Best GPU for Ryzen 5 3600: Optimizing the Legendary CPU

If you’ve just got a Ryzen 5 3600 and are looking to pair it up with a compatible GPU, you’re at the right place. Here’s we’ll discuss about the best possible GPUs for the Ryzen 5 3600 in detail.

We all want to avoid bottlenecks and performance issues. That’s exactly why we try we try to go for the best GPU compatibility for the processors that we get. I must say, for a mid-range CPU, the Ryzen 5 3600 is an awesome buy. It even has the potential to take on some pretty high-end GPUs.

Yeah, I know, getting the best performance out of your CPU and GPU can be tricky. But you can count on us in that regard. So, let’s begin! Shall we?

Perks That Optimize the Ryzen 3600 for Powerful GPUs

You might be wondering, how come this CPU can take on GPUs that are supposed to be paired up with the likes of Intel’s Core i7 series and the Ryzen 7 lineup of CPUs. Well, let’s dig into the major facts.

List of The Best GPUs for Ryzen 5 3600

Now that we’ve talked about a bit of necessary info on the CPU itself let’s go straight to the list of compatible GPUs that would perform best with it. Buckle up! We’re in for a long rife.

ASUS ROG Strix AMD Radeon RX 5700XT

The ASUS ROG Strix series GPUs are not only known for their awesome performance but for their solid build as well. Yes, I’m talking about the features like Super Alloy Power II and Auto Extreme Technology that ensure enhanced reliability.

This GPU is just awesome for 1080p and 1440p gaming. It packs enough muscle to run the current titles on High to Ultra settings still now. Performance apart, the card also excels in cooling. The GPU chip remains cool with the help of the MaxContact and, of course, a big beefy heatsink.

The new Axial-tech design by Asus features three dedicated fans. These fans surpass the performance of the previous generation GPUs by a long shot. Not to mention, there are many other features, including the 0dB mode, a reinforced frame, IP5X dust resistance, a reinforced frame, and so on.

Plus, the Aura Sync RGB lighting feature is enabled on both the shroud and the backplate. You won’t be disappointed if you’re into vertical GPU mounting. The light sync feature really offers a show to remember.

I didn’t choose this one to be one of the best GPUs for Ryzen 5 3600 just for aesthetics and cooling. Trust me; this unit has a lot more to offer.

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Many of us compare the clock speeds of the GPUs from different brands. This one offers clock speeds of 2035MHz in OC Mode, and it’s boosted to 2010Mhz in gaming mode.

You should know that the 2.7 slot design of the GPU increases the cooling surface area. This really helps to make the best use of the Axial-tech fan design. Also, the Asus FanConnect II uses two dedicated hybrid-controlled fan headers for the best cooling possible.

The GPU itself is GPU Tweak II ready. Just in case you like to tweak the clock speeds or the memory performance of the graphics card, you’ll love the thermal control features, the interface itself, and the utility that it offers.

The unit uses the advanced GDDR6 memory as well. With 8GB of VRAM, you really won’t suffer from a lack of graphics memory. It should be quite enough to game within the resolutions that I’ve mentioned before.

By the way, the memory bus speed of the card is 256 bits, and the memory clock speed is 2035 MHz. A well-optimized balance, if you ask me.

That’s pretty much all the basic info you need to know about the ASUS ROG Strix AMD Radeon RX 5700XT. An awesome option to look into, I must say.

ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Twin Edge OC

Now, let’s jump from solid performance and look a bit into a more budget option. The ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Twin Edge OC is a GPU that should give you great performance and won’t break the bank either.

The GPU itself has a dual-fan design. It isn’t really anything too flashy, but it does exactly what it promises and more. The GPU hits the 1080p sweet spot. In many games, it even performs a bit better than the RTX 2080. The same scenario remains in 1440p gaming. This is due to the extra VRAM offered.

Keep note that performance will significantly drop when you attempt 4k gaming in high settings. But that is much expected as it’s built mainly to be a mid-range GPU. However, test benches say that it obliterates some of the few previous generation high-end GPUs in raw performance.

The ray tracing and DLSS performance of the GPU are praiseworthy as well. And yes, it does beat the RTX 2080 to quite some extent. The power draw and thermals of the GPU aren’t bad either. You won’t be cranking up the electricity bills even if you choose to run the GPU on heavy loads.

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The ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Twin Edge OC uses the Nvidia Ampere architecture along with 3rd Gen Tensor Cores and 2nd Gen Ray Tracing Cores. This explains the boosted performance it has in gaming test benchmarks.

Like all the new and awesome GPUs, this one uses the new GDDR6 memory. Twelve gigs might seem a bit too much for many. But there are a few games that actually do use more than eight gigs of VRAM.

Don’t let the small size fool you. The GPU isn’t light. It has a total weight of 1 kg 40 g. But that really won’t bother you after you’ve installed it now, would it?

Apart from this, the card is ready for four displays and has three dedicated display ports along with the HDMI one. You’ll also be glad to know that it fully supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan RT API, and OpenGL 4.6.

