AMD Radeon RX 5700 Buyer's Guide
Positioning and generation
The AMD Radeon RX 5700 is a desktop graphics card from the RDNA 1 generation. In our GPU hierarchy it sits in the Entry Gaming band, which suits buyers who want to play mainstream esports titles and mid-range single-player games on a limited budget.
By today's standards this is no longer a current generation, but for games whose official recommended requirements it clears, it remains a usable choice. The key question is whether it reliably meets the official recommended tier for the games you want to play, not the generation number on the box.
Key specs explained
The card carries 8 GB of GDDR6 video memory on a 256-bit memory bus. For most 1080p games, 8 GB is generally enough, but in newer big-budget titles with high texture settings the capacity can run tight, which shows up as texture pop-in or forced quality reductions. The 256-bit bus gives it reasonable memory bandwidth headroom for games run at moderate resolution and settings.
On features, it supports AMD FSR upscaling, which renders the image at a lower internal resolution and scales it up to your display, a practical way to gain smoothness. It does not support ray tracing and has no NVIDIA DLSS, so if ray-traced lighting matters to you, this card will feel limiting.
Suitable games and resolutions
In our coverage counts, based on official requirements, the card produces a result for 419 of the 439 catalogue games that list requirements. Of those, 105 meet the official recommended requirements, 237 are well above the recommended tier, and 73 only meet the minimum. Four games fall below the official minimum: Gothic 1 Remake, Windrose, METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER and DOOM: The Dark Ages.
Titles such as Big Ambitions, Paralives and Forza Horizon 6 meet the recommended tier, so the card handles them comfortably. Games like Palworld and Scrap Mechanic only reach the minimum tier, so you should expect to run them at low to medium settings. For resolution, 1080p is the sensible target. Pushing to 1440p means accepting reduced quality settings in more demanding games.
Compared with similar hardware
In tier position, the RX 5700 sits close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 and Intel Arc A580, all in the entry gaming and lower mid-range area. Its 8 GB of video memory and FSR support give it its own niche within that band.
Above it, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 12GB sit a step higher. The RTX 2060 12GB has more video memory but differs in ray tracing and DLSS support. Below it, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB sits slightly lower and has less memory. These comparisons only describe tier position; your real choice should depend on the games you play and your budget.
Buying new or used
If you buy new, check that your power supply's wattage and connectors are adequate, and that they match the card's power requirements. Measure your case to confirm the card length and cooler height will fit. New cards usually come with manufacturer warranty, so keep your receipt and warranty documents.
If you consider a used card, the most important question is whether it was used for cryptocurrency mining. Long periods under heavy load wear out fans and thermal paste, which affects cooling and lifespan. Before buying, ask the seller about usage history, listen for fan noise and check the heatsink for dust. Prefer sellers with a return policy and inspect the card and its connectors for visible damage.
Upgrade advice
If most of your games already meet their recommended requirements, an upgrade is not necessarily needed today. It becomes more worthwhile when you want to play at 1440p or push visual settings higher. Worth considering are the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, the Intel Arc A770 16GB and the AMD Radeon RX 7600, which are all clearly faster and from the same or a newer generation.
When upgrading the graphics card, also check that your CPU and memory keep pace. An older processor limits how much a faster card can deliver, so evaluate the CPU and RAM together to keep the whole system balanced.
