i dunno how it happened but somehow in between me getting this 1060 6gb in 2016 and now, I've lost the ability to numb my brain to the deluge of information like 'the 6600 is only marginally worse than the 6650 so you should get a 6600 if you can't budget the extra $100' that is comparing modern graphics cards.
I've had this 1060 6GB for almost 10 years, I love it - it is and was a good card. Still chugs along reliably for most modern games - but unfortunately I've started to notice its age in the last few years (most recently with the stupid ass Dragon Ball Sparking Zero game my friend bought for me on Steam this Christmas specifically so he could play with me - imagine my shock and surprise when I'm getting like 10fps on all Low settings...
). Almost a decade without upgrading is a long enough run for me though.
Anyways I'm basically clueless on the last decade of graphics cards and have no idea what is the economical & viable (I'd prefer to at least get 5+ years out of whatever I upgrade to - not saying it has to push Ultra High settings on some AAA 2029 release or anything, but I'd love it to at least perform decently with new releases for the next few years like the 1060 has.)
Here's my current build:
| Current Build: | |
|---|---|
| Processor: | Ryzen 7 3700X |
| Motherboard: | ASUS B550-F |
| RAM: | 32GB DDR4 |
| GPU: | GTX 1060 6GB |
From the research I've done, an AMD card is probably my best bet although I am leery of them simply because I've only ever used nvidia cards but I'm not too worried about the software/driver/etc differences.
I would prefer not to spend more than like $500 on one but if it's like 600-700 and you think it is truly the best card on the market, list it and I'll consider just scrounging up the extra $$ for it - not like I have a girlfriend or boyfriend to spend it on 
Anyways here's the cards I've currently been recommended by friends and/or found in my searching. Have listed the price I found on Amazon for each:
| Potential Upgrade: | |
|---|---|
| AMD 7700 XT 12gb | $400 on Amazon |
| 6600 XT 8gb | $260~ |
Eager to hear your thoughts & opinions & suggestions nerds. Thanks.
I don't have a recent AMD card and am not informed enough to make declarative opinions on individual cards, but I do want to discuss a more philosophical side of the decision. Spoilering because it's mildly ranty and not fully thought out.
spoiler
You're gonna be a little happy and a little unhappy with whatever product you choose. Marketing is obviously pushing for spend-more-money to make company more profit, but as long as they get you to buy something they win.The upfront propaganda stuff focuses so hard on "this is more powerful" "this has a better value" but really you can think of it as "what am I going to feel subconsciously about myself while doing a video game".
Hypotheticals follow.
I buy an expensive card. I see a ray traced reflection. I go "oh wow that's so cool I'm so happy I sprung for the extra dollars card". It makes me happy every time I see one. I feel good about the money I spent.
I buy an expensive card. I see a ray traced reflection. I go "I seriously paid X-hundred extra dollars for this? Money was tight. I'd rather have spent it on...". I feel bad about the money I spent.
I buy a mid-range card. My games run good. I go "I was smart and wise to radical centrist this, I have the best of both worlds because I am enjoying this game without unnecessary non-critical flash". I am happy about the money I spent and the money I saved.
I buy a mid-range card. Some game is very choppy. I go "Oh no, if I had spent X hundred more dollars maybe I would be able to enjoy this $60 game that everyone else likes, but it feels not great to play" I am sad about the money I spent and regret the money I saved.
I buy a low-range card. I have to run stuff on the lowest setting, but I knew that I would and I am a savvy consumer for doing away with unnecessary frills.
I buy a low-range card. I feel bad that I couldn't afford a fancy one and long for what I am missing.
Hypotheticals end.
Like, we can opine about video cards all day, the net result of buying a newer one is, as long as it works, you're gonna be gaming and it's gonna be a measurably better experience than you're currently having. What do you think you're going to be giving yourself shit about in the long run?
I saved and bought the fanciest shiniest card I couldn't afford. This is true but not recent. I love it. Games played incredibly on it. They still play incredibly on it even though it's generations old (or so I tell myself regularly, though they genuinely feel like they do to me). It's like a fancy wine. There is some part of the brain that is going to tell me "yes this $30 wine is vastly superior to that $10 wine i had yesterday" even if they were literally the same fluid. At some price point, that part of the brain will lose out to a resentful part of my brain, and the dominant voice in my head becomes "pfft, that shit's literally the same, anyone who would spend that is an idiot and I am smart for not doing that". That's how I'm built, I hear those voices all the time.
Idk, I guess the whole point i was trying to make is that regardless of what you choose, you're gonna buyers remorse or confirmation bias yourself one way or the other about the purchase afterward. Any thoughts on which way you're more likely to head?
Confirmation bias
Buyers remorse