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The Core i9-9900K from Intel is still an extremely powerful gaming processor. While it isn’t at the top of the list of best CPUs for gaming anymore, the 9900K has enough power to offer high performance in years to come, no matter which game you throw at it. If you own a different gaming CPU, check out our graphics cards section to find a ton of GPU buying guides.
Scroll below and see the best graphics cards for i9-9900K for various usage scenarios. We have the best GPUs for 4K gaming, for 1440p gaming whether at 60fps or higher, or for building an SFF gaming build. We’ve also included the best graphics card for esports titles.
While you’re here you could also check out our guides for the best motherboard for i9-9900K as well as the best CPU coolers for i9-9900K. And since the 9900K is still an beefy gaming CPU you could also check the guides for the best 1440p 240Hz monitors and best 4K 144Hz monitors for gaming.
1. ASUS RTX 2080 Ti OC: Best graphics card for i9-9900K overall
As everyone already knows the RTX 2080Ti is the best overall GPU for the 9900K. This card is a beast and can push three-digit performance at 1440p in most games as well as stable 60fps with all settings maxed at 4K.
The price of the card certainly doesn’t reflect its performance since the RTX 2080 Super offers about 90 percent of the power for almost half the price, but having the best gaming GPU at the moment comes with a premium price tag. If you want the absolute best, get ready to pay for it.
2. EVGA RTX 2080 Super Black Gaming: Best GPU for i9-9900K for 4K 60 FPS gaming
Those who want the best possible gaming experience at 4K or 1440p no matter the price will spend their hard-earned cash on the RTX 2080Ti. Everyone else will look at it and say “yeah, I don’t want to pay a four-digit price for a graphics card,” and start searching for an alternative.
And the best 9900K GPU for most users is the RTX 2080 Super. This is the best i9-9900K GPU for 4K 60Hz gaming since the only upgrade has about seventy percent higher price while offering up to 10-12 percent better performance.
Now, you won’t be able to play every game at 60fps with all settings cranked out, but most of them will run just fine. Esports and multiplayer titles will run without issues, even at three-digit frame rates. Most AAA games will run at 60fps or a bit below.
System hogs such as RDR 2, Metro Exodus, or AC: Odyssey will struggle to achieve 60 frames. The good news is that two of the three titles come with a wide range of visual settings allowing users to achieve the best ratio between eye candy and performance.
And if more games (current and future titles) include DLSS support in the future, you will be able to use the RTX 2080 Super for 4K 60fps gaming with all settings maxed out.
3. Sapphire Pulse RX 5700 XT: Best AMD graphics card for i9-9900K for 1440p gaming
Here, we have two gaming scenarios. The first is the good old case of stable 60 frames per second. The second scenario includes the 1440p resolution and three-digit frame rates. Luckily, there are great graphics cards for both cases.
If you want to run all the latest AAA games at 60fps and 1440p the RX 5700 XT is the best AMD GPU for the 9900K. The card is capable of achieving results way higher than 60fps in most games but the most demanding ones will stay in the 60-80fps range.
The good thing is that, while AAA games will work at 60fps or higher, esports titles will run at 100 frames or higher, making the RX 5700 XT excellent choice for 1440p high refresh gaming. At least if you’re satisfied with AAA games running at double-digit frame rates and only demanding esports and multiplayer titles to run at 120fps or higher.
4.EVGA RTX 2070 Super Gaming: Best Nvidia GPU for i9-9900K for 1440p gaming
On the Nvidia side the best 1440p graphics cards for the 9900K is the RTX 2070 Super. The Nvidia GPU’s ace in the sleeve is RTX and DLSS support. This combo can push it ahead of its AMD counterpart in games that support DLSS. And these days, that’s a lot of games.
Specs-wise the RTX 2070 is pretty similar to the RX 5700 XT. You get very similar rasterized performance, the same amount of video memory, and more or less the same power requirements. But if you want RTX and DLSS support, the Nvidia part is the better choice for 9900K owners.
5. EVGA RTX 2080 Super Black Gaming: Best i9-9900K GPU for high refresh rate 1440p gaming
For zero compromise 1440p high refresh rate gaming the RTX 2080 Super is the best choice. At least if you want to play both AAA titles and esports games at high refresh rates. If you’re ready to shave some details off or are satisfied with AAA titles running at 60 frames well, you’ve already read the best choices for those use cases.
6. EVGA RTX 2060 KO Gaming: Best i9-9900K graphics card for 1080p gaming
If you want to play AAA games at 60 frames per second or higher at 1080p and esports games at high refresh rates, the RTX 2060 is the best GPU to pair with the 9900K. The card’s capable of achieving 60fps or higher in great majority of current titles with all settings cranked to the max. And when it comes to FPS games or esports and multiplayer titles, they will run at 100 fps or higher without issues.
Of course, the RTX 2060 also comes with RTX and DLSS goodies. The latter can give you a noticeable performance bump and while DLSS doesn’t look great at 1080p its quality is serviceable for most gamers. RTX performance, on the other hand, isn’t great. However, by combining RTX and DLSS at 1080p you should get playable performance in older games that support RTX effects.
7. ASUS GTX 1660 Super OC: Best eSports gaming GPU for i9-9900K
If you just want to play esports and multiplayer titles in general, you don’t need a beast of a GPU. Mid-range graphics cards are more than enough for a great esports gaming experience, both at 1080p and 1440p.
The GTX 1660 Super is the card to buy if you’re looking for a zero compromise esports gaming experience. This is, hands down, the best esports GPU for 9900K. You’ll also be able to play AAA games with high settings at 60fps, which isn’t so bad. At least at 1080p.
If you are fine with lowering some details, staying below 144fps, or both, the GTX 1660 Super could be a solid choice even at 1440p. On the flip side, more demanding titles (read: AAA games) will have to see some of their visual settings turned off.
Now, 6 gigabytes of memory is more than enough for multiplayer games no matter the resolution. If you’re only play esports games you won’t have to worry about video memory even if you play at 4K.
If you like a AAA experience from time to time 6GB of memory is enough for ultra textures at 1080p. At 1440p, however, you’ll need to drop texture settings down to high or medium.
8. Zotac Gaming RTX 2070 Super Mini: Best i9-9900K GPU for SFF builds
There are loads of cool, short PCB cards made for SFF builds. The Zotac RTX 2070 Super Mini is the best of them all. It’s short and can fit into like 95 percent of all Mini-ITX cases while offering the same performance as a full-fledged RTX 2070 Super. If you’re planning on making an SFF build be sure to read our guide for the best Mini-ITX case.
The card’s powerful enough for high-end 1440p gaming and DLSS support guarantees a performance boost in a ton of different titles that support it. Now, while this GPU is the best i9-9900K graphics card for ITX builds do note that it could get pretty hot under load if the case doesn’t have great airflow.
If you notice worryingly high thermals (higher than 85 degrees Celsius) we recommend you visit our guide for the best GPU cooler. It features the best aftermarket GPU coolers that can noticeably decrease GPU thermals, especially if the case in question has ITX form factor.
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