AMD Radeon is my suggestion if you are even the slightest technically inclined. AMD is cheaper plus some manufacturers still make older GPU's brand new at decent prices.

MSI has that Nvidia RTX 4070Ti for $800 in the states which is a $200 increase from the sales drop last year (MSI branding - new).

For whatever it is, read reviews, refurbs are better than buying privately, watch out for custom modified GPU's - don't get beat.

MSI is the way to go most times with refurbs but again, MSI still has a backlog of brand new older GPU's 40-series never 30-series those are off the market and high priced through scalpers.

Personally, I would go with a nice brand new AMD RX for two beans more or so ($350). Amazon UK seems to be good for AMD RX but local shops could be better. There is a UK version of PCPartPicker with shops that are more local:

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/

And also this, not so well known, parts picker website for the UK:

https://pc-builder.io/

I would give you my old (OG Classic) EVGA GTX 750Ti Super for free.

Just be wary of eBay, although some people are nice and legit, selling old pristine, not destroyed, gear. I got an awesome deal on studio equipment for $500 that would have retailed for $3,500 on there so there are steal deals, just watch your six and read reviews.

You do not want a GPU that someone attempted, and failed, to water block or some type of mining GPU.

If you were my mate, I would throw you a couple beans for this mission but I am an oddball and not a normal "human being".

Maybe look for GTX 1070 or GTX 1660 Super / Ti.
RX 6600.

if the cpu has an igpu, and board has dp/hdmi/dvi/vga port you can use that in case of emergency

else a 1030-1050ti should be under £150

or check craigslist or ebay for openbox/used and working
be sure to pay with paypal so you can get your money back if it doesnt work

if buying from a store you can return/exchange much easier

im talking about buying from randos on ebay/craigslist where you can easily do paypal chargeback

I second the RX 6600

Originally posted by _I_:

if the cpu has an igpu, and board has dp/hdmi/dvi/vga port you can use that in case of emergency

else a 1030-1050ti should be under £150

or check craigslist or ebay for openbox/used and working
be sure to pay with paypal so you can get your money back if it doesnt work

uh whoever is asking for over £50 for such old and low end cards like gt1030 and 1050ti has to be really greedy
Even during the pandemic and gpu shortage you could find gtx 970 and 1050ti for just over £100 and now 5 yrs later you should be able to find those low end crap for under £50

at £100-150 you should expect at least a rtx 3060 12GB

thanks for the replies, dont want to spend a lot but as a temporary option and its always good to have a backup gpu, there a few second hand shops here in the uk that sell gpu and offer returns, one place has a 5 year warranty if something goes wrong but they are more expensive than taking a risk on private seller on well know websites, i can get a 1070 for about £90 or 1070ti £100 but they are selling a 2060 for £220 but another place is selling it for £125.

I just bought a new 5060 but considered buying a cheaper used one before.
Look for a 1070ti, 1080ti, RX7600, RTC 6650XT, 1660super or whatnot.
You posting in £ leads me to believe you are in the UK, so that's probably going to be your market.
Used GPUs vary wildly in price and sometimes people, like we say over here, "want the money and the goods too" as they ask pretty much the price of a new one.
From my local (and internet experience) most used "shops" just don't make sense to buy at. When you are asking over 75% of the price of a new one, it makes no sense. Obviously there is the risk of failure with no warranty, but I guess you factored that in.
Use a benchmark website to see how good the models can be. It's theoretical but also a good guide if, like me, you don't know all the tiers and variants.
Just try to pick a decent model from a decent brand. It's never 100% but brands like MSI, ASUS and whatnot are probably more reliable. Sapphire are said to be pretty reliable (don't take my word for it).
I used https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/ to look at some of the benchmarks and pick a model within "range". I ended up choosing to get a new MSI RTX 5060 and don't regret it. Pretty decent price of 319 euros at a local shop. I was looking at about half the price for a lot less performance on a used GPU with no warranty. But even though it was way over my initial budget, I had money to buy it without getting myself in a pinch. I just didn't want to spend much. But mostly I guess I just couldn't live without the warranty bit.
One final note. Depending on you computer skills and timeline for a future upgrade, consider getting a GPU in the same "ecosystem" (AMD, NVIDIA...) if you already have a possible future goal. It's not a huge deal but might make the future swap easier.
Good luck.

