Buying Guides

AMD Ryzen processors have surely come a long way in terms of performance and the 3rd-generation AMD Ryzen processors proved themselves as great competitors to the Intel 9th-generation Intel processors. The most popular processors from the 3rd-generation were AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and AMD Ryzen 7 3700X. AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a Hexa-core processor with twelve threads while Ryzen 7 3700X is an octa-core processor with sixteen threads. The price of these processors make them very attractive products and even though AMD has released the 5th-generation of AMD Ryzen processors, the 3rd generation seems to be the sweet spot in terms of performance and price. Now when you are up for gaming, apart from the processor, you have to have a powerful graphics card and without a powerful graphics card, you can do nothing, no matter how powerful your processor is. NVIDIA has released the GeForce RTX 3000-series while AMD has released the AMD RX 6000 series. Unfortunately, both of these series are out of stock at almost every store due to scalpers, although you should easily be able to get RX 5000-series graphics cards and GeForce RTX 2000-series or 1600-series graphics cards. AMD Ryzen 5 3600 seems to be fully compatible with both RTX 2000-series and RX 5000-series and you won’t be having any kind of bottleneck at all. In fact, you can upgrade your graphics card or processor later as well and the other components won’t have much trouble. In this article, we will be looking at some of the best graphics cards for Ryzen 5 3600 that will completely change your gaming experience. Best GPU for Ryzen 5 3600 MSI GAMING X TRIO GeForce RTX 2080 - Best High-End GPU MSI designs some of the most powerful graphics cards of all time and that is why many of the graphics cards on this list are from MSI. MSI GAMING X TRIO is a flagship graphics card variant of the GeForce RTX 2080, which is the 3rd-most powerful graphics card in the RTX 2000-series. Specification: GPUMSI GAMING X TRIO GeForce RTX 2080InterfacePCIe 3.0 X16I/O Ports1 x HDMI, 3 x DP, 1 x USB Type-CBoost Core Clock1860 MHzForm FactorDual-slot with tri-fan designMemory Clock14000 MHz effectiveMemory Size8 GBCores2944TDP260 WattsLength12.87 inches RTX 2080 is no doubt one of the best graphics cards for gaming, whether you couple it with AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or even the better ones like the Ryzen 7 3700X or even the Ryzen 3950X. The graphics card has a high CUDA core count of 2944, which makes it great for even 4K gaming or high-refresh-rate 1440P gaming. The graphics card is coupled with 8 GB of VRAM, which is as of now more than enough for almost all the games, although nothing can be said about the future AAA games, which is why the RTX 3000-series graphics cards have a higher VRAM amount. The design of the MSI GAMING X TRIO makes it one of the best-looking graphics cards on the market, thanks to the intense RGB lighting. The left-most fan is slightly smaller in size than the other two fans, which makes it look a bit odd but it is not that noticeable. The reason for having a smaller fan on the left-most side is that the top of the graphics card has a port for SLI or NVLINK. The texture of the fan-shroud provides a metallic look while there is a thick metallic backplate at the back of the graphics card. This is one of the longest graphics cards in the market as well, having a length of 12.87 inches, which is why makes sure to check the GPU clearance inside the case. The graphics card has a boost clock rate of 1860 MHz and it runs around 2000 MHz in real-time, which is a sufficient improvement over the base clock of the reference graphics card. Related: Best RAM for Ryzen 5 2600 This graphics card has 368 Tensor cores and 46 RT cores as well, which makes it great for Ray Tracing or computational requirements, and this graphics card will break your records if you have not yet used any 2000-series graphics card. The cooling solution of the graphics card is one of the best in the league and it harbors quite a huge heat-sink, capable of keeping this mighty graphics card under 80 degrees under load, which is a job well done for a graphics card having a TDP of 260 watts. Conclusion MSI GAMING X TRIO RTX 2080 is surely one of the finest choices to pair with an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and it can take care of all types of gaming needs whether you own a 4K monitor or a 165Hz 1440P monitor, however, it comes at a high cost