Best GPU for Ryzen 5 5600X in 2025 – our top picks

The Ryzen 5 5600X is truly one of the best value-for-money gaming processors you can buy. In our 5600X review, the CPU earned a 4.5/5 rating for its incredible price-to-performance ratio and power efficiency. However, to fully utilize its gaming capabilities, you need a compatible graphics card.

So, to help you out, we did the research and put together this guide that lists multiple options available on the market. You’ll find their reviews, which we wrote after thoroughly testing them, specifications, details, and pros and cons in this guide. So, whether you’re building a gaming setup or a content creation rig, this guide will help you make an informed decision.

Products at a glance

How we picked

We researched the market and found various options from Nvidia and AMD. We filtered those options based on their price, compatibility, performance, and other features, such as DLSS and FSR. 

In addition, we also conduct rigorous in-house testing of the cards. This gives us insight into how they’ll perform across various scenarios, whether in gaming or professional tasks. We’re always updating our list with the latest information, so if there are better pairings than these, we’ll be sure to update them, so check back with us. If you’re interested in learning about our testing process, head over to the PC Guide Testing lab for more details.

Our top picks

We chose this graphics card as our top pick because, in our RTX 3070 review, it achieved excellent gaming results, and its synthetic performance was neck and neck with the RTX 4070 in Fire Strike Ultra.

To start with, the RTX 3070 is built on NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture, which is last-gen. It comes with 5,888 CUDA cores, which are the units responsible for processing your game’s graphics. With this number of cores, you can expect smooth visuals while gaming. 

Further, the card is forged on Samsung’s 8nm processor with a base clock speed of 1,500 MHz and a boost clock of up to 1,750 Mhz for 14 Gbps effective memory. However, for this list, we have selected the Asus Dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 V2 OC, which comes with slightly higher speeds of 1,770 MHz and 1800 MHz. 

This means that the 5,888 cores are running at higher clock speeds, resulting in better real-world and synthetic performance. That said, you can also overclock your GPU to increase these frequencies further, but that will also increase the GPU thermal output along with its performance. In this case, we recommend installing robust cooling solutions like 140mm case fans to ensure effective heat dissipation.

As far as memory configuration is concerned, you get 8GB GDDR6 VRAM on a 256-bit memory bus. Now, while 8GB VRAM may not sound like a lot, it’s a decent number to get good performance for 1080p and 1440p gaming. On top of that, the 256-bit memory bus should ensure a bottleneck-free experience, as the data should have enough lanes to travel to and from the GPU.

Regarding the cooling setup, the GPU features two Axial-tech fans with long blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure. It also has a stop mode, which halts the fans when the card’s temperature falls below 50 degrees.

As for in-game performance, the RTX 3070 still delivers a solid gaming experience. We tested the card on Cyberpunk 2077 at ultra settings (with DLSS disabled). On average, the card managed to deliver 98 FPS at 1080p and 62 FPS at 1440p, which are solid numbers. However, the card struggled at 4K and could only deliver 27 FPS. 

If you want to use NVIDIA’s Ray Tracing and get this card at a discount, then you can grab it. You can expect it to deliver solid 1080p and 1440p gaming performance. However, if you’re looking to game in 4K, then you might want to consider the RTX 4070 cards.

What users say

On Amazon, the Asus Dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 V2 has a 4.7-star rating, and it has been reviewed by over 350 people. Most users were satisfied with the performance and quality of the product. A user review says, “This gpu has been a very good choice of mine. It is a dual OC gpu that fits alot of smaller cases, consumes a good amount of power in a good way and performs very well.” However, people had mixed opinions about the noise of the cooling fans. A few users mentioned that the fans were noisy when the GPU was pushed hard.

If you prefer an AMD card for your build, the RX 7600 XT is a good choice. This card is meant for 1080p gaming, which, considering the specs, it can accomplish very well. However, in our AMD RX 7600 XT review, we found out that it also performs well when it comes to 1440p gaming. 

To start with, the AMD RX 7600 XT packs in double the memory pool of its predecessor for a competitive rate. The GPU comes with 16GB GDDR6 VRAM and sports a 128-bit memory interface, which, as you can imagine, speeds up performance. 

Further, the GPU delivers a base clock speed of 2,539 MHz and a boost clock speed of 2,810 MHz, which is slightly faster than the original AMD card. 

