GPU and PSU upgrade

[U2725QE]

I’m considering upgrading my GPU to support 4K at 120 Hz, but my current HDMI doesn’t support that  refresh rate. Price-wise, I’m deciding between the Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 6400 (4GB GDDR6, PCIe 4.0, HDMI 2.1) for around $220, and the ASUS Dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (6GB GDDR6, PCIe 4.0, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a) for about $190. The RTX 3050 would also require upgrading my PSU, which would cost an additional $55–70 on eBay, making the total cost slightly higher. I don’t use the system for gaming — it’s primarily for long hours of reading and working with reading and typing . Given that, is it worth upgrading both the PSU and GPU for long-term use, or would the RX 6400 be sufficient for my needs?

[NonSequitur777]

@U2725QE,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

For a non-gaming use case focused on 4K@120Hz support for reading, writing, and general productivity, the Sapphire Pulse RX 6400 is the better fit, and here’s why:

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Key Comparison: RX 6400 vs. RTX 3050 (6GB):

Feature                      RX 6400                              RTX 3050 (6GB)

Price	~$220	~$190 + ~$65 PSU upgrade
Power Draw	~53W	~115W+ (requires 6-pin PSU cable)
PSU Requirement	No upgrade needed	PSU upgrade likely (300W+ recommended)
Ports	HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a	HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a
Gaming	Entry-level (light only)	Mid-range 1080p
4K@120Hz Output	✅HDMI 2.1 capable	✅HDMI 2.1 capable
Noise & Heat	Very quiet, low heat	Louder and hotter under load
Form Factor	Often single-slot, compact	Dual-slot, bulkier

Conclusion:

• The RX 6400 is the smarter and simpler upgrade for your use case. It:

  • Supports HDMI 2.1, so it can handle 4K@120Hz.

  • Doesn’t require a PSU upgrade (draws power from the PCIe slot only).

  • Runs cool and quiet, ideal for long hours of reading/writing.

  • Offers hardware decoding for AV1, VP9, H.265, etc., if you watch 4K video.

• The RTX 3050 is overkill if you're not gaming or doing GPU-accelerated workloads, and adds unnecessary power, cost, and complexity.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[U2725QE]

Thank you very much for your input, I truly appreciate it. I have another question regarding the following two graphics cards. Is there any significant difference between them, or are they essentially the same?

• Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 6400 Graphics Card GDDR6 1080 FHD 4GB PCIe 4.0 HDMI Video Card

• ASRock AMD Radeon RX 6400 Challenger ITX 4GB GDDR6 0dB Silent Cooling 16 Gbps Graphics Card 8K 64bit 7680 x 4320 HDMI DisplayPort PCI Express 4.0

[NonSequitur777]

@U2725QE,

Looking at both product specifications, for all intents and purposes, they are essentially the same card.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777