and not everyone can afford it. The lavish looks of the graphics cards will also maximize the looks of your computer system and if you have a vertical mount system in your case, better use it, as it greatly enhances the looks of the graphics card. Great performance for 4K gaming Dazzling aesthetics RTX features can be enjoyed seamlessly Supreme cooling performance Very pricey View on Amazon ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 2070 Super MINI - Best Mini-ITX GPU The next graphics card that we have on the list is ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 2070 Super MINI and this is one of the smallest graphics cards on the list, while being 2nd most powerful as well. Specification: GPUZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 2070 Super MINIInterfacePCIe 3.0 X16I/O Ports1 x HDMI, 3 x DPBoost Core Clock1770 MHzForm FactorDual-slot with dual-fan designMemory Clock14000 MHz effectiveMemory Size8 GBCores2560TDP215 WattsLength8.3 inches The performance of this graphics card is really close to the RTX 2080 and there is not a lot of difference here, however, the first graphics card that we have listed is still significantly faster due to being highly overclocked. The design of the graphics card is very minimal and it has a gray fan-shroud, which is quite small in size to the point that the whole graphics card measures 8.3 inches, which makes it around 3.5 inches smaller than the first one. There is no RGB lighting in the graphics card and that is why the looks are not that impressive, however, it surely has a fine build quality, as expected from ZOTAC, which is famous for this durability. The cooling performance of the graphics card is average at best and the graphics card hovers around 80 degrees under load and the fans are not very quiet as well. The graphics card has 2560 cores, which is 15% less than the RTX 2080 and the overall difference in performance between both cards is similar to this range. The memory of this graphics card, however, is the same as that of the RTX 2080, at 8 GB. The performance of this graphics card is excellent for 1440p high-refresh-rate gaming and you can also game with this graphics card on a 4K monitor as long as you are not using ultra settings. Conclusion ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 2070 Super MINI is a fantastic graphics card and a great product for someone who cannot afford RTX 2080 and wants to improve his gaming experience. Since the graphics card does not provide much of excessive features like RGB lighting, it is one of the cheapest variants of the RTX 2070 Super and that is why it provides a great value for the price. Mind-blowing price to performance ratio Sufficient performance for most games with 4K resolution Has RayTracing features just like the RTX 2080 The looks of the card make it a weak contender View on Amazon PowerColor Liquid Devil Radeon RX 5700 XT - Best Liquid-Cooled GPU PowerColor is not the first thing that comes to mind when buying graphics cards, however, it has improved a lot in the previous few years and many of their GPU variants now provide top-notch performance. Specification: GPUPowerColor Liquid Devil Radeon RX 5700 XTInterfacePCIe 4.0 X16I/O Ports1 x HDMI, 3 x DPBoost Core Clock2020 MHzForm FactorDual-slot with liquid-cooling designMemory Clock14000 MHz effectiveMemory Size8 GBCores2560TDP225 WattsLength9.4 inches PowerColor Liquid Devil Radeon RX 5700 XT is one of the best variants of Radeon RX 5700 XT in performance and that is mainly due to the usage of liquid cooling. The graphics card uses liquid cooling technology and the way it works is that it is used in combination with an open-loop liquid-cooling system and the thermal performance of such a system is unimaginably better than an air-cooled system. Usually, a water-block for an open-loop system is bought separately and it costs a lot but PowerColor, in collaboration with EK, has included the water-block in this graphics card, and now you don’t need a water-block for the graphics card to work. As for the graphics card, Radeon RX 5700 XT is one of the best graphics cards that is being offered by AMD and this graphics card now performs equal to the high-end NVIDIA graphics cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super. The graphics card has 2560 cores, which is a similar configuration to the NVIDIA RTX 2070 Super, however, the cores of this graphics card cannot be directly compared with a graphics card having a different architecture. The VRAM of this graphics card is 8 GB, which