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Best GPU For Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X [Updated]

AMD recently released the 2nd iteration of Ryzen 3rd generation processors; among the best budget...

Best GPU For Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X [Updated]

AMD recently released the 2nd iteration of Ryzen 3rd generation processors; among the best budget processors, these days are AMD Ryzen 3500 and 3500X. Both of these are hexa-core processors that come with six threads as well. These processors were released to compete against the likes of Intel Core i5-9400 or Intel Core i5-9600K since these were hexa-core processors but did not support Hyper-Threading. AMD did the same thing and released these two processors without the support of SMT, which is why these processors have the same number of threads as the cores.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500 and 3500X have a similar base clock and boost clock, which is 3.6 GHz and 4.1 GHz. The price of these two processors is also quite similar, where you will be getting them around 130 to 140 bucks, with the X variant being a little more expensive. The difference between both processors is that the X variant comes with double the L3 cache, so it has a 32 MB L3 cache against the 16 MB cache of AMD Ryzen 5 3500. In this article, we will look at some of the Best GPU For Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X that you can install in your system in combination. Let’s take a closer look at these graphic cards and determine their detailed specifications, pros, and cons.

Quick Graphics Card Shopping Tips:

Like every other hardware component, graphic cards come with various features and specifications. These features, like gaming and video editing, can vary from the user’s work. We have developed some tips and tricks to differentiate according to usability and performance.

Performance Capability: The primary purpose of buying a new graphics card is to get high-end performance in terms of a better gaming experience. This is only possible when both GPU and processor are with complementing capabilities. The bottleneck occurs due to the incompatibility of these components. So, make sure you’re buying a suitable card for your system, performance vice.

Size factor: Every computer user would know the slots inside the systems allocated to put in specific-sized components. The card’s dimensions should match the PC case to properly install a graphics card into the system. Check this factor before finalizing a card to avoid installation issues.

Connectivity: Many of our customers have told us about connectivity issues and asked for a solution. Instead of using converters to connect cards with incorrect port sizes, buy a graphics card with the required port type. For now, monitors are manufactured with an HDMI port, DisplayPort, and DVI port. Hence, double-check the port type.

Cooling: The cooling of any graphics card is the most crucial aspect to look up. The speed is affected directly by this factor. Every card has specific thermal design power (TDP) that helps to regulate heat and temperature. So, buy a capacitor with an efficient cooling system and adequate TDP value to get a high level of performance.

Budget & Brand: Every GPU buyer has a specific budget for purchasing one and, most importantly, brand preference. When we talk about budget, make sure the level of features you want and the affordable price for buying one. Brand preference varies from person to person. AMD and NVIDIA are the most famous brands that provide numerous features.

Our Recommendations For Best GPU For Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X

AwardDesignBestRetailer
Best Budget GPU for Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER Twin Fan
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Best Value GPU for Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X
SAPPHIRE Nitro+ Radeon RX 580
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Best Premium GPU for Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X
MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING X
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Best Gaming GPU for Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X
GIGABYTE RTX 2070 GAMING 3X OC
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Best Overall GPU for Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X
EVGA GTX 1080 Ti SC
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ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER Twin Fan

ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER Twin Fan
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER Twin Fan

Best Budget GPU for Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X

Brand: ZOTAC | VRAM: 6 GB | Base Clock: 1530 MHz | Boost Clock: 1785 MHz | Power Consumption: 125W | Power Supply: 450W

REASONS TO BUY

Easily available

Great performance for the price

Small form factor

REASONS TO AVOID

Not good for high-end gaming

Although ZOTAC is not as famous as MSI or ASUS, its graphics cards have undoubtedly improved since the GTX 900 series, both in terms of looks and performance. Moreover, this company’s graphics cards are slightly cheaper than the mainstream variants despite their similar or even better performance. ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER Twin Fan is a mid-range variant of the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, and it feels like a well-built graphics card just by looking at it. One of the best things about ZOTAC graphics cards is that they are always built like a tank and can take a beating. Indeed, it should not be much of an issue for most people since the graphics card lies inside the case but getting something extra doesn’t hurt anyway. The graphics card has no RGB lighting, but the gray color theme makes it attractive nonetheless.

The graphical performance of this graphics card is in between GTX 1070 and GTX 1080, which is an excellent thing since it is a much cheaper graphics card than GTX 1080 or even 1070. The graphics card comes with 1408 Turing cores, with 88 Texture Mapping Units and 48 Render Output Units. It has a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz. Even though this graphics card is based on the Turing architecture, there are no RT cores or Tensor cores in this graphics card. The graphics card comes with a VRAM of 6 GB, just like the GTX 1060 and RTX 2060, and its memory performance is between GTX 1060 and RTX 2060.

It has a memory bus width of 192 bits like the GTX 1060, but it uses GDDR6 memory like RTX 2060. That is why its overall memory bandwidth is 336 GB/s, which significantly improves from the GTX 1060. The graphics card has a low TDP of 125 watts, which is why it is easy to cool. The company has used a small-sized cooling solution for the ZOTAC GTX 1660 SUPER Twin Fan, keeping the graphics card under 70 degrees on full load. The graphics card provides 1 x HDMI and 3 x DP ports for output. MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING X is one of the best mid-range graphics cards.

