Best cheapest 4K GPUs for Gaming/Video
Looking for the best cheapest 4K GPUs for gaming/video? We have list down and reviewed 6 of the best GPUs for gaming and videos here.
Best Graphics Card For Ryzen 5 2600 & 2600X
The latest generation AMD Ryzen processors are undoubtedly powerful, but their price makes them rather unattractive. The Ryzen 5 3600 is also a powerful processor, which is why its price has not dropped a lot in the past year. Then comes the Ryzen 5 2600 and 2600X, which are cheaply available and still powerful enough for the latest games, providing over 60 FPS at ultra settings.
Now, to get optimal performance, a processor must be coupled with a suitable graphics card that can match the potential of the processor. For a processor like AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or 2600X, indeed, the latest graphics cards such as NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, RTX 3070, or AMD RX 6800 XT might be too much to handle, which is why the previous-generation graphics cards are a good buy for this processor. You won’t notice any bottleneck with those graphics cards, and the price of previous-generation graphics cards is much lower as well.
In this article, we will be looking at some of the best graphics cards that can be coupled with AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or Ryzen 5 2600X. For the best motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600, you can also check this article.
Quick GPU Recommendations for Ryzen 5 2600 & 2600X
| Award | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Best Cheap GPU for Ryzen 5 2600 |
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590
|
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| Best Mid-Range GPU for Ryzen 5 2600 |
GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC 6GB
|
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| Best Entry Level RTX Graphics Card for Ryzen 5 2600 |
Gigabyte RTX 2060 Windforce 2x 6GB
|
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| Best Mid Range RTX GPU for Ryzen 5 2600 |
EVGA RTX 2070 Black Gaming
|
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| Best Cheap GTX Graphics Card for Ryzen 5 2600 |
EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti SC GAMING Black
|
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| Best 1440p Graphics Card for Ryzen 5 2600 |
MSI Gaming Radeon Rx 5700
|
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Quick Buying Tips!
GPU Model: The first thing you should check in a graphics card is its model, also known as the graphics card chip. Among the older generation graphics cards, the notable mentions among NVIDIA are GeForce RTX 2070, RTX 2060, and GTX 1660 Ti. The higher the number, the better the performance is. The first number indicates the generation, while the third number indicates the performance compared to other models in the generation. For AMD graphics cards, RX 5700 XT is the flagship graphics card, followed by RX 5700, RX 5600 XT, and RX 5500 XT.
GPU Variant: After the GPU chip, the most significant factor of a graphics card is its variant. Manufacturers design many variants for a graphics card, where some of them are aimed towards budget users, while others are meant for enthusiasts, as they perform better and provide much lower temperatures due to more robust cooling solutions than standard variants.
Requirement: A graphics card is one of the most expensive components in a computer system, and that is why you should only spend enough to fulfill your needs. For example, if you use a 1080P 60-Hz monitor, you don’t require a powerful graphics card like RTX 2070, as RTX 2060 can handle every game at 1080P resolution providing over 60 FPS. If you are a competitive gamer, you can go for a graphics card like AMD RX 5700 because competitive games are not as demanding as the AAA titles, and most high-end graphics cards can provide high FPS in such games. However, if you have a high-resolution screen and want to play the latest AAA games, it would be a good idea to get a graphics card like RTX 2070 or higher.
Best Graphics Card For Ryzen 5 2600 & 2600X Reviews
Even though the AMD Radeon RX 590 is quite old for today’s gaming requirements, still, if you are looking for a budget graphics card for your Ryzen 5 2600, it’s a great option to consider. With 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 7.1 TFLOPs, this graphic card performs better than the GTX 1060 or similar graphics cards. If you cannot afford the Turing-based non-RTX graphics cards or RTX 2060 for your build, you are good to go with this option. In our benchmarks, this graphics card tends to perform slightly lower than the GTX 1660 at 1080p.
The AMD RX 590 comes with AMD software which can be used to optimize the performance of the GPU in games, especially in DX12 games, which are known as favorite titles or RX series graphics cards. There are 2304 stream processors on this graphics card, and the memory clock is something around 8000. The power consumption of this graphics card is slightly higher than the Nvidia counterparts, but that would not be a significant problem for most users. It would be best if you needed a 500W PSU with a single 6-Pin and an 8-Pin power connector to power up the card.
The vendor that I would recommend for this graphics card is the XFX, as it comes with a decent cooling solution for the GPU and allows great clocks as the boost clock reaches up to 1600 MHz. As it’s a GDDR5 graphics card, the memory clock is slightly lower than the non-RTX Turing graphics cards. The rear side of this graphics card has three DP, one DVI, and one HDMI port and allows you to connect five displays at once. Overall for a budget-friendly processor like Ryzen 5 2600X, this graphics card is a great option that we can consider.
