The Ryzen 5 3600x is an upgraded version of the 3600, with more OC headroom, better thermals, and more performance. Compared to the 3600, the 3600x has a 6% base clock speed increase, 5% boost clock speed increase and has a 30W TDP over the 3600. These are just specs on paper that translate to increased real-world performance as well.
To utilize the processor’s full potential you will need to pair it up with a GPU that won’t bottleneck it. Before we dive into the list of the best GPUs for 3600x that will combine well with the processor, you need to consider some factors which will affect your decision.
| Award | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Best AMD GPU for 3600X |
XFX RX 5500 XT
|
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| Best Budget GPU for Ryzen 3600x |
XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS XXX Edition
|
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| Best Mid-Range card for Ryzen 3600x |
ASUS GeForce RTX 2060
|
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| Best NVIDIA GPU for Ryzen 5 3600x |
EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
|
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| Best Ryzen 5 3600x GPU for 4K Gaming |
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2080 Super
|
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| Best Overall GPU for Ryzen 5 3600x |
ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
|
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There are multiple options available in the market from the top-end GPUs to entry-level ones. It all depends on your pocket. Make sure you have enough cash to splash whichever GPU you’re considering to pair up with your processor before you make your decision. For GPUs under $100, check this article.
The VRAM is the amount of video memory your GPU has and it is the backbone of the GPU. Having more VRAM will result in you getting more performance. Getting a GPU with 8 GB and above VRAM will give you a high-end gaming experience. If your pocket doesn’t allow it, 6 GB will also suffice. Make sure you choose wisely.
The core clock speeds translate to the raw in-game performance. As a general rule of thumb the higher the core clock the more performance you can get in-game, in terms of frame rates. To enjoy a high-end gaming experience, you will need a GPU with high core clock speeds. Moreover, these core clock speeds can be overclocked to give you even more performance in games, using the software.
If you’re continuously gaming, you’re GPU is constantly under load and will heat up to deliver that high performance, if there isn’t any cooling system present it will start to degrade your GPU’s life and we don’t want that. Make sure you’re choosing a GPU that has a thermal solution that will allow for faster heat dissipation, so your card stays cooler while under load. The majority of the modern cards come with efficient cooling and thermal designs so make sure you choose a GPU that has got maximum airflow, a sturdy backplate and cooling pipes that perform well.
Now that you know what factors to consider when finalizing your buying decision on a GPU, let’s dive into the list of GPUs that are the best match for a 3600X.
Since it belongs to AMD, it is only natural that it would perform superbly with a Ryzen processor as both components would form an ecosystem with maximum synergy.
Check Latest PriceStarting off the list is the XFX RX 5500 XT which was launched by AMD to cater to the budget gamer. The card has been developed on the advanced RDNA architecture and boasts a GDDR6 8GB of VRAM. The card contains 1408 stream processors and has a core clock of 1717MHz and has a memory clock of 14 Gbps.
The card features AMD’s VR tech, AMD Liquid VR Technology which will let you experience games in VR with a lag-free and low latency response rate. XFX has introduced their in-house thermal design and it is quite efficient. The Thick II Pro Cooling solution makes sure that the card doesn’t overheat at GPU intensive workloads and lets you game comfortably and without any thermal throttling, giving you a high level of performance.
AMD has introduced their GPU software with their GPUs and it lets you do several tweaks and settings that you can utilize to enhance your gaming experience. They have dubbed the software as Adrenalin and this GPU supports it so you can do the experimentation with the card as much as you want. If you choose this GPU for pairing it up with a 3600x it won’t disappoint you at all as you will have yourself with an all AMD’s ecosystem that syncs well with itself and doesn’t run into any sort of bottleneck.
Next up on the list is another card by XFX, which is a bit older than the rest of the cards. However, the card is worthy of the spot on the list as it has aged quite well.
Check Latest PriceIt has the GPU processor of the RX 580 GPU, which has been tweaked to give you an enhanced gaming experience and optimal performance. It comes with the true clock technology which makes sure that you get the best out of this card. Moreover, since it’s another AMD GPU, it will sync quite well with the Ryzen series processor.
The OC headroom is ample so that you can get more frames in your competitive games where every frame matters. With the Enhanced Cooling Technology included with this card, XFX made sure that while the card can be OCed, it can stay cool as well, so no thermal throttling occurs, and your gaming experience isn’t ruined. The tech also makes sure that the fan speed noise is reduced so that it doesn’t get extra noisy at high RPMs
The XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS XXX Edition belongs to the Polaris architecture which was quite advanced for its time and the 4th Gen GCN graphics core along with the new display engine and the Finfet 14 process technology makes the card a fine choice for pairing it with a Ryzen 3600x as it will give you maximized gaming performance without any lag or bottlenecks. . Even though the GPU has been around for some time it still goes head to head with the cards released later and still holds its own in most titles.
The ASUS GeForce RTX 2060 is an entry-level GPU that has ray tracing capable hardware. The card is based on the Turing architecture, which brings more performance to the table so that your gaming experience can be taken to the next level.
