Best GPUs for i5 12600K in 2023

If you search for the best gaming processor at the moment, the Core i5 12600K is something that will appear in almost all the lists. Sure, it is not the highest end offering by Intel but for those who do not know, the i5s have always been great for mainstream gaming as they do not vary in terms of gaming performance much from their elder siblings.

The Core i5 12600K is definitely one of the most demanded CPUs in the market in terms of the performance and if you are looking for something that is stellar in gaming, then I doubt that you can get better than this. “While more expensive options are available, the i5 12600K hits the sweet spot for price and performance.

With that said, in this round up, we are going to take a look at the best Graphics card for i5 12600K to see which one is the best that you can find for your money.

Reviewing the Best GPU for i5 12600K

Awards	Model	Price
Editor’s Choice	ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3080	Buy on Amazon
Best GPU for 1440p Gaming	EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti FTW3 Ultra	Buy on Amazon
Best 1080p GPU for i5 12600K	Gigabyte RTX 3060 Ti Gaming OC	Buy on Amazon
Best Budget GPU for i5 12600K	MSI RTX 3050 Gaming X	Buy on Amazon
Best AMD GPU for i5 12600K	XFX Radeon RX 6600 SWFT210	Buy on Amazon

Considering how the GPU prices are going down and we are finally getting better and better stock situations in the market, it is a great time to look into the right GPU for your upcoming gaming PC. If you are really interested in getting on the gaming trend.

With that said, let’s explore the GPUs that we think are excellent for i5 12600K.

When you are talking about good GPUs, the one company that I can always rely on is Asus because they have been consistently delivering some of the finest GPUs that I have had the pleasure to test out and in case you have been searching for something good, you can rely on Asus knowing that you will not be let down. The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3080 is something that has been on my list for the longest time as this is a personal favorite.

Now, as someone who is fully aware of the performance prowess of the RTX 3080, I don’t really need to get into details but for those wondering just how good the GPU is in terms of the performance, let’s have a look at some 4K benchmarks before I talk to you about other things that this GPU excels at.

• Doom Eternal: 147 frames per second.
• Red Dead Redemption 2: 73 frames per second.
• Middle Earth Shadow of War: 108 frames per second.
• Metro Exodus: 56 frames per second.

As you can clearly see just by looking at the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3080, the GPU does not hold back in terms of absolute performance. Let me remind you that all games were tested in 4K resolution with all settings set to ultra. Of course, I did not use the raytracing and DLSS for these results but rest assured, the performance on those terms is also excellent.

A great thing here that I experienced is that this is the fastest RTX 3080 in the market, at the moment. It comes heavily overclocked out of the factory and has a headroom enough for more overclocking. So, if you are looking to push your hardware to the next level, this is perhaps the right time to do just that. 

The GPU feels solid in hand and all the components that Asus is using in this one are solid, to say the least. It is hefty, beefy, and all the other adjectives that you can find to describe this GPU. In simpler terms, if you want crushing quality, this is the one to go for.

The Strix design is my favorite and this time around, it has only gotten better and flashier, allowing you to have an even more refined experience. Sure, the RGB might be too much for some but you can always tone it down. Speaking of the Strix design, the cooler is another highlight of this GPU, so you can be happy knowing that your PC is not going to run hot.

My only concern is the fact that this baby here sips a lot of power. So, if you are someone who is concerned with saving energy, you might have to rethink.

Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3080 is easily one of the best RTX 3080s that you can buy in the market and clearly is the best GPU for 12600K. If you have been looking for something that delivers great performance overall, this is the way to go.

The next GPU that we are looking at is the recently launched 3070 Ti. However, this time around, it is from EVGA. It should not really come as a surprise but EVGA has come a long, long way as a consumer brand and is now considered to be one of the top brands for anyone who is looking for absolute performance. If you have been looking to get something good, be sure to check out EVGA because the experience alone is worth it.

With that said, the EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti FTW3 Ultra is visiting us at the table, and for anyone who has been looking at good performance, this GPU is the one that you should be looking into. Now, I will be honest, when I first opened it up, I was expecting the GPU to deliver excellent 1440p performance and it has not disappointed me. 

• Doom Eternal: 140 frames per second.
• Red Dead Redemption 2:  74.1 frames per second.
• Middle Earth Shadow of War: 102 frames per second.
• Metro Exodus: 68.7 frames per second.

For anyone who is wondering about the performance, the GPU does not slow down and that certainly is a good thing. I have been using a lot of GPUs in the past and this one is just as good in almost every regard. If you genuinely want something that is powerful enough, then this is the way to go. What is even better is that you are getting something that remains cool across the whole performance spectrum.

Moving further, EVGA has done an excellent job with the overall build quality of this GPU. Not once did I feel like I am using something that is not good enough. The GPU delivers stellar build quality across the board and it only gets better as we go further.

The GPU also has plenty of fan headers onboard and some of the best-looking RGB lighting that is soft, even, and striking. 

If there is something that I do not like about the GPU is the choice of VRAM. For some reason, EVGA has decided to equip this one with just 8 gigs of VRAM which might not be enough for 4K resolution in the coming future.

Overall, the EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti FTW3 Ultra is still an excellent GPU that is one of the best for i5 12600K. It delivers consistent and stellar performance and does not show signs of slowing down either.

The next GPU that we are looking at is from Gigabyte and although I love Gigabyte as I have been using them for as long as I can remember, the GPU itself is made for those who are not looking to spend a lot of money, and well, there is nothing wrong with it, either, to be honest. We all are always searching for something that brings value to the table and anything other than that is a waste of time.