When looking for something more than 1080p gaming, you can consider buying the GTX 1660 Ti, a Turing-based graphics card that is only under 300 dollars. However, you don’t have to be confused with the architecture as it’s a GTX series graphics card and doesn’t have RTX features. Playing modern games at 1080p resolution is not a big deal for this graphics card, but you might need to compromise on the in-game settings with a few titles. The 6 GB of VRAM sounds too low for modern gaming requirements, but that’s not the case as it has GDDR6 memory, which offers a memory speed of 12 GBPS.
Back when it was released, we’ve reviewed a couple of GTX 1660 Ti, but I would recommend you to get the Gigabyte Windforce 2x, and as the name suggests, it comes with two fans has a Windforce cooling solution installed. The non-Ti variant of this graphics card also offers the exact specifications but with GDDR5X memory, which has a speed of 8 GBPS. The AMD counterpart of this graphics card is the RX Vega 56, or RX 5600 XT, as both of them perform similar to it. The price difference between these two graphics cards is not much, and you can consider the one that suits you best.
There are three DisplayPorts and one HDMI port on the back of this graphics card, and it allows you to connect up to four monitors at once. There is a large-sized cooler on this card that supports a TDP of 120W, while it will also allow you to do a little bit of overclocking with this card. Overall it’s a great graphics card to consider for your Ryzen 5 2600 or 2600X, but RX Vega 56 gives better value for the price, and also the price is the same as of competitors.
The Nvidia RTX 2060 is a great option to consider when you are willing to spend a little more than the Turing-based non-RTX graphics cards. This graphics card can enjoy basic or entry-level ray tracing, or you can even have 4K gaming but at 30 frame rates only. At 1080p resolution, you can enjoy the RTX features while turning them off will allow you to take the resolution to 1440p, but in some titles, you may need to compromise on the in-game settings. The performance of this graphics card matches the Radeon Vega 64 from AMD, but it’s worth considering due to RTX features.
The RTX 2060 & GTX 1070 both offer 1920 Cuda Cores compared to 1280 of the GTX 1060. Battlefield V is still playable on this graphics card with DRX enabled, and it provides better performance than the well-known GTX 1070 Ti. When it comes to power consumption, it’s slightly higher than its counterparts or similar options in the previous generations. The 6GB of GDDR6 memory might now seem enough for modern gaming, but due to faster memory, you will have a significant advantage. We’ve replaced the aftermarket card on this list from MSI Ventus to Gigabyte Windforce 2x because it’s slightly cheaper and offers better clocks.
First of all, there are three DisplayPorts and one HDMI port while it lacks support for VR and doesn’t have a Type-C port. The top of this graphics card has an 8-Pin power connector similar to that of the Founder Edition. There is a brushed metal backplate on this graphics card, which helps dissipate heat and maintains the card’s aesthetics. The two fans on the front are responsible for cooling the heat sink vents so that you can have better clocks without any heating issues. Overall it’s undoubtedly an excellent consideration for any budget or entry-level build in 2021.
If you are willing to put your hands on real tracing without compromising on in-game settings or resolutions but also do not want to empty your pockets, there we have got the RTX 2070 for you. When the ray tracing is turned off, you can enjoy gaming at 4K resolution, but that needs some compromises in settings in a few titles, while at 1440p, you are free to max out any AAA title. However, you will not get that for cheap as the price of this graphic card is still high for the mid-range category, but it is worth it.
Nvidia RTX 2070 offers 2,304 Cuda Cores compared to 2,560 of GTX 1080, 2,432 of GTX 1070 Ti and 4,069 of AMD Vega 64. It offers 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is enough for modern gaming and productivity and the memory speed reaches up to 14 Gbps. The power requirements of RTX 2070 are not that high compared to RTX 2080 or 2080 Ti as it needs only a single 8-Pin power connector to run. When considering decent looks, exceptional cooling solutions, and great clocks, simply go with the EVGA RTX 2070 Black Gaming.
The HDB fans installed on this graphics card allow excellent cooling to the heatsink vents and do their job much quieter. The front panel of this graphics card has three DisplayPorts, one HDMI, and a USB Type-C port, and it will be good to know that it comes VR ready. EVGA Precision x1 allows you to monitor the graphics card temps in Windows and gives you overclocking options. This graphics card’s base clock is 1,410 MHz, but surprisingly, the boost clock goes way up to 1,650 MHz. Concluding this with RTX 2070 is good to consider for 1440p & 4K gaming, but only when you have enough cash in your wallet to spend.