SAPPHIRE Nitro+ Radeon RX 580

SAPPHIRE Nitro+ Radeon RX 580
SAPPHIRE Nitro+ Radeon RX 580

Best Value GPU for Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X

Brand: SAPPHIRE | VRAM: 8 GB | Base Clock: 1257 MHz | Boost Clock: 1411 MHz | Power Consumption: 235W | Power Supply: 550W

REASONS TO BUY

It comes with a powerful cooling solution

Has great compatibility with Vulkan-based games

It comes at a very low price

REASONS TO AVOID

Lowest performance out of all the GPUs on the list

SAPPHIRE is the most famous vendor of AMD graphics cards, and its graphics cards are notoriously renowned for optimized cooling and aesthetically pleasant designs. Such a series is the SAPPHIRE Nitro+ series, and it is the flagship series of the company. SAPPHIRE Nitro+ Radeon RX 580 is one of the best variants of RX 580 and offers all the bells and whistles you should expect from a mid-range graphics card. First of all, the looks of the graphics card are pretty advanced. The boxy design combined with large black-colored fans looks sophisticated, and the bulging heat pipes from the top give the notion of a high-end cooling system. There is RGB lighting in the graphics card, and although it is not a lot, it feels enough for a mid-range graphics card.

Since Radeon RX 580 is a mid-range graphics card from 2017, there are better options for high-end gaming. However, with this graphics card, you can easily do 1080P gaming at high settings, and you would be getting FPS north of 60 most of the time. The graphics card offers 2304 shader processing units. Although these SPUs are incomparable with the graphics cards from NVIDIA, it makes their performance between GTX 1060 and GTX 1070, especially in the DX12 and Vulkan-based games. A great thing about this graphics card is that it comes with a high VRAM of 8 GB, which you won’t find in any mid-range graphics card from NVIDIA, apart from the latest RTX 3070, which is impossible to get these days due to high demand.

The graphics card has a memory bandwidth of 256 GB/s, which is the same as that of the GTX 1070, although the memory performance of the GTX 1070 is better due to the Delta Color Compression technology NVIDIA. The graphics card has a power consumption of roughly 150 to 170 watts, making it a pretty hot graphics card for its performance, which is why SAPPHIRE has used a large cooling solution. The cooling solution can keep the graphics card cool and stays at around 70 degrees most of the time.

MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING X

MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING X
MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING X

Best Premium GPU for Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X

Brand: MSI | VRAM: 8 GB | Base Clock: 1365 MHz | Boost Clock: 1695 MHz | Power Consumption: 175W | Power Supply: 550W

REASONS TO BUY

Provides RTX-specific features

Great performance for the price

Provides dazzling looks

REASONS TO AVOID

Not so future proof

MSI is one of the best graphics card vendors in the world, and it provides top-notch variants of graphics cards in which you will find the best of everything. The most popular series by the company is the GAMING X series, which we have been seeing for a long time. This is a mainstream series of the company, and this variant is usually more expensive than the reference model. The design of the MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING X is pretty awesome, and we have liked the design of GAMING X variants in every generation. MSI has used a silver theme this time instead of red, which feels even better. Perhaps the concept came from the previous generation’s MSI GAMING X Titanium edition graphics cards. The fan shroud uses a mixture of black and silver colors, while there is a lot of RGB lighting.

Its price hovers around 350 bucks, but you might not be able to find this graphics card at this rate these days. The graphics card has 1920 CUDA cores, and since it uses the Turing architecture, it is better than the 1920 CUDA cores of the GTX 1070, which uses Pascal architecture. Moreover, since it is an RTX-series graphics card, it has 30 RT cores and 240 Tensor cores. As for the TMUs and ROPs, it provides 120 TMUs and 40 ROPs. The graphics card has a boost clock rate of 1695 MHz, but you will see the graphics card at over 1800 MHz most of the time due to NVIDIA GPU Boost technology. The memory of the graphics card is quite exceptional.

The gaming performance of this graphics card is awe-inspiring for the price, and you will be able to enjoy most of AAA games at high settings using 1440P resolution. However, you might have to reduce the graphics settings or the resolution with some AAA games. The cooling solutions of MSI GAMING X variants have always been robust. Apart from using a heavy-weight heat-sink, the company uses its famous MSI Torx fans for its acoustic performance. The graphics card stays under 65 degrees at full load, and these thermals are perfect for long-time usage. These features make it a high-end GPU for gaming.