With that said, the Gigabyte RTX 3060 Ti Gaming OC has paid us a visit, and the best part about this GPU is that it is easily one of the most popular GPUs for anyone who does not want to spend all their savings on a GPU but the good thing is that it still manages to deliver excellent performance for anyone who wants to game at 1080p. So, let’s not overlook the performance.

• Doom Eternal: 127 frames per second.
• Red Dead Redemption 2:  83 frames per second.
• Middle Earth Shadow of War: 127 frames per second.
• Metro Exodus: 87 frames per second.

It is safe to say that at 1080p, the Gigabyte RTX 3060 Ti Gaming OC delivered fantastic performance across the board and if you have been looking for something that is good and does not slow down your overall gaming performance, then getting your hands on this GPU is perhaps the right thing and you should not be looking elsewhere in terms of good overall GPUs.

However, the performance is not the only good part about the Gigabyte RTX 3060 Ti Gaming OC. The entirety of the GPU is made with great-quality components and for anyone who has been searching for a good experience, this is the way to go. I have been using the GPU for some time and I honestly have not found any point in which I would be mad about it.

The performance out of the box remains stellar, the GPU has excellent build quality and manages to run silently even when it is under load. The design is not massive, either. Which certainly is a good thing for those who want to be on the more compact side.

Honestly, I don’t really have any issues. However, 8 gigs of VRAM can suffer if you move up to a higher resolution.

Overall, the Gigabyte RTX 3060 Ti Gaming OC serves us one of the best GPUs that you can buy for the money, right now. If you want a great sweet spot and do not want to spend all your money on something else, then this is more than enough and will let you enjoy the sweet 60 fps experience.

The last GPU that we are going to look at from Nvidia is coming from MSI’s boot camp and for those who do not know, MSI is known as the company that has been delivering some excellent GPUs and other components, too. So, it is only fair that the GPUs that we are looking at from MSI are good and deliver excellent performance across the board.

Now, the MSI RTX 3050 Gaming X is the GPU on the table, and to be honest, it is so much better than I had initially expected. You are honestly not going to be let down by just how good the GPU is, and it actually shows that you are not getting something that is lacking, to be honest. You can check the performance for yourself.

• Doom Eternal: 178 frames per second.
• Red Dead Redemption 2:  53 frames per second.
• Middle Earth Shadow of War: 97 frames per second.
• Metro Exodus: 27 frames per second.

Now, it is safe to say that the MSI RTX 3050 Gaming X does deliver good performance but it is also one of the few RTX 3000 GPUs that falter in performance every now and then and honestly, I do not believe that to be a problem, either. You see, Metro Exodus and Red Dead Redemption 2 are among the most graphically intensive games that one can play and it is more than understandable to see the performance degradation here.

Overall, the 1080p performance of this GPU is more than solid in almost every case, to a point that you are not really going to feel like you should be investing in something else. The GPU manages to run cool and quiet, and more importantly, it actually runs really well. In a lot of cases, I also noticed that using Raytracing with DLSS was entirely possible.

Moving further, this might as well be one of the most power efficient RTX 3050s that you can get and honestly, being someone who has been on the budget gaming, I do understand that this plays an important role for a lot of budget gamers and I am happy to report that you are getting that experience.

As far as the downsides are concerned, my only issue here is that although a great GPU, the RTX 3050 is made strictly for those who are on a budget.

Overall, the MSI RTX 3050 Gaming X is one of the finest GPUs that you can buy in the market right now and if you have been searching for something that delivers good performance, this is the way to go and that too, without any compromises.

The last GPU that we are looking at is from XFX and well, for those who have been in the PC gaming for as long as they can remember, XFX is one of the top brands when you are talking about GPUs, and while the company used to make GPUs for both AMD and Nvidia, things have changed now as Nvidia is no longer working with the company.

However, that does not indicate that something might be wrong with XFX, the company is still strong and kicking and the XFX Radeon RX 6600 Swft 210 is just another testament to all the good GPUs that the company has been making. Honestly, for those who are on a tight budget, this GPU gets the job done.

• Doom Eternal: 181 frames per second.
• Red Dead Redemption 2:  135.6 frames per second.
• Middle Earth Shadow of War: 109 frames per second.
• Metro Exodus: 104.2 frames per second.

You can see that at 1080p, the XFX Radeon RX 6600 Swft 210 managed to give pretty decent performance. However, before you go ahead and start cheering, it is very, very important to know that I had to dial down the settings to medium in some more intensive games. So, in case you are looking to experience that, it is better that you are fully aware of that.

As far as the temperatures and thermals are concerned, the GPU was more than adequate in both departments and I did not really run into places where I would be wishing for the GPU to run on the cooler side. Another thing that I do appreciate a lot here is the fact that you are getting some really good power efficiency, so for those who are concerned, this should not worry you at all.

For those who are looking for a stealthy GPU, you would be happy to know that the GPU does look discrete as well.

However, the one thing that I do not like is that when you are looking to crank up the settings, the GPU starts suffering in terms of performance that is not what we like.

Overall, the XFX Radeon RX 6600 Swft 210 is surprisingly great for the price you are paying and should be more than enough for most gaming endeavors.

Conclusion

I do understand the confusion that might shroud you whenever you are in the market looking for a good GPU, but one must understand that the market has limitless options and finding the right one is perhaps the most important thing that one can go through.

If you have been searching for the best GPU for i5 12600K. We have curated this list for you that caters to people from every budget and every type of game. So, even if you are not looking to play AAA games, there is something for you that will cater to your needs just fine. You just have to read through and pick the one that you want.

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