GTX 1070 Ti seems a bit old for modern gaming, but this graphics card is a beast on its own. With a little bit of overclocking, you can easily take the clocks of this card to 2000 MHz, and the 8000 MHz memory speed makes this graphics card perform somewhere similar to the GTX 1080. The GTX 10 series of graphics cards are all based on Pascal architecture, and you might already know that it’s one of the most advanced things ever made in graphics card history. Some people think that this card is old and doesn’t perform well in the latest titles, but its performance is somewhere similar to entry-level or mid-range RTX graphics cards.
The only thing that makes the RTX series of graphics cards superior to it is the RTX features and better memory speed. But compromising on ray tracing can save you some money for other components of your build. The GTX 1080 comes with 20 stream microprocessors, while GTX 1070 Ti offers 19 combining 2,432 Cuda Cores, while the other card features slightly more. The significant difference between them comes when you compare their memory data rate as one offers 10 Gbps while the other only 8 Gbps. The power consumption of the GTX 1070 Ti is slightly higher than the GTX 1070 as one has a TDP of 180W while the other has 150W only.
There are a couple of aftermarket cards available, but some of them are not available in stores due to global shortage and because this GPU is getting old. You can easily find the EVGA GTX 1070 Ti SC Gaming Black, which offers base and boost clocks 1607 MHz and 1700 MHz, respectively. EVGA Precision XOC is also available with this graphics card which allows you to overclock it with a few clicks easily, and you can enjoy some additional performance with it. Overall for a mid-range budget, this graphics card is a great option we can get for our builds.
If you are looking for something that can beat the RTX 2060/Super or RX Vega 64 in 1080p or 1440p gaming, we’ve got the RX 5700, which offers the same GDDR6 memory but at an affordable price. The stream processors of this graphics card are slightly lower than the RX 5700 Xt, but the price difference between them is worth noticing. It comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, which speeds up to 14 Gbps, and a bus bandwidth of 256 bits. One thing that makes these graphics cards stand below the RTX counterparts is the lack of Ray Tracing and DLSS support.
The founder edition or the reference card comes in a nice shroud which offers a blower-like fan at the end and a silver metallic-colored body. However, that’s only about the clocks’ looks, and that card’s cooling performance is not like the other aftermarket options. The power consumption of this graphics card is slightly higher than other options as the reference card needs an 8-Pin + 6-Pin power connector. This graphics card performs similarly to the GTX 1080 at 1440p and 4K resolution, and there will not even be some minor difference.
The vendor that I would recommend you for this graphics card is the MSI Gaming RX 5700 as it gives nice looks, great and quiet fans that cool down the card in no time, and of course, better value than others. The front panel has three DisplayPorts and one HDMI port and allows to connect up to four displays. There is a brushed metal backplate on this card that connects with the shroud and gives excellent aesthetics and heat dissipation. Overall it’s a great GPU to consider when you are low on budget and looking for something that can run AAA titles at 1440p or 4K resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the major difference between RTX 2060 and RTX 2070?
The major difference between the RTX 2060 and RTX 2070 is in the number of CUDA cores. The RTX 2060 comes with 1920 CUDA cores, while the RTX 2070 comes with 2304 CUDA cores. Moreover, RTX 2070 comes with more Render Output Units and Texture Mapping Units, which increase the rendering performance of a graphics card. The clock rate of the RTX 2070 is faster as well, which affects every core component of the graphics card apart from memory.
What would be the best graphics card for 1440P gaming?
The 1440P resolution is the most common resolution these days, as games look fantastic at this resolution, and it is not as demanding as the 4K resolution. For the latest games, you will require at least RTX 2070 or AMD RX 5700 if you want to achieve stable frame rates on high settings. However, if you can lower the graphics settings, you can buy the RTX 2060 as well.
Would it be a good idea to get a GTX 1000-series or RX 500-series graphics card?
The older generation graphics cards indeed get very cheap over time, and that is why you can easily find GTX 1000-series or RX 500-series graphics cards at a low price. If you want to play relatively older games that are not as demanding as the latest titles, it would be good to get a graphics card from these two series; however, if you want to play the latest AAA games, you should consider buying them newer graphics cards.
Conclusion
The graphics card massively affects the 3D performance of a rig, and you should never cheap out on a graphics card if you are a gamer. For a budget processor like AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or 2600X, you should not use the latest flagship graphics cards because such graphics cards can cause a bottleneck situation in your system. That is why the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2000-series and AMD RX 5000-series graphics cards are fantastic for these processors.
If you are a competitive gamer, you can get a graphics card like RTX 2060, as such games are not very demanding, and you can quickly reach over 100 FPS in such games with RTX 2060. The same goes for those willing to play older games like Battlefield V, Assassins Creed Origins, Grand Theft Auto V, etc. For enthusiast gamers, who want to enjoy high-end 1440P gaming, something like NVIDIA RTX 2070 or AMD RX 5700 is the least they should get.
We also have here recommended GPU for Ryzen 7 2700x.
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