For this list, we have selected the GIGABYTE Radeon RX 7600 XT Gaming OC GPU, which has a 3x fan cooling system. Much like the name suggests, the GPU comes with three fans, which should deliver effective cooling when the card is under load. Plus, as these fans have RGB lights on them, it adds to the “gamer” aesthetic. 

To be more specific, we found that the RX 7600 XT was strongest in Full HD, which achieved 60fps or higher in the majority of cases when gaming natively. Naturally, as with the likes of the RTX 4060, you’ll want to engage FSR and Fluid Motion Frames (frame generation) where possible for the much-needed FPS boost. 

We found this card was easily able to chew through The Finals, Doom Eternal, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage without issue, but your mileage may vary if trying to dial brand-new releases up to the max. Considering the sub-$350 price tag, though, there’s a lot to like here.

What users say

On Amazon, the GIGABYTE Radeon RX 7600 XT Gaming OC GPU has 4.7 stars. Most users were satisfied with the performance and quality of the product. “Overall the 7600XT is working pretty will. And the Gigabyte logo make a fine touch to my PC,” said one of the product reviews. However, a few users mentioned that they though that 6700 XT offered better value. 

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SPARKLE Intel Arc B580 TITAN OC

Hands-on Review

4.5 /5

Editor’s Rating

How We Review

Specifications

• GPU: BGM-G21
• Shading units: 2,560
• VRAM: 12GB GDDR6
• Memory bus width: 192-bit
• Bandwidth: 456GB/s
• Base/Boost clock speed: 2,670/2,740 MHz

Reasons to Buy

• Plenty of VRAM in comparison to the competition
• HDMI 2.1 and DP 2.1 are available
• Great price to performance

Reasons to Avoid

• Only Gen 4 x8 PCIe – may be an issue for older motherboards
• Slightly more expensive than reference card
• Still occasional troubles in older games specifically

• Shop on Amazon
• Shop on Newegg
• Shop on Overclockers

It seems that Intel has made a blazing comeback, and its Arc B580 GPU offers value leagues above the competition, such as the RTX 4060 and the RX 7600 XT. We tested and reviewed it in-house and were pleased with the performance it showcased in gaming and synthetic benchmarks. It also got a 4.5/5 rating from us, and it should pair perfectly with the Ryzen 5 5600X for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

This graphics card has 20 Xe cores with 2,560 shading units. Its base and boost clock speeds are 1,700 MHz and 2,740 MHz, respectively. This means it packs enough under the hood to easily handle gaming at 1080p and 1440p, and during our testing, we saw that it could even push playable framerates at 4K in some titles.

That being said, the variant that we reviewed is the Sparkle Intel Arc B580 Titan OC, which has higher clock speeds than the reference card and can be taken up to 2,800 MHz, but it’ll take its TDP to 210W, according to Sparkle. It measures 315 x 117 x 44mm, making it a big card, which isn’t surprising given its triple-fan design and features a completely blue look that we’re familiar with Intel packaging.

This GPU’s neat factor is that it comes with a GPU holder, which helps eliminate GPU sag and doesn’t stress the PCIe slot. That being said, it features 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM with a 192-bit memory bus width, which is great as more VRAM on a budget was AMD’s domain, but Intel seems to have targeted a good spot with this graphics card.

Regarding its performance, we paired it with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and used the ASUS ProArt X670E-Creator WiFi motherboard. Before we tell you the results of the gaming tests, keep in mind that we test the GPUs natively, meaning XeSS and Frame Generation weren’t used to give it a helping hand.

We’ll start with Cyberpunk 2077, as it is one of the most demanding titles. In 1080p and 1440p, it managed 94 and 62 FPS, while the RTX 4060 delivered 80 and 47 FPS. With Ray Tracing enabled, the framerates dropped, but the B580 gave us 38 and 35 FPS, while the RTX 4060 saw a more dramatic decrease with 24 and 20 FPS in FHD and QHD, respectively.

Next, we ran Indiana Jones: The Great Circle, which gave even the toughest GPUs a hard time upon launch, but the B580 managed 74 FPS at 1080p medium settings, and the RTX 4060 delivered 94 FPS. Doom Eternal saw 225, 166, and 90 FPS in 1080p, 1440p, and 4K from B580 and 198 and 150 FPS from 4060 in FHD and QHD.