GIGABYTE RTX 2070 GAMING 3X OC

GIGABYTE RTX 2070 GAMING 3X OC
GIGABYTE RTX 2070 GAMING 3X OC

Best Gaming GPU for Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X

Brand: Gigabyte | VRAM: 8 GB | Base Clock: 1410 MHz | Boost Clock: 1620 MHz | Power Consumption: 215W | Power Supply: 550W

REASONS TO BUY

Provides RTX features

Holds a spectacular value

Future-proof performance

REASONS TO AVOID

Out of stock in most stores

GIGABYTE has released many graphics card series for every generation, with GIGABYTE AORUS being the flagship variant while GAMING OC is the mainstream variant. GIGABYTE RTX 2070 GAMING OC is a mid-range variant of the GIGABYTE RTX 2070 GAMING OC priced very decently yet provides robust performance. We have put this graphics card on the final list because getting RTX 2000-series or RTX 3000-series graphics cards is complicated.

The design of the graphics card is similar to the previous generation GIGABYTE Windforce variants instead of the AORUS-series variants. It is a tri-fan graphics card that uses a black-colored fan shroud. The fan shroud design does feel better than the previous-generation WINDFORCE OC variants, but that is just about it, and it still feels a bit flimsy. Technically, GeForce RTX 2070 is a high-end graphics card from the RTX 2000 series and the best GPU to pair with Ryzen 5 3500. Its performance is quite close to the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. It has 2304 CUDA cores, with a VRAM similar to the RTX 2060 or 2080.

The graphics card provides 144 Texture Mapping Units and 64 Render Output Units which are more than enough to handle modern AAA games at ultra settings using 1440P resolution. This graphics card holds enough potential for high-refresh-rate gaming to provide around 100 FPS with high settings using 1080P resolution. The cooling solution of the graphics card is, although less, as good as flagship variants. However, a tri-fan cooling solution with a mid-sized heat sink ensures that the graphics card stays under control, and most likely, the thermals will stay under 75 degrees.

EVGA GTX 1080 Ti SC

EVGA GTX 1080 Ti SC
EVGA GTX 1080 Ti SC

Best Overall GPU for Ryzen 5 3500 & 3500X

Brand: EVGA | VRAM: 11 GB | Base Clock: 1556 MHz | Boost Clock: 1670 MHz | Power Consumption: 270W | Power Supply: 600W

REASONS TO BUY

Tremendous raw performance

Superb memory performance

REASONS TO AVOID

It does not provide RTX features despite being expensive

Does not use a high-end cooling solution

EVGA is well-known for its consumer-friendly policies, which is why many people consider buying graphics cards from this company. EVGA GTX 1080 Ti SC is a mid-range variant of the flagship graphics card model, GTX 1080 Ti, that belongs to the GTX 1000 series. Even though it is an old graphics card compared to the latest ones, the power of this graphics card is roughly equivalent to the likes of RTX 3060, which belongs to the RTX 3000 series. Since RTX 3000-series graphics cards are out of stock in almost every store, it would be better to consider buying GTX 1080 Ti.

The design of EVGA GTX 1080 Ti SC is considered better than the RTX 2000-series EVGA graphics cards, mainly due to the sophisticated fan shroud. The gray and black-colored fan shroud provides ample beauty, with RGB lighting at the top of the graphics card, while the backplate has many small vents for improved airflow. As for the technical specifications, the GeForce RTX 1080 Ti is the flagship graphics card model from the GTX 1000 series. The graphics card comes with 3584 CUDA cores combined with 224 Texture Mapping Units and 88 Render Output Units. The memory performance of the graphics card is awe-inspiring as well, as it comes with a 384-bit memory bus that results in an overall memory bandwidth of 484.3 GB/s, and the VRAM size is monstrous as well at 11 GB.

This graphics card will allow you to play even the most demanding games at ultra settings using 1440P resolution. You can also count on it for high-refresh-rate gaming, where you will get over 150 FPS in competitive games with 1080P resolution and over 100 FPS with 1440P resolution. The cooling solution of the graphics card is, although less capable than the likes of ASUS ROG Strix or ZOTAC Amp Extreme variants. Since it is a dual-fan variant, you won’t see temperatures above 75 degrees. This might slightly limit the graphics card’s performance since GPU Boost works better at lower temperatures, but other than that, thermals will not affect you for any other reason.

Frequently Asked Questions

What GPU should I pair with Ryzen 5 3600?

RTX 2060 Super and AMD Radeon RX 5700 are two GPUs that will not bottleneck Ryzen 5 3600 and help it unleash its full potential.

Is Ryzen 5 3500 Good for streaming?

The streaming quality of the Ryzen 5 3500 is decent. It certainly does not provide the best frame rate during streaming, but the quality is at least decent.

Does AMD Ryzen 5 3500 have integrated graphics?

No AMD Ryzen 5 3500 does not come with integrated graphics, so you’ll definitely need to insert an external Graphic card to use this CPU.

Sajid Ali

CEO, Lead Writer

Sajid Ali is a tech enthusiast and gamer who loves to write reviews about gaming hardware. He has a passion for staying up-to-date with the latest technological advancements and loves sharing his knowledge with others. Sajid studied Intermediate Computer Science at Degree College and went on to earn his Bachelor's in Computer Science from GSC. In his free time, you can find him testing out new hardware and software, or playing the latest video games. Sajid's in-depth understanding of computers and his love for gaming make him the perfect author to turn to for all things tech and gaming.