Best GPU for i9-12900K
A powerful CPU needs a just as powerful GPU to back it up! Here are the best
WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
With the 12900K, Intel returned to excellence and upended the status quo. Whether you’re managing many Chrome tabs and programs or putting an end to empires in CPU-intensive games like Stellaris or Warhammer: Total War, it takes on the Ryzen 5950X head-on. The best GPU for the i9 12900K must be equally adaptable!
Best GPU for i9-12900K
The RTX 3090 is the first GPU that we suggest. When you can find premium models like the FTW3 Ultra for several hundred dollars less than MSRP, you know it’s going down! Although it’s still a little too expensive to recommend just for gaming, we are confident that aficionados looking for the best will seize the opportunity to purchase one.
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio 24G
Core clock speed
1,785MHz boost, 1,395MHz base
CUDA cores
10,496
Memory
24GB GDDR6X
Dimensions
323 x 140 x 56mm
PSU required
750W
TDP
370W
Second best GPU for i9-12900K
The RTX 3080 is the next one. The NVIDIA XX80 cards have been hailed as the best for high-end gaming for generations. The same is still true for this release, especially when the highly regarded RTX 3080 now comes in a 12GB variant. You can definitely benefit from the roughly 5% performance gain because it is frequently even less expensive than the original 10GB version. Possibly excluding the apparent increase in power draw.
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 GAMING OC 10G
Clock Speed
1800MHz Boost Clock (OC)
VRAM
10GB GDDRX
Thermal Design
WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System
Third best GPU for i9-12900K
We settled on the slightly less powerful but far more affordable RX 6800 XT as our third choice. If you choose XFX’s Merc, it can barely be heard, costs less, and has raw rasterized chops that rival the 3080s.
MSI RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio
Core Clock Speed
1850MHz base, 2285MHz boost, 2045MHz game
CUDA Cores
4608
Memory Size
16GB GDDR6
Dimensions
324mm x 141mm x 55 mm (12.8″ x 5.6″ x 2.2″)
PSU Required
750W
Fourth best GPU for i9-12900K
Are you trying to get the ideal card for 1440p at 144Hz gaming? In that case, pairing your 12900K with anything more expensive than an RTX 3070 is not necessary. The price that Gigabyte charges are a little more than the $500 Founder’s Edition MSRP. Nevertheless, it compensates for the price increase with a strong cooling system and significant overclocks.
ASUS ROG Strix NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming
Clock Speed
1755MHz Boost Clock (OC)
VRAM
8GB GDDR6
Thermal Design
Axial-tech Triple Fan
Power Input
2 x 8-pin
Size
318mm x 140mm x 57mm
The GPUs we’ve discussed so far are superior to those we could access before 2020. The RTX 3070, however, is comparable to the RTX 2080 Ti, which would have been the greatest GPU for the i9 12900K had Ampere never materialized. It just serves to demonstrate how concentrating on updating current technology can result in significant improvements while reducing costs.
EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming
Clock Speed
1755 MHz
VRAM
11GB GDDR6
Memory Bus Width
352 bits
Other GPU guides
FAQs
What is the best GPU for i9-12900K?
As a top-spec CPU, there is a lot of power behind it. Therefore to match what it can achieve you want a top-spec graphics card as well. So the RTX 3090, 4090, 7900 XTX, or 6900 XT are great choices of options for the CPU.
What GPU does the i9-12900K have?
As an Intel no F processor, the 12900K features onboard graphics. The CPU features UHD 770 graphics that has 32 execution units. Which are clocked at 300 MHz with a boost of up to 1.55 GHz. Although you want to get a discrete card for anything more intensive like gaming and not just display.