Intel has recently launched their 12th gen CPUs and takes the competition to AMDs door. It is safe to say that Intel is back on its feet and giving the Ryzen 5000 series a tough time. However, AMD is yet to release their new lineup that will compete with the Intel 12th gen CPUs and will soon launch their Ryzen 6000 series of CPUs with 3D V-Cache. There are people with multiple budgets, but the majority fall around the medium-budget section. If you have a Ryzen 5 2600 installed in your system and are looking for a new GPU that will not hold it back, you are at the right place. I have put a lot of research and testing then came up with this article that will help you choose the right GPU for your system with ease. So, buckle up and let us get to the list of GPUs which I believe are perfect pairs for your Ryzen 5 2600.
Best GPU For Ryzen 5 2600 – Comparison Chart
A Quick Look At The Best GPU For Ryzen 5 2600:
Best GPU For Ryzen 5 2600
Getting the right GPU for your CPU can be tricky, even for people with experience, unless you are a big fan of either AMD or Nvidia. The Ryzen 5 2600 is one of the attractive options available for people that are looking for a powerful PC without spending a huge pile of money. If you are looking for the best 1080p and high refresh rate gaming, or entry-level 1440p gaming, I have some of the best GPUs in this article that are relatively easier to get during these days of GPU shortage and mind-boggling prices. Fact: The Ryzen 5 2600 is an excellent CPU for budget-friendly, compact builds with a TDP of as low as 65 watts. So, without any further ado, let us get to the article.
#1 – MSI Gaming GTX 1660 Ti Armor 6G OC
The GTX 1660 Ti Armor 6G OC is the MSI take on Nvidia’s GTX 1660 Ti. It is built on the Turing architecture, the same architecture as the RTX 2000 series GPUs minus the dedicated components for ray-tracing and DLSS.
Armor Thermal Design Ports: 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x HDMI 2.0b Boost clock: 1860 MHz Memory interface: 6 GB GDDR6 192-bit wide Card dimensions: 9.56 x 5.07 x 1.65 inch long VR-Ready: Yes Card Weight: 1184 g Power connector: 1x 8-pin
Excellent 1080p and playable 1440p gaming performance. Power efficient GPU. Compact design can easily fit in most cases. Faster out of the box than the reference card. Better performance than the GTX 1060 and rivals the GTX 1070.
The card can get hotter after running at the highest boost clock. Does not have DLSS or ray-tracing support despite having the Turing architecture.
It features dual TORX 2.0 tech fans arrangements and Armor thermal design for decent cooling. The Armor OC is relatively easier to find and can be found in stock in various web stores and retailers. If you are upgrading from GPUs like the GTX 1060 or lower, it will let you run games at ultra-settings with over 60 fps in almost all of the games. It is a perfect pair for the Ryzen 5 2600 CPU and will last a couple of years in the future. The Armor OC features a boost clock speed of up to 1860 MHz and supports up to 4 displays in total. The power consumption lies in between 130 to 150 watts during gaming, and if you have a PSU of at least 450 watts, you are good to go.
#2 – ZOTAC Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
Zotac presents their super-compact, 1080p gaming beast with their GTX 1660 Ti. It is one of the best compact GPUs that are tiny in size but are equally powerful, and in gaming, it does not let down. The GTX 1660 Ti Armor OC is a solid product by MSI that sits nicely in between the RTX 2060 and GTX 1660 Super offering an outstanding 1080p gaming experience. With a few graphical tweaks, it can provide an enjoyable 1440p gaming performance as well. If you are running a compact PC and need a GPU that can fit inside your system but still have excellent performance, look no further, the Armor OC is here for your needs. Despite having a GPU shortage, you have better luck finding this graphics card than finding any GPU from the RTX 3000 and the Radeon RX 6000 series of graphics cards.
