Best GPU for Intel i5: top picks to match value
Intel i5 CPUs are fantastic choices when sticking to a strict budget
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Intel i5s are the unsung “budget heroes” of Intel’s CPU lineup, they are there to offer the best bang for the buck and are largely considered sort of entry-level for gaming. Despite what some places will have you believe, you don’t need 32 Cores to the game, you just need straight single-core performance. That’s what the humble i5 is perfect at providing.
The Intel i5 lineup is the more budget option for Intel processors, making them fantastic value-for-money chips, and that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of high performance. Modern CPUs are unlikely to bottleneck any modern GPU as long as you’re playing in the appropriate resolution. And most games are more GPU intensive than CPU, so you can get a lot more out of your system with a lower-choice CPU. So let’s find the best graphics card for your i5.
We’re going to assume that you’re thinking of i5s from the 12th gen onward, as going all the way back to the origin of the i5 and picking a few GPUs to accommodate for all of them is probably impossible.
Products at a glance
- Best GPU for Intel i5
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Super OC
- Core clock speed: 2565 MHz boost, 1980 MHz base
- CUDA count: 7,168
- Memory: 12GB GDDR6X
- Dimensions: 301 x 139 x 63 mm
- PSU required: 750W
- TBP: 220W
- Runner up
AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
- Core clock speed: 2,430MHz boost, 2,124MHz game
- Stream processors: 3,840
- Memory: 16GB GDDR6
- Dimensions: 267 x 111 x 50mm
- PSU required: 600W
- TBP: 263W
- Value Pick
Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 7700 XT
- Core clock speed: 1,900MHz, 2,171MHz Game, 2,544MHz max
- Stream processors: 3,456
- Memory: 12GB GDDR6
- Dimensions: 280 x 128.75 x 52.57 mm
- PSU required: 700W
- TBP: 245W
- Budget Pick
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC
- Core clock speed: 1,830MHz base, 2,670MHz boost
- CUDA cores: 3,072
- Memory size: 8GB GDDR6
- Dimensions: 311.4 x 133.5 x 61.9mm
- PSU required: 550W
- TBP: 115W
How we test the best GPU for Intel i5
When selecting the best GPU to pair with Intel’s i5 processors, primarily from the 12th generation onward, we focus on achieving a balance of power, performance, and efficiency without introducing system bottlenecking. These mid-range CPUs offer great versatility, so we aim to match them with GPUs that can keep up with gaming, rendering, and productivity tasks.
Our approach to recommendations is careful testing, using both synthetic benchmarks and real-world applications. This includes gaming performance, where we look at frame rates at various resolutions, as well as productivity tasks like video editing. Beyond performance, we also consider design, power consumption, and overall build quality, ensuring the GPU complements the processor while staying energy efficient, and more importantly, efficient on the wallet.
If you want to know more about how we test GPUs here at WePC, please feel free to take a look at our dedicated page on it.
Best GPU for Intel i5
One of the best CPUs for budget gaming, the Intel i5 has a lot to offer no matter the generation you go for. Here we have a good range of choices that match up nicely.
- Core clock speed: 2565 MHz boost, 1980 MHz base
- CUDA count: 7,168
- Memory: 12GB GDDR6X
- Dimensions: 301 x 139 x 63 mm
- PSU required: 750W
- TBP: 220W
- Memory clock: 21Gbps
- Memory bus: 192-bit
- Card bus: PCIe 4.0 x16
- Output : 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DP 1.4a
- Power connectors: 1x 16-pin
The 4070 super is, as you guessed it, the 4070 on steroids, it has more oomph, but as you may have guessed, consumes more power in the process. We wouldn’t recommend the 4070 Super to anyone who already has a 4070, but it’s a fantastic option for any one coming from the 30 series.
- Now cheaper and gives a great value choice
- Small compact build for the GPU
- Great energy efficiency
- No DisplayPort 2.0 support
One of the more exciting value propositions from Nvidia’s Ada generation is our choice for the best GPU for Intel i5 processors. That’s why the RTX 4070 Super is a great pairing for the range of processors. It comes with a much better value than the original 4070 had to offer, with a boost in performance and specs, you get a lot more punch for the money, which comes in at $599 MSRP.
On offer, you get an AD104-350 GPU processor, made with TSMCs 5nm node. Providing you with 7,168 CUDA cores, 224 TMUs, 80 ROPs, 56 SMs, 224 Tensor, and 56 RT cores. With a total of 220W powering up the card features 12GB of GDDR6X memory with the 192-bit bus providing a bandwidth of 504GB/s. The factory clock on the card comes with a base of 1,980MHz, and a boost clock up to 2,475MHz, but custom models like the TUF overclock the GPU with this one reaching 2,550MHz providing a slight frame rate boost.
As we got hands-on with the GPU, in our 4070 Super review, we got to see how well it performs. Bridging the gap against the 4070 Ti brings a wide range of capabilities as it has the capacity for even 4K gaming. It might not reach hundreds of FPS at max settings but that can be adjusted with a quick settings tweak and the application of DLSS 3 where possible. All in all, providing you with a strong budget GPU.
