I went through this last year!

- My Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 6600 8GB GDDR6 gets 200+ FPS.

Comp games barely use VRAM, so dont overpay for it. Good luck!

Respectfully, I'd consider another option because those 1% lows reallyyy matter for a competitive edge! Honestly, the base 6600 might dip in Apex, so definitely check these:

* XFX Speedster SWFT 210 Radeon RX 6650 XT 8GB GDDR6
* Used EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB GDDR6

Basically, that raw speed is way more important than VRAM for ur 144Hz goal tho! gl!

I’ve been deep-diving into the budget market recently - basically trying to see where the best value actually sits for my own secondary rig. I looked at the market from a few brand perspectives and honestly, it’s a weird time for the $250 bracket. Here’s what I noticed during my research journey: - Intel Arc A750 8GB GDDR6 - I was skeptical about "Team Blue" at first, but for the price, the hardware is way beefier than the plasticky budget AMD stuff. The drivers have come a long way for modern titles like CS2 and Valorant.
- ASRock Phantom Gaming Radeon RX 7600 8GB GDDR6 - This felt like the most balanced "current gen" option during my testing. It’s basically the refined version of the older 6000 series with better encoding for things like clipping your matches without a performance hit.
- Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 Windforce OC 8GB GDDR6 - I tracked these for a while and while they're often near $300, open-box deals bring them close to $250. The power efficiency is wild, but you're definitely paying an Nvidia "premium" that doesn't always translate to more FPS in comp titles. It really came down to choosing between raw value or better software features. What did you end up going with?

Comp games are superrr light on VRAM, so 12GB is overkill. For your situation, the ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6600 8GB works well and hits 144fps no problem tho!!

Been thinking about your build for a few hours and honestly, I always lean towards reliability when spending my own cash. Over the years, I've tried many different setups and found that stability is worth a few extra bucks. For your $250 limit, here are two solid paths I’d take:

• XFX Speedster SWFT 210 Radeon RX 7600 8GB GDDR6: This is basically the go-to for new cards right now. The driver support for the 7000 series is getting really polished lately. It’ll smash through Valorant and CS2 way above 144fps without breaking a sweat, and it stays cool.
• MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 12GB GDDR6: Even though people say 12GB is overkill for comp games, Nvidias driver stability is just rock solid. In my experience, having that extra memory buffer means you dont have to worry about background apps or dual monitors stuttering your game. If you're worried about longevity, just make sure you have decent airflow in your case. Let me know if you need help looking at specific listings or brands, I dont mind checking them out for you!

Basically I totally agree that focusing on raw throughput and those 1% lows is way more important than just looking at the VRAM buffer for these specific titles. If youre going the DIY route with a budget or used card though, you really gotta be careful about the thermal assembly and how the previous owner (or even the factory) handled the mounting pressure. Here’s a few things to watch out for if you're doing the self-service thing:
- Factory thermal paste: On these cheaper budget shrouds, the stuff they use dries out fast. If you see high hotspot deltas, you'll probably need to repaste it yourself to avoid throttling.
- VRM cooling: Some budget models have terrible contact on the voltage regulators. Idk why brands skip this, but it kills longevity.
- Coil whine: High-refresh competitive gaming pushes high frame rates which can make cheap inductors scream. Honestly, dont waste money on those professional "optimization" services you see advertised. You can handle the undervolting and P-state tuning yourself with a bit of research. Just keep an eye on your junction temps because that’s usually where the real performance bottleneck sits in a DIY build.