’t recommend purchasing this unit. Especially as other GPUs in its price range are much more powerful. 

#7:  NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 might be an older GPU but it’s still a potent piece of tech with support for gaming at 1440p and 4K. It’s not the best for mining Bitcoins, but it’s ideal for gaming, especially as it costs between £300 and £450 in the used market. Yes, the GPU can play games with ray tracing, though combining that with 4K picture quality will force the processing unit to throttle. We ranked this unit so low on our list because of its steep price compared to other GPUs on this list. 

#8: Intel Arc A770

The Intel Arc A770’s base model costs £265 so you’ll find a used unit in pristine condition for less than £200. It’s a capable GPU that can render animations quickly, load up textures without pausing, and stay cool throughout tasks. Heck, it even supports ray tracing, though you can’t compare its performance to that of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. 

Ultimately, gamers can expect this unit to breeze through 1080p, 1440p, and 4K gaming. So, it’s ideal for titles like Disco Elysium which is said to be lengthy: You can read more about it here. The only issue with the Intel Arc A770 is that it’s inconsistent, depending on the game that you’re playing. For DX11 games, it’s not fully compatible with them. However, the processing unit shines when you load up DX12 or Vulkan titles. 

Our Final Say

GPUs are becoming more expensive with the shortage of manufacturing parts that is being experienced worldwide. This forces players to consider the used market for GPUs, which in our opinion, is a viable option. Also, the price-to-power ratio of these processing units is superb. The only issue that players may come across is the availability of these GPUs. However, you’ll surely find a unit from the eight we recommended. Thankfully, they all boast similar performances, so there are no wrong choices here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Best GPU Available to Buy?

The best GPU that money can buy now is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 but it’s not cheap. For most players, though, the perfect GPU is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Ti. Other great GPUs that you can check out are:

• AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX.
• AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT.
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. 
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070.
• Intel Arc A770.

Is a 2 GB Graphics Card Enough for Gaming?

Yes, a 2 GB graphics card is good enough to play games. Titles like Football Manager and FIFA 23 aren’t out of reach. However, you may not want to stick to casual games. So, if you prefer the likes of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 or Elden Ring, then you should go for a graphics card with at least 4 GB. Thankfully, most modern games come with at least 4 GB of memory. 

How Much Is the Most Expensive Graphics Card?

The most expensive graphics card is the NVIDIA Tesla A100 Ampere, starting at £4,000. That’s if you find one that has been used or is at its lowest specifications. Nevertheless, this graphics card isn’t meant for gaming, though its cooling capacity is considered a godsend by gamers. Instead, the NVIDIA Tesla A100 Ampere is ideal for data centres.