Radeon RX 9060 XT is recommended. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=RX+9060+XT&t=t=7649-20

Honestly, 8GB is basically a dead end at this point, which is why I've been eyeing the ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7800 XT 16GB instead. It fits right around that 480 dollar mark and that extra VRAM headroom makes a massive difference for 1440p textures. I had issues with frame pacing on my old card during recent releases, so this one feels way more stable. If you are willing to check the used market, you might even snag an EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 12GB GDDR6X for under 450 bucks, which still crushes most modern titles despite being a bit dated. Just make sure to run your results through the TechPowerUp GPU database or check HardwareUnboxed benchmarks before pulling the trigger, since it helps avoid performance traps. It is pretty disappointing we are still debating VRAM in 2025, but this is where we are at. Let me know if you need help finding specific benchmarks for your favorite games, happy to dig those up for you.

Yep been there done that. Can confirm everything said above is spot on.

Building on the earlier suggestion, unfortunately the mid-range scene in 2025 is kind of a mess for us budget hunters. Ngl I expected prices to drop more by now but Nvidia is still being stingy with the VRAM on anything under 500 dollars. It really sucks cause 8GB just doesnt cut it for 1440p anymore if you want high textures. I had issues with my last card stuttering like crazy in newer titles... basically a slide show. Honestly, your best bet for pure value is probably the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7900 GRE 16GB if you can find it on sale, or even the XFX Speedster QICK319 Radeon RX 7800 XT 16GB if you want to save a bit more cash. You really need that extra memory buffer for modern optimization... or lack thereof lol. Stick to AMD for this price bracket imo, since the green team cards in this range are usually gimped by narrow bus widths which just isnt as good as expected for high res gaming.

Waiting for RTX 5060.