Check Latest PriceNow that we have covered the AMD GPUs, it’s time to switch over to the reigning GPU manufacturing company that is leading the GPU sector market. Nvidia! Nvidia has launched its 20 series under the slogan of the real-time Ray tracing capable GPUs.
Of course, Asus stepped in and worked its magic to modify the core clocks and power limits. The card comes with a 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM and has boosted core clocks over the base variant. Since ray-tracing is supported the card is compatible with DX 12 ultimate so that you can turn on; ray tracing effects, mesh shaders, variable-rate shading as well as sampler feedback. This will ensure a high visual fidelity gaming experience. The card comes packed with 4 DP ports and all these displays can be connected simultaneously so that you can do multi-tasking with ease. It supports all the latest display connectivity ports, such as HDMI, DP, and DVI.
Not just that, but Asus has come up with a great thermal design. The card comes with Wing-blade fans that have an innovative design and are constructed in an advanced manner. Asus has also advertised that below 55 degrees Celsius the card will not produce any noise which is quite the bold claim. Nonetheless, pairing it up with a ryzen 3600x will let you draw out the processor’s full potential as it has ample OC headroom due to its tweaked core clocks and thermal design. You will be able to enjoy gaming like never before.
Let’s bring in the big guns, albeit old ones. The 1080Ti chipset was an abnormality that Nvidia launched and surprisingly it was well ahead of its time.
Check Latest PriceIt is based on the Pascal architecture, and there is a big performance gap that Nvidia was able to achieve between the 1080 and the Titan X. Pairing it up with a 3600x will give you a plethora of performance, that you won’t know what to do with it.
EVGA has given its spin to the base variant and has given us a monstrosity that is still keeping up with newer titles and it is still holding its own against Nvidia’s flagships two generations later. The base and boost clocks paired with a humongous 11 GB of GDDR5X VRAM bring a lot of performance on the table and EVGA has included its iCX technology which will monitor the temps, the memory and VRAM on the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti so that you have maximum stability in your system.
The cooling design by EVGA is quite efficient and at the same time takes quite less power for a GPU this size. The fans have double ball bearings which allow for faster cooling as well as gain OC overhead that will give you a lot of extra performance from the card. EVGA has included the EVGA Precision XOC software utility which gives you complete control of all the 9 sensors on the GPU, RGB lights and dual fan speeds simultaneously and individually so that you have airflow that ensures that your card temperature stays down. While it’s an older GPU, but it’s more than capable of giving you excellent frame rates on the 2K resolution and even 4K resolution with some tweaking. It will make a worthy addition to your PC and you will have an all-around PC that performs at a high level.
If your goal is to game at 4K and you want a GPU that will perform well with a 3600X, then the MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2080 Super is the right choice for you.
Check Latest PriceBased on the Turing architecture, the GPU has been the high-end GPU ranking just below the 2080Ti. It has all the features that Nvidia developed so that gaming graphics were pushed into a new era. DLSS, ray tracing and other AI functions are supported by the GPU, which gives you maximum visual fidelity as well as a high level of performance that is matched by only the top-end GPUs in the market.
Of course, MSI had to tinker with the card and boost the core clocks, so you can have a GPU on your hands that lets you game at the next level of realism and experience games in 4K. The design is premium and the cooling is as effective as ever, giving you OC capability that lets you take your gaming to the ultimate level. The Geforce experience and shadow play are also enabled, which allows you to capture screenshots, record your gameplays with minimal system impacts, and stream the games you play making it a well-rounded card that is capable of performing multiple tasks.
MSI has also included the Dragon Center software, which gives you the ability to control and monitor the fans, temps and lighting. Due to its performance capabilities, the card will serve you quite well, if you’re a content creator and a streamer as it will allow you to stream those games at high bit rates which will ensure quality viewership.
Nvidia blew a lot of headlines as well as the performance benchmark records with the 2nd gen RTX 30 series cards that it launched.
Check Latest PriceThe cards improve upon the previous gen, the RTX 20 series and the ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 is no different as it hosts the RTX 3060 chipset and pairing it up with a 3600x brings in the ultimate level of performance that every gamer dreams of.
The card is based on the Ampere architecture, which is powering the most powerful and efficient GPUs in the world right now. The RTX 3060 is an entry-level card, but its specs translate to so much performance in the real world that it gives a hard time to the previous flagships by Nvidia. Moreover, the 2nd gen of RT cores has improved over the previous-gen and boasts much better and smoother ray tracing enabled effects, performance.
The card can power up an 8K display and the AI-powered DLSS technology will boost your gaming frame rates as well. The fan design has been designed for optimum airflow. The card comes with triple axial fans which come with reverse rotation technology so that it stays cooler and the fan life is increased around 4 times which will give you a durable GPU that won’t be needed to be upgraded for quite some time.
I have included all the GPUs from all ranges in the list that you can pair up with a ryzen 3600X. These GPUs are the best options in the market right now. However, if you still have confusion regarding a GPU that you can pair with a 3600x, then make sure that you check the factors to consider section. Nonetheless, the best GPU to pair up with a 3600x is the ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, as it has all the features that you need to get a GPU that you would need as it comes with second-gen RT cores and tensor cores that will let you take advantage of AI technologies that not only boost performance but your visual experience as well.
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