The reason we couldn’t run Doom Eternal at 4K with the RTX 4060 is that 8GB of VRAM wasn’t enough and this is where the 12GB RAM of the B580 really shined through. Overall, it also have better performance than the RTX 4060 in 3DMark tests such as Fire Strike Ultra and Time Spy Extreme, making it a better card to opt for, especially given its much lower price tag.

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ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 Super OC Edition

Hands-on Review

4 /5

Editor’s Rating

How We Review

Specifications

• GPU: AD104
• CUDA cores: 7,168
• VRAM: 12GB GDDR6X
• Bandwidth: 504 GB/s
• Memory bus width: 192-bit
• Boost clock speed: 2595 MHz

What We Think

If you want the latest NVIDIA architecture (Ada Lovelace) with the current-gen Ray Tracing and DLSS, then the RTX 4070 Super is a good investment- especially if you want to future-proof your build.

Reasons to Buy

•  Powerful 1440p performance
•  DLSS 3 Frame Generation
•  Competitively priced

Reasons to Avoid

• Still expensive for a mid-range GPU

• Shop on Amazon
• Shop on Best Buy
• Shop on NewEgg

If you want a GPU that performs well without draining your bank balance, then we think that the RTX 4070 Super is a great choice. In our testing, we found this card excelled across the board in both 1080p and 1440p, even doing well enough in 4K if you can utilize DLSS 3 Frame Generation. For more details, read our dedicated RTX 4070 Super review.

The video card features 20% more CUDA cores than its predecessor, the RTX 4070, with no price increase, meaning it can do a lot more without costing you anything extra. To be more specific, the GPU comes with a total of 7,168 CUDA cores, which is quite a jump from the base RTX 4070 card.

Further, the RTX 4070 Super has a base clock speed of 1,980 MHz and a boost clock speed of 2,480 MHz. However, the variant we have selected for this list, the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Super OC, raises those numbers to 2565 MHz (Default mode) and 2595 MHz (OC mode). So, the performance is comparatively better than the base card, which raises the price, but ASUS cards generally do go for a high price.

Coming to memory configuration, the graphics card offers 12GB GDDR6X VRAM on a 192-bit memory bus, which is the same as the base card. With a 12GB VRAM, you can expect the GPU to process high-resolution textures smoothly. So, feel free to crank up your in-game settings without worrying about running out of memory or having to tone down another in-game setting.

To give you a bit more insight, we found this card was especially impressive in more well-optimized games such as Doom Eternal, The Finals, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Framerates above 100fps were common in Full HD and Quad HD, and 4K60 was possible more often than not, with a couple of expectations. Considering the price point, we think this GPU is a stellar buy.

What users say

On Amazon, the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Super OC GPU has a rating of 4.7 stars, and over 500 people have reviewed it. Most reviews mentioned that the GPU delivers great performance, has good build quality, and efficient cooling. 

One of the reviews sums it up as “THIS 4070 Super from ASUS is also more reliable in MY opinion because ASUS uses much better quality chips/capacitors/etc. which also, admittedly, makes them somewhat more expensive. Far more reliable in all my builds than most other brands.”

However, a few reviewers thought that the card was quite pricey.

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AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

Hands-on Review

4.5 /5

Editor’s Rating

How We Review

Specifications

• GPU: Navi 32
• Stream Processors: 3,840
• VRAM: 16 GDDR6
• Memory bus width: 256-bit
• Bandwidth: 624.1 GB/sec
• Base clock speed: 1,295 MHz

Reasons to Buy

• It has excellent 1440p performance
• It can push 4K
• Better performance to value ration than RTX 4070 Super

Reasons to Avoid

• It isn’t the best card for creative purposes
• It doesn’t have as good Ray Tracing results as Nvidia cards

• Shop on Amazon
• Shop on Newegg
• Shop on Best Buy

You might be surprised by this selection and think that this card is too powerful for the 5600X, but these components combined should deliver excellent in-game results at 1440p. We can say this with certainty, as during the testing for our RX 7800XT review, it managed to churn out decent frame rates in demanding games and had a decent performance in synthetic benchmarks as well.