The IceStorm 2.0 Cooling feature is impressive as well. Dual fans don’t always mean inferior cooling. Plus, the GPU features active fan control, Freeze fan stop, and as expected, a nice-looking backplate.

PowerColor Red Devil Radeon RX 6700 XT

This time, let’s talk about a GPU that offers a great balance between the ratio of price to performance. PowerColor has been offering great GPUs for quite some time now, and the Red Devil Radeon RX 6700 XT is no exception. Let’s see what this beast of a GPU has to offer.

The GDDR6 memory is a given since this is a current-gen GPU that is above the mid-tier range. The card comes with a whopping 12GB of VRAM. This is great for those who want to play games in higher resolutions. It has a memory clock of 16 Gbps. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

The clock speeds of the GPU can be divided into two categories. Firstly, the game clock runs in 2514MHz at OC mode. In the silent mode, however, the clocks are reduced to 2433MHz. On the boost clock mode, you get 2633MHz in OC mode and 2615MHz in silent mode.

For the dimensions of 32 x 13 x 5 cm, the GPU is rather light. The total weight of the card is limited to 500g. This really isn’t a bad thing as it’d be less prone to GPU sag after being installed in the motherboard.

The core of the card, AMD’s architecture, the new 7 nm Navi 22 silicon, is used. The graphics chip has 40 RDNA2 compute units in total. This means there are 2,560 stream processors, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs and of course, 40 ray accelerators.

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The RDNA2 graphics architecture in this one utilizes fixed-function hardware for accelerating intersections of raytracing. This technology heavily depends on the compute shader. Fortunately, this makes it offer a massive improvement in 3D performance compared to the previous-gen GPUs.

As for energy efficiency, the GPU comes really close to the 1660 Ti. I was impressed to find out that the GPU runs on only 1MHz on idle. And on full gaming loads, it runs on 2483 MHz (On average).

To sum it all up, the GPU is just great for those who don’t want to spend much on extra bells and whistles. A great choice for those who seek raw performance all in all.

MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2080

Let’s talk about a GPU that can actually push the performance of the Ryzen5 3600 to its limits. Introducing the MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2080. This one has a triple fan design to offer optimum cooling with outstanding performance.

The MSI TORX Fans 2.0 use double ball bearings than ensure a strong durable core. This means you’ll be able to game for years without having to worry about any issues. The best part is, even in heavy loads, the fans remain quite silent. No annoying whizzes when you’re opting for that final headshot.

Speaking of cooling, I just have to talk about the concentrated copper heat pipes that run through the rather large array of aluminum fins. These work just great when it comes to spreading the heat throughout the heatsink.

Also, you must know by now that not all circuit boards are created the same. That’s where the custom PCB of the MSI Gaming RTX 2080’s custom PCB comes in. It’s specially designed to draw the maximum performance of the GPU and offer ultimate stability at the same time.

And you can’t but notice the awesome stylish backplate the GPU comes with. The classy brushed appearance really adds to the aesthetics of the whole unit. It not only strengthens the relatively long GPU, but the tactically placed thermal pads even help to keep the temperatures in check.

You should also know that this baby here is MSI mystic light sync ready. Which means you can sync the GPU’s RGB lights with your whole system. A properly balanced and synced RGB experience is a sight to behold.

This card can offer support for four separate display monitors. This is pretty neat for those who believe a single screen really isn’t enough.

All that aside, the GPU is amped up with the next generation GDDR-6 memory and offers fuss support for DirectX 12. The last cherry on top would be Nvidia’s new addition to the ray-tracing game. With this GPU, you’ll be able to experience lifelike lighting, reflections, and shadows in your games.

Welcome to the next generation of gaming! This GPU is an awesome performer and won’t disappoint those who don’t mind paying a bit extra for a few premium features.

ASUS GeForce RTX 2060 Dual-Fan EVO Edition

The ASUS GeForce RTX 2060 Dual-Fan EVO Edition is probably the optimal choice for those who want the best GPU for Ryzen 5 3600 within a low budget. This is a mid-range GPU that’s just great for 1080p gaming. There are a bunch of features that the GPU offers that make it a must-have for many.

As I said before, the GPU is a great bang for the buck if you’re opting to run it on a full HD display. It’s even on par with the likes of the Nvidia RTX 2060 Super. It also offers playable framerates in 1440p at high settings.

The Windforce version seems to consume less power than the Gaming OC version as well. It requires a single 8-pin power connector to run this bad boy. Yes, the power consumption is a bit higher than the stock RTX 2060. But that really is worth it for the amped-up performance.

Even during gaming high settings at 1440p, the Dual Fan cooler seems to keep things cool and steady. The TDP of the card is only 160 W, which is way lower than some contemporary yet similar performing cards. This is really awesome if you ask me.

As for the basic specs, the base clock of the ASUS GeForce RTX 2060 Dual-Fan EVO Edition is 1365 MHz MHz to be exact. The boost clock reaches up to 1680 MHz, though. And you obviously get the goodness of the Nvidia Turing architecture and real-time ray tracing.