Turing architecture Memory interface: 6 GB 192-bit GDDR6 Card dimensions: 6.83 x 4.38 x 1.39 inches Power connector: 1x 8-pin Ports: 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4 Recommended PSU: 450 watts Boost clock: up to 1770 MHz CUDA Cores: 1536
Super compact form factor, can fit in 99 percent of cases. 4K ready GPU. Brilliant 1080p and 1440p gaming performance. One of the least power-hungry choices for 1080p and 1440 gaming. Beautiful build design. Metallic backplate.
Does not support DLSS and ray-tracing due to lack of crucial RT and Tensor cores. Limited headroom for overclocking.
It features a dual-fan arrangement with a two-slot heatsink. Zotac claims that this GPU can fit in 99 percent of the systems, nothing surprising considering its dimensions. Underneath the attractive plastic shroud, we have the TU116-400-A1 GPU, which is ready to perform. It is a decent-looking GPU that can fit with the aesthetics of most systems except if you are running an all-white color scheme. It does not feature any RGB, which is a letdown for people that want RGB in their builds. Overall, it is a well-rounded product built especially for compact systems. There is one thing that you should be aware of before purchasing the GPU. It is not an ideal card for overclocking and can be prone to higher temps, especially in compact systems.
#3 – MSI Gaming RTX 2060 Ventus 6G OC
The RTX 2060 has a lot of options to choose from, and choosing the right GPU can become a headache. MSI is one of the prominent GPU manufacturers in the market and has their version of the RTX 2060 that is one of the better and popular versions of the RTX 2060. The Zotac GTX 1660 Ti is a small beast that offers quite an amazing gaming performance at 1080p resolution. It is also a decent GPU for 1440p but is not future-proof at this resolution, though if you are planning to stick with 1080p, it can last you a couple of years. Given the price differences, it lies in the middle of the RTX 2060 and GTX 1660 Super. The difference between the performance of the RTX 2060 and the GTX 1660 Ti is not that huge, making it an attractive choice for budget-oriented builds and is one of the ideal choices for the Ryzen 5 2600.
Boost clock: 1710 MHz Memory interface: 6 GB 192-bit GDDR6 Ports: 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x HDMI 2.0b MSI Afterburner Utility RT and Tensor cores for ray-tracing and DLSS MSI Predator for in-game recording Power connector: 1x 8-pin Max. digital resolution: 7680×4320
Compact design. Outstanding 1080p and 1440p gaming performance. Attractive value over older and newly launched GPUs. TORX 2.0 fans. MSI Afterburner, Predator, and Kombustor support.
Design not for everyone. Not the ideal GPU for ray-tracing enabled gaming at 1440p or higher.
It features dual TORX Fan 2.0 arrangements for cooling the GPU underneath the average plastic shroud. MSI manufactures one of the best-looking cards undoubtedly. However, this GPU is not one of them. On the back, there is a backplate which is decent to look at. It is a compact GPU and will fit in most cases without any issues. In gaming, it is one of the best GPUs for unparallel 1080p gaming at high refresh rates. With a price tag as this, it performs surprisingly well at 1440p. Lastly, it supports DLSS and ray-tracing, which gives it an edge over the GTX 16 or older series of GPUs. Making it one of the optimal choices for the Ryzen 5 2600.
#4 – ZOTAC Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Super
The GTX 1660 Super is the best option for the entry-level graphics card market. It is the recent, refreshed, and better version of the GTX 1660 at the same price while being a little shy of the GTX 1660 Ti, increasing the value of the GPU multiple times. The RTX 2060 Ventus OC is a solid graphics card that justifies its higher price tag than the preceding GPUs released for similar performance. It features the first-gen RT and Tensor cores that are ready for DLSS and ray-tracing gaming performance. The performance is not the same as the RTX 30 series of graphics cards, but it still holds its ground at a lower TDP and price. It is an excellent graphics card and can be paired with processors like the Ryzen 5 2600. Make sure that you should not pay a scalping price and does not affect your budget. After all, it is for people on a medium budget.
