Are older AMD GPUs still worth buying?

When looking at AMD GPUs released between 2020 and 2025, some of these cards span multiple generations of underlying architecture and require older drivers to function properly. But if you’re looking to save a few dollars, you’re probably wondering if an old AMD card is worth it, given the memory and RAM shortage that’s driving component prices to ridiculous amounts. But the issues of loss of features, price, and hardware/software compatibility with a very outdated graphics card just aren’t worth going back half a decade.

In 2020, AMD launched the Radeon RX 6800 and Radeon RX 6800 XT, as well as the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT. These were based on the company’s RDNA 2 architecture, also used in Sony’s PlayStation 5, Microsoft’s Xbox Series S/X, and Valve’s Steam Deck. Prices are a bit inconsistent and vary by seller and brand. You’ll also likely be forced to buy more Experience variants of the cards, which had better fans and features, but didn’t sell as well after the launch fervor. Expect to spend around $800 for the RX 6800 Note that you can only acquire new ones through third-party distribution from online retailers, which is another concern. For comparison, the Radeon RX 9070

However, you can get old AMD Radeon cards at a lower cost on the second-hand market. But you won’t know how badly someone’s computer has been beaten, or if it has any hard-to-spot damage or degradation. Plus, there’s no manufacturer warranty to protect you, and the listing you find might end up being a scam for what you pay. So it’s best to buy at retail if you’re lucky enough to spot one.

If, circumstantially, your computer crashes and you desperately need an AMD GPU replacement, downgrading may be the viable option if you can’t find a new one in stock. But going back beyond products launching in 2024 is generally not worth it. Even though these older cards eventually get newer features, they don’t appear as quickly as they do on modern GPUs. This means you’ll have to wait longer to get free upgrades like FSR 4, if you get it.

Some newer, graphics-intensive games are also not optimized for older cards. For example, one of AMD’s budget cards for 2023-2024 is the Radeon RX 7600, which costs $400 for one of XFX’s cards. This AMD chip is marketed as designed for playing games at 1080p, and you’ll start to notice technical issues with its 8GB of VRAM at higher resolutions with maximum textures. Still, if you’re primarily a lightweight gamer, a 48% increase over its original price isn’t the worst in the world if it maximizes your budget.

Its premium sibling is much more in line with what you expect from new AMD cards today. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 The problem is that if you try to deploy heavier ray tracing workloads at higher resolutions, you may experience performance inconsistencies. This is when you start to notice a drop in value compared to current cards. At this point, you should just buy the AMD Radeon RX 9070