That level of performance is courtesy of its 3,840 stream processors, a game frequency of 2,141 MHz, a boost frequency of 2,430 MHz, and 60 Ray Accelerators. If you’re wondering what these specifications mean, it means that it packs plenty of hardware under the hood to handle any title you throw its way without worrying about performance degradation.

Combined with the processing power of the 5600X, it should be able to churn out excellent frames at 1440p, and AMD even labeled it as the “Ultimate 1440p card”. On top of that, it has 16 GB of GDDR6 VRAM with a 256-bit memory interface. What this means is that you should be able to crank up the in-game visuals without running out of memory or turning down other graphics settings.

The card we got our hands on was AMD’s reference model, and it measures 10.5 x 4.4 x 2 inches (LxWxH). However, depending on the third-party manufacturer, these dimensions could be bigger or smaller if they choose a low-profile or triple-fan design. So, you might need to invest in a larger PC case to accommodate it comfortably.

This is important because if the GPU is cramped, the airflow could get restricted, meaning it could overheat and thermal throttle, which will reduce its performance. So, we recommend opting for the best full tower PC case combined with powerful 140mm case fans to ensure adequate cross ventilation to keep your components and GPU running cool.

Regarding its performance, we loaded up various titles to see how it would fare. In Cyberpunk 2077, it managed 140, 91, and 39 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolution with ultra settings. On the other hand, well-optimized titles like Doom Eternal managed 362, 280, and 153 FPS in the same three resolutions. That said, with Ray Tracing enabled, the FPS dropped but still remained very much playable with 237, 173, and 95 FPS.

So, depending on the title, you can even play games at UHD resolution, and these tests were done natively, so you can even use FSR to boost the in-game FPS further.

Overall, the RX 7800XT is an excellent graphics card to pair with the Ryzen 5 5600X. It costs less than Nvidia alternatives and has excellent in-game performance, as we saw during our in-house testing.

What users say

According to Amazon reviews, this is an excellent card as it has great performance and doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket. One reviewer said: “My review it plays any game out . All the games i play i max out all the setting in the game and it still get the same FPS. I am not a card tuning expert i left it all in the default mode works well.”

How to pick the best GPU for Ryzen 5 5600X

If you want to get the best gaming performance out of your AMD Ryzen PC, there are a few extra things you need to consider. 

Clock speed

High-refresh-rate gaming is going to be beholden to the chipset’s clock speed, whether that be its base frequency or the boost clock. Unlike newer chips, the 5600X doesn’t quite excel to far-flung frequencies with its 4.6 GHz max boost, and the base clock speed of 3.7 GHz is a far cry from today’s processors in 2024. However, it remains an excellent value for budget-conscious gamers who are still on the AM4 socket and a top choice for one of the mid-range or high-end video card configurations featured in our roundup.

VRAM and memory bus

Enthusiasts are likely going to benefit from a GPU with additional VRAM and a larger memory bus for bigger bandwidth, but with the understanding that the CPU could be the bottleneck in this respect. For this reason, we think that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super is the ideal choice to pair with the card over a higher-end RDNA 3 equivalent such as the RTX 7900 XTX. That’s for those who want top-tier performance in 1440p.

However, we would be leaving out those on a tight budget who want to enjoy AAA gaming without gutting their machines. That’s where the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT and 6700 XT fill the gap well in the mainstream to mid-range space, for which Nvidia doesn’t have too many options. It comes down to the larger memory pools of GDDR6 memory, with larger memory buses at a more affordable price bolstered by FSR where appropriate.

Power consumption

The Ryzen 5 5600X is not a power-hungry processor. In fact, with its 65W TDP and bundled cooler, you don’t have to invest money on any additional cooling like an AIO. With that in mind, we selected graphics cards that are also power-efficient and won’t require a major power supply upgrade that will cost you an arm and a leg.

Advanced features

Other than the above specs, you should look for advanced features like AMD FSR or NVIDIA’s DLSS to further enhance your gaming experience. You can also look for ray tracing, which improves visual immersion. Newer GPUs, like the RTX 40-series offer an improved version of these technologies like DLSS 3.

Is the Ryzen 5 5600X good for gaming?

Despite its age, the Ryzen 5 5600X remains a solid CPU for gaming even in 2024 thanks to its 6 cores and 12 threads, which means it’s perfectly able to do 1080p and 1440p gaming with little risk of bottlenecking.