Curved and wide fan blades FIRESTORM utility for GPU tweaking CUDA Cores: 1408 Memory interface: 6GB 192-bit GDDR6 Ports: 3x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0 Power connector: 1x 8-pin Maximum number of displays: 4 Card dimensions: 6.83 x 4.38 x 1.39 inches
Highly economical graphics card only a few digits percent slower than the GTX 1660 Ti. Highly compact, it can fit in 99 percent of the cases. Impressive cooling performance. Low power consumption. Attractive, slick design.
No RT or Tensor cores for ray-tracing and DLSS. No backplate.
It fills the sweet spot of 1080p gaming without having to worry much about the budget. Unlike the RTX 2060, the GTX 1660 Super does not feature Turing and RT cores for ray-tracing and DLSS. It stands in between the GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1660, performance and price-wise. It has a double fan arrangement and is one of the most compact GPUs for compact systems. It checks all of the boxes, and the biggest con, that I observed is the lack of decent headroom for overclocking, which at this size makes sense. It is an excellent card altogether, and you will be more than pleased with your purchase, considering you have the Ryzen 5 2600 CPU to pair it with.
#5 – XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS XXX Edition
Moving on, we have the XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS XXX Edition graphics card. It is the XFX version of the RX 580 by AMD, making it the first AMD GPU on my list. The Radeon RX 580 is one of the most popular choices among the budget-oriented group of gamers. Sadly, we are facing one of the worst periods in the PC hardware industry where people are unable to get their hands on a decent GPU including, people with all sorts of budgets. 1080p gaming is still the favorite and the most popular gaming resolution. Ryzen 5 2600 is an excellent CPU, and Zotac GTX 1660 Super is here to take advantage of what the CPU has to offer. Monitors having high-refresh rates are more suitable for Ryzen 5 2600 and GTX 1660 Super. If you have such type of monitor, your PC is more than enough for pleasant 1080p gaming.
Memory interface: 8 GB 256-bit GDDR5 Boost clock: 1386 MHz Power connector: 1x 8-pin Recommended PSU: 550 watts Stream processors: 2304 Ports: 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort, 1x DVI-D Card dimensions: 10.63 x 4.88 x 1.57 inches Card weight: 1300 grams
Superb 1080p gaming performance. 8 GB VRAM is rare in mid-tier GPUs. Attractive backplate. Dual BIOS. Faster than the GTX 1060 and RX 480.
Higher TDP than most cards in this category. It will not sit well with many cases design wise.
What makes the RX 580 popular among the competition is its 8GB VRAM and 256-bit memory interface. It is a complete package and is highly affordable. Realistically you have better chances of getting the XFX Radeon RX 580 than anything more recent. Design-wise, it is not the best-looking graphics card and gives a cheaper GPU vibe. We do not have many choices to choose from due to the GPU shortage, and if you are getting a handsome deal on this GPU, grab it as soon as possible. Pairing it with the Ryzen 5 2600 will not have many bottlenecks, and you can always upgrade to a new GPU when the GPU shortage ends, and the pricing will normalize. Until then, the XFX Radeon RX 580 is a decent choice for solid 1080p performance.
#6 – EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti SC Black Edition
If there is any graphics card series that has left a solid impression on me is undoubtedly the GTX 1080 Ti. It was the flagship graphics card released by Nvidia and still holds its ground against the mighty GPUs, making it one of the best choices even today. The RX 580 is one of the most popular choices for mid-level budgets and is a massive upgrade for people coming from slower GPUs like the GTX 750 Ti or Radeon HD 6850, for instance. It is not a big upgrade if you are coming from something like the GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 480. For the most part, it is a decent card for 1080p and will take full advantage of the Ryzen 5 2600 CPU resources. It is a buffed RX 480 with higher power consumption and better clock speeds. Overall, it delivers what people would expect it would deliver, which is a fluid 1080p gaming experience.
Boost clock: up to 1670 MHz Memory interface: 11 GB 352-bit GDDR5x Ports: 3x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, 1x DVI-D Power connector: 1x 6-pin, 1x 8-pin Power consumption: 250 watts Recommended PSU: 600 watts CUDA Cores: 3584 Card dimensions: 10.6 x 4.66 x 2 inches
Outclass 1080p, QHD, and 4K gaming performance. 11 GB of GDDR5X memory. Sturdy backplate. Unique, compelling design. Compact size for an enthusiastic level card. Faster than the reference GPU out of the box.
Price still remains an issue at large. No RGB lighting.
Here we have the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti SC Black Edition featuring the distinguishable EVGA design and two fans arrangement having the “E” from the EVGA logo. The GP102 GPU is cooled by the EVGA’s iCX cooler, which is only 2-slot wide. The iCX does wonders here and manages to keep the temps of the GPU under 75 degrees under stress while it remains at 35 degrees at idle. Impressive cooling for a GPU with two fans. The gaming performance of the GTX 1080 Ti is outstanding, and the Ryzen 5 2600 is more than enough for it to deliver an enjoyable 1080p high refresh rate gaming experience. Moreover, if you are planning for a 1440p display, this GPU is again is ample enough and has everything that one person can expect from a single GPU unit.
Picking The Best GPU For Ryzen 5 2600: Things To Consider!
Tons of CPUs are available at their MSRP, unlike GPUs, and the Ryzen 5 2600x remains one of the most sold and popular choices among the masses. It is popular due to a lot of good reasons. If you have the money to spare, my ultimate suggestion is the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. It is the flagship graphics card in the GTX 10 series and is still considered one of the best purchases in terms of performance and value. Thought you might have better luck getting either the GTX 1660 TI, 1660 Super, or the RX 580 than getting the GTX 1080 Ti at an acceptable price tag. If you somehow are getting a solid deal with the GTX 1080 Ti, not only it is ideal for Ryzen 5 2600 CPU for 1080p gaming, you can go higher up to 1440p and even 4K. Before you buy any GPU from the list above or any other GPU, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. I have made a round-up of some of the crucial aspects to consider before purchasing to assist you in the best way possible. Without any ado, let us discuss these factors. Fact: Unlike the majority of Intel CPUs, the Ryzen 5 2600 requires a discrete GPU unit for display as the chip does not feature an integrated graphics card unit.
Clock Speeds & Memory Speeds
It is not that you can only pair the CPU with a medium or high-end GPU. You can pair it with any GPU of your choice, but you might not be able to fully utilize the true potential of the Zen+ CPU, which can be a hindrance between you and an enjoyable gaming experience. While clock speeds are not as important as other factors, they are crucial nonetheless. Make sure the GPU that you are purchasing has at least 1100+ MHz of clock speed. As far as memory speeds are concerned, the faster the memory speed is, the better the performance is theoretically. Practically, clock speeds have more impact on gaming than memory speeds.
What Type of Gaming You Are Going To Do?
Which gamer are you, and what type of gaming are you looking forward to? It is an important question whose answer can decide choosing the right GPU for your build. For AAA gaming, usually, people would want a stable 60 fps frame rate at maxed-out graphics. For people looking to play single-player games, it is recommended to go for a high-end graphics card like the RTX 2060 and install it with the Ryzen 5 2600. Competitive games, on the other hand, do not require a high-end GPU. In such cases, you can choose the GTX 1660 Ti or the 1660 Super. Make sure the GPU that you are getting has a decent boost clock and ample memory, least should be 6 GB of GDDR5.
Video Memory: So You Can Run Latest Games At Full Potential!
Video memory is crucial, and if you will not have enough on your GPU, you will have a hard time running games at their full potential. Video memory, or VRAM for short, is the memory capacity of any GPU. Generally, 6 GB is considered enough for 1080p gaming. Graphics cards released by Nvidia usually have 6 GB of video memory for their 1080p graphics cards. AMD, on the contrary, often have 8 GB of VRAM on their entry-level GPUs, but if the GPUs are from RX 5000 or RX 6000 series, you might not find them in stock. The higher the VRAM is, the more textures and data it will store in the memory; hence, you will experience a better frame rate at maxed-out graphics. VRAM memory has the highest impact on frame rate when the games are launched in QHD or 4K, as the games become more GPU dependent and textures increase in size. Make sure your GPU has at least 6 GB of video memory. For future-proofing, I’d recommend at least 8 GB of VRAM.
The Number of Ports & Power Connectors
Ports are important for display and people that love to create content or people that stream; having multiple numbers of ports is a must. Which ports exactly? DVI-D used to be a popular port a few years ago. These days, HDMI and DisplayPort are the two most popular ports that are available on the monitors. Fact: It is a six-core processor with twelve threads. Making it an ideal choice for 1080 gaming. GPUs released in the last 3, 4 years feature the HDMI and DisplayPort. You might find the DVI-D ports as well. However, the older a card is, the older the version of the port will be. For instance, DisplayPort currently has the 1.4a version, and HDMI has the 2.1. These are new versions, and you should not worry much about having the latest versions of the port unless you are looking to play games at 8K or 4K 120 fps. Usually, you will be fine with DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0. Power connectors are not a big issue since the GPUs that we are looking at are not high or enthusiastic tier. GPUs for 1080p gaming usually draw from 120 to 185 watts of power depending on the GPU, and the majority of them have the 8-pin power connector. The GTX 1080 Ti or GPUs from higher-end series have an extra 6-pin along with an 8-pin power connector.
Compatibility & Check The GPU Benchmarks First
PC hardware enthusiasts and experts always wait and check the benchmarks, temps, and more details of the GPU thoroughly before making a purchase. Through the benchmarks, you will understand what kind of results you should be getting and how much the results vary as per your expectations. The benchmarks will also help in understanding the noise and temps of the product better. So, do your homework, check the different benchmarks, from multiple websites or YouTube channels, and then decide which GPU is the most suitable for your Ryzen 5 2600. GPU compatibility is a must; by compatibility, I mean you do not want to pair an RTX 3090 with a Ryzen 5 2600 as the CPU will only hold back the potential of the GPU. Make sure the motherboard has at least PCIe 3.0 and get a GPU from the medium tier to enjoy gaming to its fullest. AMD has shown us with this CPU what it can do when combined with a beast of a GPU and to help our readers with this, I have put a lot of time researching the ideal GPUs that can be paired with the Ryzen 5 2600. With the help of this article, you will be able to find the right product and before purchasing, make sure you have done your research on GPU compatibility, power consumption, and more. Use benchmarks, read reviews to gather data for your ideal graphics card and make sure you are getting it at an acceptable price tag and when you do, not only you will use the CPU and GPU to their maximum potential but also will be fine for a couple of years.
#1 – Does Ryzen 5 2600 need a graphics card?
Yes, the Ryzen 5 2600 does not have an integrated graphics card and requires a dedicated GPU for display. Intel CPUs, on the contrary, come with their integrated GPUs and do not require a GPU for display. For gaming, a dedicated GPU is a must.
#2 – Which graphics card is best for Ryzen 5 2600?
The RTX 2060 is one of the best choices for the Ryzen 5 2600. If you are on a tight budget, you can go with either the GTX 1660 Super or the GTX 1660 Ti. These cards are excellent for 1080p gaming and a playable 1440p gaming experience.
#3 – Is Ryzen 5 2600 still good for gaming?
Yes, the Ryzen 5 2600 is an excellent entry to mid-level CPU for 1080p gaming. When it is paired with a decent GPU, it can deliver a fluid 1080p gaming experience. If the GPU is capable enough, the resolution can be further increased to 1440p.
#4 – Will a Ryzen 5 2600x bottleneck an RTX 2060?
No, the Ryzen 5 2600x is a powerful CPU and will take full advantage of the RTX 2060. The CPU will only be a bottleneck if the GPU is from a high to enthusiastic level.
#5 – Nvidia or AMD: Which is better for Ryzen 5 2600?
AMD and Nvidia both have capable graphics cards that you can pair with the Ryzen 5 2600. It depends on your budget and which GPU is available for buying. The Radeon 5000 or Nvidia RTX 20 series both have attractive options that you can choose from, depending on the GPU pricing and availability.