- Core clock speed: 2,430MHz boost, 2,124MHz game
- Stream processors: 3,840
- Memory: 16GB GDDR6
- Dimensions: 267 x 111 x 50mm
- PSU required: 600W
- TBP: 263W
- Launch price: $499
- Availability: September 6th, 2023
- GPU Name: NAVI 32
- Architecture : RDNA 3
- Process size: 5 nm
- Die size: 346mm
- L3 Cache: 64 MB
- Bandwidth: 624.1 GB/s
- Memory Bus: 256 bit
- Compute units: 60
- RT Cores: 60
The AMD RX 7800 XT is a fantastic choice if you want to game at 1440p resolutions, and sometimes 4K with the help of FSR upscaling. It also comes in at way less than $1,000, so you can invest that money elsewhere. If you want to go the Ray tracing route, though RDNA 3 made many improvements over RDNA 2, Nvidia is still the best option for that.
- Dual fan makes it small but still capable of staying cool
- Great bang for the buck
- Superseded by the 7900 XT that isn’t much more expensive nowadays
Now for one of the best AMD GPUs for value and performance, especially for Intel i5s, we suggest the RX 7800 XT. A later addition to the RDNA 3 lineup, it provided a more reasonable option for gaming at the mid-level, considering the previous options were the 7900 cards. Coming in with a recommended price of $499, it is a great choice for gaming on value, but let’s see what you get for that.
The graphics card features the Navi 32 GPU processor, utilizing the MCM design with multiple chips inside. Allowing it to utilize both 5 and 6nm TSMC processes and improve upon its design and function. Inside that, you get 3,840 stream processors, 240 TMUs, 96 ROPs, 60 compute units, and 60 RT cores. It comes with 16GB of GDDR6 memory which with the 256-bit bus gives a bandwidth of 624 GB/s. Whilst the total power for the card comes to 263W.
When it comes to performance, propped up against the 4070 Super it doesn’t quite reach the same levels but it does come in at $100 less in the recommended price. That pushes the value much higher for the performance on offer, even though 4K might be a push it is targeting 1440p, but nothing some setting tweaks can’t fix. Or you can rely on the likes of RSR to give a quick boost. It does however lack the strength of Team Green when it comes to ray tracing performance and rendering, not to say it can’t but just not as well. But for pure rasterization gaming, you get a great graphics card.
- Core clock speed: 1,900MHz, 2,171MHz Game, 2,544MHz max
- Stream processors: 3,456
- Memory: 12GB GDDR6
- Dimensions: 280 x 128.75 x 52.57 mm
- PSU required: 700W
- TBP: 245W
- Memory Clock: 18Gbps
- Memory Bus: 192-bit
- Card Bus: PCIe 4.0 x16
- Output: 2x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 2.1
- Power connectors: 2 x 8-pin
The 7700 XT is one of the better cards of AMD’s current generation, well, for the value of course It’s sort of sat in the middle of the pack and often overlooked as an option. We’re here to tell you that it would pair perfectly as a 1440p upscaled card with the 14600K. The utilization of FSR can help push your gaming experience beyond what you thought possible.
- Great performance for a sub $500 GPU
- Well-designed cooling keeps temps at less than 85°C
- Sapphire Pulse keeps the price low without unnecessary extras
- Only $50 less on average than the RX 7800 XT which has better framerates
- Ray tracing performance is still lackluster, but much improved
The RX 7700 XT is a great value pick for i5 processors. Known for its excellent balance of performance and value, this mid-range GPU from AMD shines at 1440p, making it a solid choice for gamers looking to push their systems without spending loads of money. While 4K gaming may push its limits, AI upscaling helps it maintain playable frame rates, giving it extra value when playing more intensive games.
Built on AMD’s RDNA 3 architecture and TSMC’s 5nm process, the RX 7700 XT offers a 20% performance increase over the RX 6700 XT, as we mention in our review, making it an ideal companion for 12th-gen and newer i5 processors. These CPUs can handle high gaming demands, ensuring that the GPU isn’t held back in that department. With 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 192-bit bus, the card holds its own against even some higher-tier models, especially when paired with the i5’s strong single-core performance.
Cooling is also a highlight, with models like Sapphire’s Pulse providing efficient thermal management, ensuring that the GPU runs cool even during intense gaming sessions. With 3456 shading units, the RX 7700 XT may not top the charts, but it delivers more than enough power to drive smooth gameplay at 1440p.
- Core clock speed: 1,830MHz base, 2,670MHz boost
- CUDA cores: 3,072
- Memory size: 8GB GDDR6
- Dimensions: 311.4 x 133.5 x 61.9mm
- PSU required: 550W
- TBP: 115W
- Memory Clock: 18Gbps
- Memory Bus: 128-bit
- Card Bus: PCIe 4.0 x8
- Output: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DP 1.4a
- Power Connectors: 1x 8-pin
The RTX 4060 can certainly hold it’s own in the budget section. There are better options out there, but if you really want to save some money it offers great value. ASUS has gone above and beyond to apply a steady factory overlock and a robust cooling solution to give it an edge against the competition.
- Cheapest Ada card with DLSS 3 access
- Small and compact design
- Not much improvement over previous gen
- Expensive for what it has to offers
Now looking for the cheapest but top choice for the job and the best budget GPU for Intel i5, we recommend the RTX 4060. Providing you with an entry into the latest generation without having to spend too much for the pleasure. Coming in with an MSRP of $299 it does offer up a strong choice for the low end. It might not be the strongest value solution but it still offers a strong performance.
The GPU itself brings with it the AD107-400 processor on the same node as the 4070 Super and Ada series. But the 60 model comes with a cut down to 3,072 CUDA cores, 96 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 24 SMs, 24 RT, and 96 Tensor cores. