Skip Navigation

InGameLoop relies on readers. We may earn commissions when you purchase through our links. Check Affiliate Disclosure

Best GPU For Ryzen 5 2600 [2024]

AMD must be your preference when avoiding Intel processors and wanting something rugged with excellent...

Best GPU For Ryzen 5 2600 [2024]

AMD must be your preference when avoiding Intel processors and wanting something rugged with excellent performance. Suppose you don’t want the Intel Core i5-8400 processor. In such a case, the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is the only name left behind. It comes with six cores, twelve threads, and excellent multithreading support, so you can use two threads with every single core to get top-tier performance. Although it shares some exact features with the Ryzen 5 2600X, it has a lesser base and boosts clock speeds. Still, the unlocked base multiplier can go beyond the 3.9GHz rated top speed.

The Ryzen 5 2600 is a perfect AM4-based chip that provides excellent performance while running games and doing other productivity tasks. But you need the best GPU for Ryzen 5 2600 to deal with such hefty workloads. This is because there are no integrated graphics, plus running the current-era games requires a good-quality graphics card paired with such a processor. But finding one out of hundreds is a challenging task. Therefore, we have tested several and chosen a few graphics cards in this post. Read the reviews of all the GPUS and choose according to your needs.

Quick Graphics Card Shopping Tips:

The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is the part of the rig that ultimately provides the best gaming experience by enhancing the graphics and visuals. For playing high-end games on a PC, we need the best GPU. To avoid bottlenecking, we need a compatible GPU to interact with the processor. Read the must-have features given below:

Memory: Both memory and memory bandwidth are chief factors that are pretty vital for gaming. The more the GPU memory, the more would be the speed and efficiency of the graphics card. To increase the quality from 1080p to 4k, you need higher memory. Plus, by increasing the memory bandwidth, the card started working at a higher speed.

Size: What if you buy a brand new GPU but cannot connect to your mobo and processor due to incorrect size? To avoid such circumstances, you must ensure that the graphic card is perfectly accommodated into the PC case. Plus, inconvenient size may affect the speed of the card.

TDP: Thermal design power (TDP) measures the power loss in the form of heat. The TDP is a medium to gauge the power (watt) needed for properly working a graphic card at the stock setting. The cooling capability of the card is also affected by the TDP value. So, read the product details carefully before making a purchase.

Connectivity: Many customers claim that they’ve bought non-connectable graphic cards to their system. Make sure that the connectivity option given with the card is harmonious with the monitor. For now, monitors come with an HDMI port, DisplayPort, or DVI. Match these options with your graphic card.

Budget: As always, the user’s budget is a must-discussed factor before buying the component. It can vary from user to user depending upon the intent to use and the gaming quality the user is looking for. Many high-end graphic cards come at a low price, you just need to find them out.

Our Recommendations For Best GPU For Ryzen 5 2600


Gigabyte GTX 1660 Ti OC 6GB

Gigabyte GTX 1660 Ti OC 6GB
Gigabyte GTX 1660 Ti OC 6GB

Best Premium GPU for Ryzen 5 2600

Brand: Gigabyte | VRAM: 6 GB | Base Clock: 1800 MHz | Boost Clock: 1770 MHz | Power Consumption: 120W | Power Supply: 450W

REASONS TO BUY

Runs smoothly

Great thermal solution for a 120W GPU

200W power delivery

Remarkable performance at 1920 x 1080

REASONS TO AVOID

Comparatively slow

Plastic backplate

Low lighting

Zero NVlink SLI

We have seen some great graphics cards in Nvidia’s 10 series, and the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is one of them. But Gigabyte took the initiative to make it a more performance-based GPU by changing the original into a heavy-duty Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition. It replaces all the previous cards, including GeForce GTX 960, 1050, and 1060 with better overall utility and performance. Moreover, Gigabyte has also improved its design and thermal management by installing RGB lighting and an extended PCB.

The graphics performance and visual clarity are exceptional with most RTX series graphics cards because of ray tracing and AI-based improvements. But since this card is from the GTX platform, there is no ray tracing or tensor cores. Therefore, this may affect graphics clarity and lightning effects while playing games. Still, the brand has ensured they have done good performance tweaks to avoid any in-game lag or graphics clutters. I’m sure the 6GB GDDR6 GPU memory with TU116 GPU unit and 1536 is enough for most users.

In addition, the GPU can generate up to 14 Gb/s memory speed and 288GB/s memory bandwidth to compete against many names. You can take the clock speed up to 1920MHz, which is even 5% higher than the EVGA XC Black Gaming version. Now, let’s look at some strong graphics performance statistics. This card can easily provide stable 1080p in-game resolution with 60+ fps—we have observed fps coming beyond the 100fps mark in a few games. The thermal performance is also impressively good.

XFX Radeon RX 590 Fatboy

XFX Radeon RX 590 Fatboy
XFX Radeon RX 590 Fatboy

Best Value GPU for Ryzen 5 2600

Brand: XFX | VRAM: 8 GB | Base Clock: 1469 MHz | Boost Clock: 1580 MHz | Power Consumption: 317W | Power Supply: 500W

REASONS TO BUY

Cheaply available

Large VRAM

REASONS TO AVOID

Average looks at best

XFX is a renowned third-party vendor for AMR Radeon graphics cards. Today, we have the XFX Radeon RX 590 Fatboy to explore whether you should go for this brand or prefer the other cards on the list. First, this graphics card replaces the previous Radeon RX 480 and RX 580 with better graphics performance, impressive thermal management, and many other improvements. In addition, if we compare it with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, you can expect around a two-digit percentage better performance at almost the same price.

The Radeon RX 590 is a perfect mid-tier graphics card to replace the RX 580 with an excellent performance-to-price ratio and raw speeds. Both cards shared several exact specifications, but the RX 590 wins in terms of performance and clock speed. It has a 1469MHz top clock speed which is almost 31% higher than RX 480 and  12% more than the RX 580 with a 1257MHz boost clock. But the GPU engine is the same with GCN graphics architecture but has a 12 nm lithography, a tweaked version of 14nm in RX 480 and RX 580.

In addition, you can expect impressive performance from the 8GB GDDR5 memory with 8 Gb/s memory clock and 256 GB/s bandwidth based on the 256-bit memory interface. This card is perfect for you if you’re good with a 1080p 60+ fps graphics resolution. Remember, don’t compare it with the RTX 2060 or RX 6800 XT since these are beasts and fall in the high-performance category. Apart from that, the RX 590 Fatboy has adequate thermal management mixed with an out-of-class design, appealing RGB lighting, and more.

NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti

Best Pick
NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti
NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti

Best Overall GPU for Ryzen 5 2600

Brand: NVIDIA | VRAM: 8 GB | Base Clock: 1607+ MHz | Boost Clock: 1683+ MHz | Power Consumption: 180W | Power Supply: 500W

REASONS TO BUY

Faster than the GTX 1070

Better overclocking

Pascal is the best architecture

Expert 1440p gaming

REASONS TO AVOID

Expensive

High energy draw

Heats up quickly

NVIDIA is the most famous name in the graphics card industry, even knocking AMD in terms of popularity among tech enthusiasts. But not everybody can afford high-end GPUs like RTX 3090. Therefore, we have the NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti for those users who want the same symbolic performance but at an affordable price. This card shares many features and performance capabilities with the GTX 1080, beating the GTX 980 Ti, R9 Fury X, and GTX Titan X in the first spot. This is perfect for those users who have a tight-pocket budget.

Although it has NVIDIA Pascal graphics architecture to power up the GP104 GPU unit, the absence of ray tracing is still an issue. Like the Gigabyte GTX 1660 Ti OC on the list, this lacks the RTX platform for ray tracing, AI-based enhancements, and tensor cores. You may feel non-real graphics or unusual lighting adjustments on the screen while playing games. But the presence of 8GB GDDR5 memory based on a 256-bit memory interface is good news. You can expect the same performance as the GTX 1660 Ti graphics card.

In addition, the Nvidia SLI bridge can provide double the memory bandwidth than the same-tier card based on Maxwell architecture. The clock speed can also boost up to a 1683MHz top clock speed to give the most out of the workloads. Regarding the performance, we have observed almost 15% better performance than the RX 580 in Assassins’ Creed Valhalla at 1080p and 10% more at 1440p graphics settings. In short, the GTX 1070 Ti best suits 1080p at 60+ fps and 1440p graphics at 50+ fps in most games.

MSI Gaming RTX 2060 Ventus 6GB

MSI Gaming RTX 2060 Ventus 6GB
MSI Gaming RTX 2060 Ventus 6GB

Best Budget GPU for Ryzen 5 2600

Brand: MSI | VRAM: 6 GB | Base Clock: 1365 MHz | Boost Clock: 1710 MHz | Power Consumption: 160W | Power Supply: 500W

REASONS TO BUY

Noiseless cooling

Excellent performance

Can be overclocked

High-resolution gaming

Compatible with Ryzen processors

REASONS TO AVOID

The backplate is made of plastic

Zero VirtualLink port

Suppose the GTX 1070 Ti, RX 590, and GTX 1660 Ti don’t suit your needs. In such a case, this MSI RTX 2060 Ventus Gaming may be perfect for you. Why? Well, the following review is here to answer this. First, it shares many features and specifications with some top-tier current-era graphics cards. Second, it’s available at a pocket-friendly mid-tier price that is within reach of all tech enthusiasts. It’s an overclocked version with better performance, so it replaces the previous series RTX 1060 plus the original GeForce RTX 2060 Ventus.

Finally, we have found a graphics card that features Nvidia Turing architecture combined with the all-new RTX platform. When I say RTX platform, you can use the DLSS feature, excellent ray tracing, and tensor cores for AI-based improvements. This way, the in-game graphics and visuals feel like real-life objects and don’t bother your eyes as if it’s something from another planet. Overall, ray tracing can improve graphics quality by 15% or even more in some games. This card is a perfect all-rounder GPU for mid-tier users.

At the beginning of the review, I mentioned that it replaces the GTX 1070 Ti, RX 590, and GTX 1660 Ti. This is because it’s packed with 6GB GDD6 memory with a 1710MHz boost clock speed. The performance ultimately gets a new turn due to the better memory installed in it. We have received 1080p graphics resolution with a whopping 70+ fps in AAA titles and 130+ fps in eSports games. Although this card can tackle 1440p 30+ fps resolution, this isn’t recommended for it. You may have to compromise on a few graphics quality parameters.

PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX590 8GB

PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX590 8GB
Power Color Red Devil AMD Radeon RX590 8GB

Best Flagship GPU for Ryzen 5 2600

Brand: PowerColor | VRAM: 8 GB | Base Clock: 1545 MHz | Boost Clock: 1576 MHz | Power Consumption: 225W | Power Supply: 600W

REASONS TO BUY

Fastest GPU

Better than an RX 580

Better overclocking

Compatible with Ryzen 5 2600

REASONS TO AVOID

Expensive

PowerColor is another renowned vendor for AMD Radeon graphics cards. Today, we have the Red Devil Radeon RX 590 on the list to let you know more about the brand and its creations. Although we have another RX 590 version by XFX on the list, this Red Devil-based RX 590 edition is different in terms of performance. It offers more overclocking headroom to gamers and other high-end users than the XFX version, so more overall graphics output. You must consider it if you want a mid-tier graphics card with satisfactory outcomes.

Generally, the original AMD RX 590 performs almost 10% better than the previous RX 580 graphics card. But since this PowerColor RX 590 comes with even a better boost clock speed, 1576MHz, it not only beats the Rx 580 but also knocks the RX 590. Regarding the specifications, the memory-related aspects are mostly the same as the original variant. There is an 8GB GDDR5 memory based on the 256-bit memory bus to give up to an 8 Gb/s memory clock. On top of that, 2304 GCN GPU cores will make you happy.

This way, you can get low latencies, better efficiencies, and excellent graphics performance when playing the games. When looking at the graphics performance, you can quickly get a stable lag-less 1080p 70+ fps at ultra settings without any issue. But the fps and quality measuring aspects may be compromised at 1440p resolution. Still, you can efficiently run AAA titles at 1440p 35+ fps. Regarding the thermal design, an aluminum heatsink is connected to 8mm copper heat pipes to improve heat dissipation.

EVGA RTX 2070 Black Gaming

EVGA GeForce RTX 2070
EVGA GeForce RTX 2070

Best Performance GPU for Ryzen 5 2600

Brand: EVGA | VRAM: 8 GB | Base Clock: 1605 MHz | Boost Clock: 1770 MHz | Power Consumption: 175W | Power Supply: 550W

REASONS TO BUY

Better performance

Better price

Overclocks well

REASONS TO AVOID

Not faster than the GTX 1080

No additional lighting

The Sixth graphics card compatible with the Ryzen 5 2600 is the EVGA RTX 2070 Black Gaming card. However, if you have any other Ryzen processor like the 2700X, you can use the RTX 2070 graphics card for that one or any other Intel processor with i7 9700K. Still, if you want a processor that will fit the RTX 2070’s demands, the Ryzen 2600 is the one, and it will not bottleneck the performance.

Regarding memory capacity, the RTX 2070 is equipped with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM, which is higher than the memory of the RTX 2060, and it is one of the best cards for 1440p resolution. On the other hand, it is essential not to use it on a 1080p screen because that is a total waste of time and money. Regardless of that, the RTX 2070 is one of the best graphics cards suitable for any gaming.

Combining this graphics card with our Ryzen processors can receive 60+ fps on a 1440 screen. You can get even more if you overclock both the processor and the GPU, but the results depend on the type of CPU Cooler you use for the Ryzen processors. The EVGA RTX 2070 Black gaming graphics card features 2304 Cuda cores and a boost clock of 1620 MHz. In addition to this, the RTX 2070 is better at ray tracing than the RTX 2060. Also, this graphics card is equipped with 5 I/O, of which 1 is DP ports, and the rest are HDMI; this means you can connect more than four monitors simultaneously.

Conclusion

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a perfect six-core twelve-thread chip for an affordable mid-tier gaming processor. There are plenty of the exact specifications as the Ryzen 2 2600X version but with a bit lesser clock speed and overclocking headroom. Since it has an unlocked processor, you can pair it with a good-quality motherboard and the best GPU for Ryzen 2600, play current-era games, and create content. But finding a suitable graphics card is a time-taking process. We have tested and reviewed many products in this post to save you time and energy.

Suppose you want a top-tier graphics card with an all-rounder performance. In such a case, you can go for the AMD Radeon RX 6800 for 4k graphics or the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 for anything between 1440p to 2k resolution. But if you want to save some bucks and are okay with 1080p to 1440p graphics, you can choose any GPU between Gigabyte GTX 1660 Ti OC, XFX Radeon RX 590 Fatboy, MSI Gaming 2060 Ventus, or PowerColor Red Devil RX 590. In contrast, the Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti suits those users who want an affordable GPU with excellent 1080p resolution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ryzen 5 2600 need a graphics card?

Of course, it can run just fine without a graphics card if you use your PC for office work and don’t want to perform any heavy tasks. The integrated GPU of the Ryzen 5 2600 can still run some great games, but you need a powerful graphics card for modern AAA titles.

Should I get Ryzen 5 2600 or 2600x?

2600x is better, no doubt. It can work fine without overclocking, ensuring you can install everything you wish. But if you have a tight budget, then 2600 is not a wrong choice either.

Is Ryzen 5 2600x good for gaming?

I am not saying that the 2000 series is terrible for gaming. It is average, and it is also getting old now. If you are really into high-end gaming, you should buy an i5-8400 instead.

Sajid Ali

CEO, Lead Writer

Sajid Ali is a tech enthusiast and gamer who loves to write reviews about gaming hardware. He has a passion for staying up-to-date with the latest technological advancements and loves sharing his knowledge with others. Sajid studied Intermediate Computer Science at Degree College and went on to earn his Bachelor's in Computer Science from GSC. In his free time, you can find him testing out new hardware and software, or playing the latest video games. Sajid's in-depth understanding of computers and his love for gaming make him the perfect author to turn to for all things tech and gaming.