is the same as that of the RTX 2080 and 2070 Super and the memory performance is similar as well. This particular variant is highly overclocked as well, having a boost clock rate of 2020 MHz and that is why it exceeds the performance of an RTX 2070 Super, although a unit like this costs a lot. This graphics card is no doubt a premium-priced Radeon RX 5700 XT variant but it is well worth the price. The design of the graphics card is pretty simple; there is the PowerColor Devil logo at the front of the water-block, where the water-block itself is transparent and you will be able to see the liquid once it rolls in. The performance of this graphics is great for most of the AAA games even with a high resolution like 4K, however, it would be better to couple this graphics card with the ultra-wide monitors having high refresh rates. Conclusion PowerColor Liquid Devil Radeon RX 5700 XT is a premium variant of Radeon RX 5700 XT and if you want to go down the “Red-Team” route, this graphics card has no competition and you will definitely be enjoying this graphics card a lot, although make sure that you meet all the requirements of a custom-loop cooling solution before going for this graphics card or you will end up with a system without a GPU. Amazing temperatures Clean aesthetics Much faster than the reference variant A bit costly compared to other variants View on Amazon MSI GAMING X Radeon RX 5700 XT - Best-Valued GPU The next graphics card that we have on the list is pretty similar to the previous one. MSI GAMING X Radeon RX 5700 XT is the flagship variant of the company for the Radeon RX 5700 XT and tries to provide a balance between price and performance. Specification: GPUMSI GAMING X Radeon RX 5700 XTInterfacePCIe 4.0 X16I/O Ports1 x HDMI, 3 x DPBoost Core Clock1980 MHzForm FactorDual-slot with dual-fan designMemory Clock14000 MHz effectiveMemory Size8 GBCores2560TDP225 WattsLength11.7 inches MSI GAMING X RX 5700 XT is priced a lot lower than the PowerColor Liquid Devil RX 5700 XT but the difference in performance is not that big. This graphics card has a boost clock rate of 1980 MHz, making it 40 MHz slower than the previous one. The looks of the graphics card have been completely changed from the last-generation GAMING X variants and this design looks a lot more decent. The usage of brushed texture at the fan-shroud feels pleasing to the eyes, along with the slight inclusion of red lines. The MSI Torx fans are notoriously famous for being extra quiet and that makes this graphics card one of the quietest graphics cards among all variants. Adding to the above point, the thick heat-sink also helps in distributing the load of the fans and greatly succeeds in doing so. The height of the graphics card feels quite unusual and it is severely taller than other variants due to the usage of a custom PCB, which is why a lot of cases might not be able to support this graphics card. Moreover, the length of the graphics card is quite big as well, despite having a dual-fan design, at 11.7 inches. As for the performance of the card is concerned, there is surely a big difference in the thermal performance of this card against the Liquid Devil variant, however, the difference in graphical performance is almost negligible. Unless you are into some serious overclocking, there should not be much of a problem. Conclusion MSI GAMING X Radeon RX 5700 XT is a well-balanced variant of RX 5700 XT that comes at a low price compared to premium variants and tries to perform very similarly. The usage of quality fans and thick heat-sink enhance its cooling efficiency while the slight presence of RGB lighting at the top feels nice to the eyes. If you are someone who is looking to get a graphics card for 1440P high-end gaming and does not have a high budget, this graphics card is going to be the best for you, although you won’t get RTX features in this graphics card. Impressive price to performance ratio Decent looks Quiet operation No RTX features View on Amazon MSI GAMING Z GeForce RTX 2060 - Best Mid-Range GPU GeForce RTX 2060 is a mid-range graphics card by NVIDIA that provides RTX features and it is an attractive graphics card for budget users. MSI GAMING Z GeForce RTX 2060 is a high-end tier of the RTX 2060 and this graphics card is completely different from the GAMING X variants for the AMD graphics cards despite having the same name. Specification: GPUMSI GAMING Z GeForce RTX 2060InterfacePCIe 3.0 X16I/O Ports1 x HDMI, 3 x DPBoost Core Clock1830 MHzForm FactorDual-slot with dual-fan designMemory Clock14000 