Best GPU for the Core i5-9600K

At 1440p, the fastest current card the Core i5-9600K keeps busy is the Radeon RX 7600 XT: the processor limits it in 25% of 55 popular games (estimated). The Radeon RX 6700 XT is the slowest current card that reaches 60 fps at 1440p high in 82% of them.

Which graphics card should I pair with the Core i5-9600K?

Resolution	Enough for 60 fps	Fastest good match	CPU-limited games	Best NVIDIA	Best AMD	Best Intel
1080p high	Radeon RX 6600	Radeon RX 5600 XT	25%	GeForce RTX 3050 8GB	Radeon RX 5600 XT	Arc A380
1440p high	Radeon RX 6700 XT	Radeon RX 7600 XT	25%	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 7600 XT	Arc A770 16GB
4K high	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti	GeForce RTX 5070	24%	GeForce RTX 5070	Radeon RX 6800 XT	Arc B580

Enough for 60 fps: the slowest (usually cheapest) current desktop card that reaches 60 fps at high in 80% of the games. Fastest good match: the fastest card the Core i5-9600K limits in no more than 25% of the games. Faster cards still gain FPS, but in more games the processor sets the ceiling.

Estimated FPS with the Core i5-9600K (high preset)

1080p1440p4K

1080p, high preset, estimated. “CPU” marks games where the processor sets the limit.
Game	Radeon RX 6600	Radeon RX 5600 XT
Counter-Strike 2	231CPU	231CPU
Dota 2	300+CPU	300+CPU
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS	106	99
WARDOGS	41	39
Apex Legends™	115	108
Valheim	99	92

1440p, high preset, estimated. “CPU” marks games where the processor sets the limit.
Game	Radeon RX 6700 XT	Radeon RX 7600 XT
Counter-Strike 2	231CPU	231CPU
Dota 2	300+CPU	300+CPU
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS	108	100
WARDOGS	42	39
Apex Legends™	117	109
Valheim	100	93

4K, high preset, estimated. “CPU” marks games where the processor sets the limit.
Game	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti	GeForce RTX 5070
Counter-Strike 2	231CPU	231CPU
Dota 2	300+CPU	300+CPU
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS	105	97
WARDOGS	41	38
Apex Legends™	113	105
Valheim	97	90

Every current graphics card with the Core i5-9600K

Share of 55 popular games where the Core i5-9600K limits FPS, and median estimated FPS at high. Estimated.
Graphics card	CPU-limited 1080p	1440p	4K	Median FPS 1440p	Build
GeForce RTX 5090	98%	98%	89%	113	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 4090	98%	98%	76%	113	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 5080	98%	96%	58%	113	Build with it →
Radeon RX 7900 XTX	98%	96%	47%	113	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 4080 Super	98%	95%	44%	113	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 4080	98%	93%	44%	113	Build with it →
Radeon RX 9070 XT	98%	89%	42%	110	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 5070 Ti	98%	89%	38%	110	Build with it →
Radeon RX 7900 XT	98%	87%	36%	110	Build with it →
Radeon RX 9070	98%	84%	33%	110	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super	96%	84%	31%	110	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6950 XT	96%	84%	27%	110	Build with it →
Radeon RX 9070 GRE	96%	82%	27%	108	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 4070 Ti	96%	82%	27%	108	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti	96%	82%	27%	107	Build with it →
Radeon RX 7900 GRE	96%	76%	27%	105	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6900 XT	96%	76%	27%	104	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 5070	96%	75%	24%	103	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 4070 Super	96%	75%	24%	103	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3090	95%	73%	22%	103	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6800 XT	95%	73%	22%	103	Build with it →
Radeon RX 7800 XT	95%	73%	22%	103	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti	93%	71%	22%	103	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	89%	60%	22%	99	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 4070	87%	51%	16%	96	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3080 10GB	85%	49%	16%	95	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6800	85%	47%	16%	93	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB	84%	44%	16%	92	Build with it →
Radeon RX 7700 XT	84%	44%	16%	91	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB	84%	44%	16%	90	Build with it →
Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB	84%	40%	16%	90	Build with it →
Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB	82%	38%	15%	90	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 5060	76%	35%	15%	90	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti	76%	35%	15%	90	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6750 XT	76%	33%	15%	90	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB	76%	33%	15%	90	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB	75%	31%	15%	90	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3070	73%	31%	15%	90	Build with it →
Radeon RX 9060	73%	29%	15%	90	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6700 XT	71%	29%	15%	90	Build with it →
Arc B580	64%	27%	15%	87	Build with it →
Radeon RX 7600 XT	58%	25%	13%	84	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	58%	25%	13%	84	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6700	49%	24%	13%	81	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 5050	49%	24%	13%	81	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 4060	47%	22%	13%	80	Build with it →
Radeon RX 7600	44%	22%	13%	79	Build with it →
Arc A770 16GB	44%	22%	13%	77	Build with it →
Arc B570	44%	22%	13%	77	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6650 XT	42%	22%	13%	77	Build with it →
Arc A770 8GB	42%	22%	11%	77	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6600 XT	38%	22%	11%	77	Build with it →
Arc A750	36%	16%	11%	77	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	33%	16%	11%	75	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6600	27%	15%	5%	69	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	27%	15%	5%	68	Build with it →
Arc A580	27%	15%	5%	68	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB	27%	15%	5%	66	Build with it →
Radeon RX 9050 8GB	27%	15%	5%	66	Build with it →
Radeon RX 5600 XT	25%	15%	5%	65	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3050 8GB	22%	13%	4%	55	Build with it →
Radeon RX 9050 4GB	16%	13%	4%	54	Build with it →
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB	15%	11%	2%	44	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6500 XT	11%	4%	0%	35	Build with it →
Radeon RX 6400	11%	2%	0%	30	Build with it →
Arc A380	11%	2%	0%	30	Build with it →
GeForce GTX 1630	2%	0%	0%	18	Build with it →

Estimated FPS from our model (v0), based on the game's published requirements and relative GPU/CPU performance. Not measured. Real results vary with drivers, patches, and scenes. Values above 300 fps show as 300+.

Current cards: desktop GPUs released since 2020. Values above 300 fps are shown as 300+. How we estimate FPS. Check any other pairing in the bottleneck calculator.