Originally posted by Bryan999:

thanks for the replies, dont want to spend a lot but as a temporary option and its always good to have a backup gpu, there a few second hand shops here in the uk that sell gpu and offer returns, one place has a 5 year warranty if something goes wrong but they are more expensive than taking a risk on private seller on well know websites, i can get a 1070 for about £90 or 1070ti £100 but they are selling a 2060 for £220 but another place is selling it for £125.

Use this comparison to have a general view:

https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-RTX-2060-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1070-Ti/4034vs3943

Since you're from the UK give CEX a try. They test their second hand cards and give you a 12 month warranty.

Originally posted by Obsessive Power:

Since you're from the UK give CEX a try. They test their second hand cards and give you a 12 month warranty.

They have someo 3050 at 115 pounds. Actually good price considering the warranty.
But I had some 1070ti or 1080 cheaper (with no warranty). That's the trade-off, I guess.

Originally posted by ChickenBalls:

Originally posted by _I_:

if the cpu has an igpu, and board has dp/hdmi/dvi/vga port you can use that in case of emergency

else a 1030-1050ti should be under £150

or check craigslist or ebay for openbox/used and working
be sure to pay with paypal so you can get your money back if it doesnt work

uh whoever is asking for over £50 for such old and low end cards like gt1030 and 1050ti has to be really greedy
Even during the pandemic and gpu shortage you could find gtx 970 and 1050ti for just over £100 and now 5 yrs later you should be able to find those low end crap for under £50

at £100-150 you should expect at least a rtx 3060 12GB

for a new dedicated gpu under £150 there are not many options
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#P=4294967296,51539607552&X=0,15288&sort=price&page=1
best there is a 6500xt for £97
unless someone wants to complain that a 1630 or 1050ti are better

Originally posted by _I_:

Originally posted by ChickenBalls:

uh whoever is asking for over £50 for such old and low end cards like gt1030 and 1050ti has to be really greedy
Even during the pandemic and gpu shortage you could find gtx 970 and 1050ti for just over £100 and now 5 yrs later you should be able to find those low end crap for under £50

at £100-150 you should expect at least a rtx 3060 12GB

for a new dedicated gpu under £150 there are not many options
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#P=4294967296,51539607552&X=0,15288&sort=price&page=1
best there is a 6500xt for £97
unless someone wants to complain that a 1630 or 1050ti are better

the OP specifically said hes looking for used
you can find something better than 1050ti or 6500xt for 100-150 pounds or euros

some stores sell older stock at reduced or discounted prices to make room for newer products

better than buying used if you dont need a newer higher end gpu

some stores sell used gpus
microcenter often has many used from people that use the warranty for upgrading them
return gpu for full price - warranty, toward new gpu + its warranty price
they test and sell it as open box, most with under a year of use
https://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?fq=category:Graphics+Cards|518,Valuable+Links:Open+Box&sortby=pricelow
select store to see whats available

gt 1030 new is $80-90, open box is ~$65, and you can get it with a warranty

Originally posted by ChickenBalls:

Originally posted by _I_:

for a new dedicated gpu under £150 there are not many options
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#P=4294967296,51539607552&X=0,15288&sort=price&page=1
best there is a 6500xt for £97
unless someone wants to complain that a 1630 or 1050ti are better

the OP specifically said hes looking for used
you can find something better than 1050ti or 6500xt for 100-150 pounds or euros

Don’t forget that we’re talking about the notorious @_I_, a user who doesnt really care what others think, say, or ask. He tends to give the opposite of the advice you’re looking for while keeping his doesn’t-give-a-damn attitude. Some users on this hardware forum can make others look bad, even when they’re genuinely trying to help. Unfortunately, the only real solution is to ignore him, which is a shame.

At least there are users like you who call out his nonsense every day.

@Bryan999
If you’re looking for a used GPU in the UK for £50–£150, a used RTX 3060 Ti or Radeon RX 6700 XT would be solid choices. Both offer good performance for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The 3060 Ti might be a bit pricey even second-hand, but deals can be found. For cheaper temporary options, cards like the RTX 3050 Ti could work. When buying used, make sure to check the seller’s ratings, ask for proof that the card works, and check for any physical damage.