MHz effectiveMemory Size6 GBCores1920TDP160 WattsLength9.7 inches MSI GAMING Z RTX 2060 has an eye-catching design and unlike the AMD variant, this graphics card uses a lot of RGB lighting. There is a textured silver-colored pattern at the front side as well as a carbon-styled pattern. The complex shape of the fan-shroud gives the graphics card a unique look and the multiple-zone RGB lighting enhances this feeling. There is a metal back-plate at the back, that helps in the cooling of the graphics card by a small degree and keeps the graphics card from sagging. The technical specifications of RTX 2060 Super are a lot different from the RTX 2070 Super or the RTX 2080. Instead of using 8 GB VRAM, NVIDIA has used 6 GB design and this does limit the texture quality in some AAA games, which is likely to increase over time. The graphics card has 1920 cores, which is significantly lower than the core-count of RTX 2070 Super or RTX 2080 and that is why this graphics card is best-suited for 1440P gaming or high-refresh-rate 1080P gaming. The cooling performance of the graphics card is more than enough to handle the low TDP of this graphics card, which is 160 watts, and the graphics card stays under 70 degrees most of the time. Conclusion MSI GAMING Z GeForce RTX 2060 is a marvelous product for budget users and since this graphics card is significantly cheaper than both the RTX 2070 Super and RX 5700 XT, it is hugely appreciated by people who are unable to get their hands on them because this graphics card, too, is more than enough to handle ultra 1080P gaming. Unique looks More than enough to handle AAA games at 1080P resolution Tons of RGB lighting Not so good for high-refresh-rate 1440P gaming View on Amazon ASUS ROG STRIX AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT TOP Edition - Best Budget GPU ASUS is widely recognized as one of the best manufacturers of graphics cards although its products are usually priced higher than the other variant, especially the ROG variants. ASUS ROG STRIX AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT TOP Edition is the flagship variant of the Radeon RX 5600 XT and it is a great alternative to the NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics cards. Specification: GPUASUS ROG STRIX AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT TOP EditionInterfacePCIe 4.0 X16I/O Ports1 x HDMI, 3 x DPBoost Core Clock1770 MHzForm FactorDual-slot with tri-fan designMemory Clock14000 MHz effectiveMemory Size6 GBCores2304TDP150 WattsLength12 inches The overall performance of this graphics card is somewhat higher than that of the RTX 2060 but the absence of the RTX features makes this a bit less attractive than the latter. If you don’t plan to use RTX features, it would be a wise decision to use this graphics card instead of RTX 2060. The design of the graphics card is fabulous and no doubt, it is one of the most beefy-looking graphics cards of all time, despite the fact that it does not require as much cooling as some high-end graphics cards like RTX 2080 or RX 5700 XT. There is a lot of RGB lighting at the front while the complex fan-shroud is similar to that of the GAMING Z RTX 2060 variant. The axial fans have a high static-air-pressure and the heat-sink of the graphics card is quite thick as well, which is why the graphics card stays under 65 degrees even under full load. The graphics card has 2304 cores and 6 GB VRAM, which makes it greatly competitive against RTX 2060 Super. The performance of this graphics card makes it great for 1440P gaming and you can also couple it with high-refresh-rate 1080P monitors. Conclusion ASUS ROG STRIX AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT TOP Edition is a premium variant of the Radeon RX 5600 XT and even though it is priced higher than other variants, its design and cooling performance are vastly superior to the others. Top-notch cooling performance Powerful feels Challenging performance to the RTX 2060 Super No RTX features View on Amazon Closing Thoughts: Even though AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is not among the latest AMD processors right now, it still feels more than enough for casual gamers who want a powerful processor that can provide 100+ FPS all the time. In this article, we have tried our best to provide you with the best graphics cards for AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and you won’t regret buying any of the graphics cards above. Related: Best RAM for Ryzen 2700x

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