Best GPU for AMD Ryzen 9 5950X in 2020

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X (Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

If you want the best consumer-grade processor from AMD, you're going to be using the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. It's got 16 cores and a whopping 32 threads for incredible performance in multi-core optimized tasks like productivity and some games. Throwing into the mix the best graphics card will allow you to create among the best gaming PCs around.

MSI Radeon RX 6900 XT

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Best AMD for 4K

Because you're using one of the finest CPUs from AMD, it's only right that you provide the processor as much graphics performance as possible. The RX 6900 XT from AMD is the company's best 5000 series GPU, and it'll easily handle some 4K gaming, thanks to the competent processor and 16GB of VRAM.

ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

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Best NVIDIA for 4K

NVIDIA created quite the beast with the RTX 3090 GPU. While it only has 10GB of VRAM, the core clock speed is 1695Hz, which can be pushed to 1725Hz if you require additional headroom in-game. If you want the best 4K experience, look no further than the RTX 3090. It's priced beyond the RX 6900 XT because it's in a league of its own.

ASRock Radeon RX 6800

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Best AMD for 1440p

Looking for something a little more friendly to your wallet? ASRock has the Radeon RX 6800, which is well suited to 1440p gaming. Even though it's a step down from the RX 6900 XT, it still has 16GB of RAM and a beefy processor, but it's not quite good enough for advanced 4K gaming. For the Ryzen 9 5900X, this is a solid mid-tier GPU.

ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC

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Best NVIDIA for 1440p

Coming in at the mid-range for NVIDIA is the RTX 3070, replacing our existing favorite GPU for 1440p gaming in the form of the RTX 2060 SUPER. Because it strikes a good balance between performance and cost, you'll be able to enjoy some high-fidelity gaming at a reasonable price.

XFX THICC II Pro AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT

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Best AMD for 1080p

Those of you on a tighter budget will want to bear the RX 5500 XT in mind. It may not be the flashiest GPU around, but it still comes rocking PCIe 4.0 support and a massive 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM. It won't be able to push as many pixels as other recommendations in this collection, but you can easily game at 1080p on high visual settings.

EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti FTW ULTRA GAMING

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Best NVIDIA for 1080p

The GTX 1660 SUPER is a great GPU for a tight budget, but if we were to recommend a better investment, it would be the NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti. It's part of NVIDIA's 30 series, comes rocking ray tracing, and boasts far more performance than the GTX 1660 SUPER. It may be one of the more affordable 30 cards around, but this thing could even handle some 1440p gaming, so you know it's going to be a good fit for 1080p.

Choosing the right GPU

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Choosing the best GPU for your PC, you should always look to spend as much as possible. It's better to spend an extra $100 now rather than a full $300 in a few more months for a new GPU replacement with additional headroom for that 4K monitor you keep eyeing up. There's also screen synchronization that should play a factor, requiring you to go with an AMD GPU if it's FreeSync or NVIDIA if G-Sync.

If you're all about 1440p or 4K (or you plan to upgrade to UHD at a later date), you should consider the MSI Radeon RX 6900 XT or ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. These GPUs will do just fine should you be able to locate one in stock at the correct price. Don't provide scalpers any money who manage to buy them at RRP and sell at an inflated price.

It's possible to save money on your GPU without sacrificing too much on performance. The ASRock Radeon RX 6800 and ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC are awesome mid-tier GPUs and are perfect for 1440p gaming. They won't break your bank, nor will they bottleneck the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU. Don't see a GPU here that catches your eye? Have a look at our pick for the overall best graphics card.

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.