Best GPU for Intel Core i7-10700K in 2020

The Intel Core i7-10700K is a brilliant processor and is part of Intel's 10th Generation of CPUs. Succeeding the excellent Core i7-9700K, this newer processor rocks eight cores and plenty of performance when paired with an equally capable GPU. Fear not as we've rounded up some picks for best graphics card to use with the Core i7-10700K.
Best AMD for 4K
The Intel Core i7-10700K is a powerful CPU, and so you should provide it with as much graphics processing power as you can afford. The RX 5700 XT isn't the most powerful GPU on the market, but it's about as good as you can get from AMD right now. It'll handle 1440p and even some 4K for gaming, thanks to 8GB of GDDR6 RAM and other beefy specs.
EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XC Ultra Gaming
Best NVIDIA for 4K
NVIDIA's RTX 2080 Ti is a monster GPU you likely don't need but would love to own. Even when at 4K, this GPU will easily handle all on-screen visuals without breaking a sweat. If you want one of the absolute best GPUs available right now, this is an excellent choice.
Best AMD for 1440p
The RX 5700 XT is a cracking GPU for 1440p and 4K, but if you only have a 1440p monitor and don't plan to upgrade to UHD anytime soon, the RX 5600 XT is perfect. It has 6GB of GDDR6 RAM and isn't quite as powerful as the 5700 XT, but has ample headroom to handle the latest games with the Intel Core i7-10700K.
ASUS NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER
Best NVIDIA for 1440p
Our favorite mid-tier GPU is the NVIDIA RTX 2060 SUPER. It's an incredible GPU in terms of performance and value and is recommended by us throughout our buyer's guides. It's as good as a GTX 1070 Ti and almost matches the RTX 2070, but is affordable and demands the latest PC games on a 1440p monitor.
Best AMD for 1080p
The best AMD budget GPU is the RX 5500 XT. It supports PCIe 4.0 and comes with a massive amount of RAM at 8GB of GDDR6. The processor and other specs aren't quite as good as other options here, but for the price, you could easily smash through games at 1080p and even 1440p with a few settings turned down.
MSI GAMING X NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER
Best NVIDIA for 1080p
You could find a more affordable GPU from NVIDIA than the GTX 1660 SUPER, but it won't play games very well at all. This GPU was designed for 1080p gaming. 6GB of GDDR6 RAM makes sure you have ample memory for storing all those high-resolution textures required for truly immersing oneself into virtual worlds.
Choosing the right GPU
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Having the best GPU you can afford is incredibly crucial for gaming. Which GPU you should choose comes down to available budget, the resolution of your monitor, and which kind of synchronization tech it supports. For AMD FreeSync monitors, it's better to go with an AMD GPU, likewise for NVIDIA G-Sync monitors and NVIDIA GPUs, though NVIDIA GPUs will work with select FreeSync monitors. It's a little confusing.
If you want to enjoy games at 1440p and plan to upgrade to 4K later or you have a 4K display already, either the XFX AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT RAW II or EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XC Ultra Gaming would be the best choice. While both GPUs will handle 1440p and 4K gaming, the NVIDIA 2080 Ti is vastly more expensive and powerful.
You can save a little without sacrificing too much on performance. The XFX AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT RAW II PRO and ASUS NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER are awesome mid-tier GPUs and are perfect for 1440p gaming. They won't break your bank, nor will they bottleneck the Intel Core i7-10700K CPU. Don't see a GPU here that catches your eye? Have a look at our pick for the overall best graphics card.
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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.