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The Intel Core i5-10600K is the best gaming CPU for most users. It overclocks very easily and can pass the 5GHz mark on any decent motherboard and with any quality cooler. Once it reaches 5GHz it more or less levels with the core i9-10900K when it comes to gaming performance. If you want to find out which GPUs are best to pair with the 10900K and more, visit our graphics cards section.
When it comes to the best graphics card for i5-10600K, the good news is that you can use any GPU with the 10600K without creating a noticeable CPU bottleneck. You might lose a frame or two when pairing the 10600K with the RTX 2080 Ti but you probably won’t notice it. However, since not all GPUs are the same, read on to find the best GPUs for 10600K depending on your budget and use case.
Now before you dive into the list, take a moment and see our other 10600K buying guides. We recommend checking our guide for the best CPU coolers for i5-10600K. We also have a pretty detailed guide regarding the best motherboard for i5-10600K.
1. EVGA RTX 2080 Ti Black Gaming: Best overall graphics card for Core i5-10600K
If you want the best GPU to pair with the 10600K, the EVGA RTX 2080 Ti Black Gaming is the obvious choice. You will lose a couple of frames compared to what the 10900K can squeeze out of the 2080 Ti but it will be possible to reach about 98 percent of the 10900K performance, which isn’t so bad.
Yes, the RTX 2080 Ti is expensive as hell. Yes, it doesn’t make much sense to combine the Core i5-10600K with it. But we are making the case for the best overall GPU for the 10600K and the 2080 Ti is the obvious choice.
2. EVGA RTX 2080 Super Black Gaming: Best 4K 60 FPS graphics card for Core i5-10600K
You thought we would recommend the 2080 Ti for 4K 60 fps experience, didn’t you? Well, recommending the 2080 Ti isn’t the best thing to do when we consider the price-to-performance ration. Unless, of course, you want the absolute best of the best no matter the price. For everyone else, the EVGA RTX 2080 Super Black Gaming is the best 4K 60fps graphics card for the 10600K.
Many popular games will run with their settings all cranked up at 4K at a relatively steady 60 frames per second. On the other hand, you’ll have to tone down a setting or two for certain AAA titles. The good news is that you won’t notice the difference unless you are one of those people who take two comparison screenshots and then look at them for five minutes to spot the difference.
And let’s not forget the imminent arrival of next-gen titles. Those won’t be playable at 4K and 60fps with max details even on the 2080 Ti so why spend so much more money for a measly 10-12 percent performance improvement? And then, there’s the DLSS 2.0 that should allow RTX 2080 to shine at 4K with future titles. Again, if you want to pair a GPU with the 10600K for the 4K 60fps experience don’t spend a fortune on the 2080 Ti, spend a smaller fortune on the 2080 Super. Oh, and if you want to go above and beyond the [email protected], we have a list of the best 4K 144Hz gaming monitors.
3. MSI RTX 2070 Super Ventus GP OC: Best 1440p gaming graphics card for 10600K
The MSI RTX 2070 Super Ventus GP OC can achieve steady 60 frames per second in almost every game with all bells and whistles turned on. This makes the card the best 1440p GPU for 10600K owners who want to enjoy the best possible 1440p 60fps experience.
We aren’t talking about 1440p high refresh rate gaming here. We’re talking about regular, 60fps gaming with the best possible image quality. This is why the RTX 2070 Super has the advantage over the AMD RX 5700 XT. It’s a bit more powerful, allowing titles to reach the magic, 60fps area without sacrificing much, if any, eye candy.
This, of course, won’t work with RTX settings turned on. But, if they support DLSS 2.0 you can enable ray-tracing effects, lower the rendering resolution, enable DLSS 2.0 magic, and play those titles at 60fps with (most) RTX bells and whistles on.
4. Sapphire Pulse RX 5700 XT: Best high refresh rate GPU for Core i5-10600K
High refresh rate gaming means lowering visual settings without any regret to get higher performance. This is why we picked the RX 5700 XT over the RTX 2070 Super. Yes, the RTX 2070 Super is faster, but only about 5-10 percent on average while being 25 percent more expensive. And once settings get toned down, the RX 5700 XT can go over 100fps without issues while retaining pretty good image quality.
It’s also great in case you only want 144fps experience in shooters, racing games, and esports titles while being okay with playing other games at 60fps. It can reach 60fps with all settings maxed out in the majority of titles while it also can offer ultra-fast performance in esports games. The Sapphire Pulse RX 5700 XT is an excellent choice both for 1440p and 1080p high refresh rate gaming. If you’re interested in high refresh gaming and want the best GPU for the job, you could visit our guide for the best graphics cards for 1440p 144Hz gaming.
5. ASUS TUF Gaming GTX 1660 Super: Best Core i5-10600K GPU for gaming builds under $1000
Now, this recommendation is completely defined by the price. If you want to build a $1000 or so gaming rig based on the 10600K you won’t have much money left for the GPU. Instead of settling for a GTX 1650 Super you can add a couple of dozen bucks and get the 1660 Super. The ASUS TUF Gaming GTX 1660 Super is one of the cheapest 1660 Super cards at the moment. Nevertheless, it’s a quality card with a solid cooling system, even a backplate.
The GTX 1660 Super is an excellent card for the price. It has killer 1080p gaming performance and you can also use it for 1440p gaming with reduced details. It should be powerful enough to run cross-gen games at high details in 1080p. That gives the card a good 18-24 months of excellent performance in every game.
If you’re thinking about building an $1000 gaming PC, visit our best gaming PC under $1000 guide to see which components we recommend using.
6. ASUS TUF Gaming GTX 1660 Super: Best 1080p gaming graphics card for Core i5-10600K
The king of 1080p gaming is, again, the ASUS TUF Gaming GTX 1660 Super. You can use this card for 1440p gaming, but with reduced visual settings. At 1080p, this card can run any title at steady 60 frames per second with most settings cranked to the max. When we take the price into account, this GPU is the best bang for the buck 1080p graphics card for the core i5-10600K on the market.
It’s an excellent combination with the 10600K because firstly, the card’s pretty affordable compared to its performance. Next, it will run cross-gen titles pretty good at 1080p, although you won’t be able to use ray-tracing effects. Thirdly, the card has enough power in reserve to allow you cozy 1080p gaming for at least 18 months.
And once you need a replacement, you’ll be able to get an RDNA 2 or RTX 3000 card for a regular price because we’re sure that both Nvidia and AMD next-gen graphics cards will see some kind of price gouging during the first couple of months of sales. With the current situation in the world, there is no way manufacturers will be able to deliver enough units so expect some kind of price increase, at least until the stock stabilizes.
7. Zotac Gaming RTX 2070 Super Mini: Best Core i5-10600K GPU for SFF builds
Most SFF builds can fit cards up to 300mm long. Even ultra-compact ITX cases can host a card that’s up to 250mm in length. Well, the good news is that you have RTX 2070 Super Mini graphic card models that can fit into almost every SFF case. The best model is the Zotac Gaming RTX 2070 Super Mini, which is just 210mm long. If you’re interested in SFF builds, check our best mini–ITX case guide.
Anyway, with the 2070 Super you have enough power for any game to run like a knife through butter at 1440p. The card’s also (at least the Zotac model) cool enough to work comfortably (read: with decent thermals) inside a small form factor case. Overall, this RTX 2070 is the best SFF GPU for the Core i5-10600K.
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