The memory clock of the GPU is 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). Seems impressive, right?

As I mentioned, the cooling of this little card is just great, the build is awesome, and it doesn’t look shabby at all. A great option for those with a tight budget.

ASUS TUF Gaming 3 AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT TOP Edition

Now that we’ve discussed a really good budget option for the Ryzen 5 3600 from Nvidia’s end let’s see what AMD has to offer. Let’s talk in detail about what the ASUS TUF Gaming 3 AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT TOP Edition has to offer.

First of all, let’s discuss the clock speeds. The TOP edition has a boost clock of 1770 MHz in OC mode. However, it does reach up to up to 1750 MHz in gaming mode. Take your pick; it’s gonna perform great either way.

The cooling system of this GPU is pretty impressive, I must say. This is especially because of the Axial-tech fan design. It features a smaller fan hub to facilitate the comparatively larger blades. And, of course, the barrier ring increases downward pressure to increase airflow.

Silent gaming is appreciated by pretty much everyone. That’s why I really liked the 0 dB technology that the card brought to the table. This allows the user to enjoy light gaming in far less noise compared to the competition.

Just like the ROG Strix GPU that we discussed earlier, this one too has the 2.7 slot design. It really adds to the cooling efficiency of the overall unit. Not to mention, the dual-ball bearing used in this card increases durability to quite some extent. Almost double compared to sleeve bearing designs.

Also, the reinforced frame is really nice to have. It helps to keep the PCB straight and steady. And also, it prevents excessive torsion. As for the build of this TUF series GPU, it’s built with style and solid components nevertheless. The Auto-Extreme Technology is really worth the praise.

The unit is perfectly compatible with other TUF Gaming and TUF alliance products. It would especially look awesome with TUF series motherboards. If you want to build a military-style rig, these components are just awesome.

Sapphire Radeon NITRO+ Rx 580 8GB

Let’s finish this off with a rather cheap and affordable option. Just because I placed the Sapphire Radeon Nitro+ Rx 580 at the last position doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the least desirable option. This can still run pretty much all the latest games in custom settings at 1080p.

The NITRO+ cards have always gained praise for their optimal cooling mechanism. The two 95mm fans are specially built to provide noticeably powerful yet silent cooling. These work great compared to the standard smaller fan designs.

I really must appreciate the dust-repelling dual ball bearing system of the Dual-X design. This really is an upgrade on Sapphire’s part. The Fan Check system allows you to check out the cooler’s status at any time using the TriXX 3.0 app.

Now let’s talk a bit about the advanced VRM cooling. The heatsink is stamped on the cooling module to the shape of the Mosfet. This is done with a high thermal conductivity pad. This offers great efficiency in dispersing the heat. The same strategy is also implemented on the backplate around the Mosfet area.

Unlike the newer GPUs that we discussed beforehand, the Rx 580 uses 8GB of DDR5 memory. This isn’t all that bad as it offers playable FPS on most online games on high settings. Speaking of memory, the memory clock speed on this one is 1750 Mhz with a bus width of 256 bits.

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER WINDFORCE OC

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER WINDFORCE OC is probably the optimal choice for those who want the best GPU for Ryzen 5 3600 within a low budget. This is a mid-range GPU that’s just great for 1080p gaming. There are a bunch of features that the GPU offers that make it a must have for many.

As I said before, the GPU is a great bang for buck if you’re opting to run it on a full HD display. Its even on par with the likes of the Nvidia RTX 2070. It also offers playable framerates in 1440p at high settings.

The Windforce version seems to consume less power than the Gaming OC version as well. It reaches the peak of 180W on peak loads. Yes, it’s a bit higher than the stock RTX 2060 Super. But that really is worth it for the amped up performance.

Even during gaming high settings at 1440p, the Windforce 3 cooler seems to keep things cool and steady. With the slight sacrifice of your silent gaming atmosphere, the card hits a mere 74C. This is really awesome if you ask me. Especially when you compare with the other contenders.

As for the basic specs, the core clock of the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER WINDFORCE OC is 1680 MHz to be exact. You obviously get the goodness of the Nvidia Turing architecture and real time ray tracing.

As I mentioned, the cooling of this little card is just great. This is mostly due to the alternate spinning fans of the Windforce 2x cooling system. A great buy for budget gamers in my opinion.

And that’s a wrap!

Finishing Things Off

With six powerful cores and advanced hyperthreading technology, the Ryzen 5 3600 proves to be a beast of a CPU. IT can handle high-end GPUs with ease (If not the flagships). It’s always wise to check the bottleneck of both the CPU and the GPU before making a purchase.

I’ve listed seven options for you to choose from. However, you’re free to do your own research and choose the right one for yourself. Just keep in mind the ways of getting the most out of the CPU within your budget.

That’s pretty much it for now. I hope you enjoyed the read. Farewell!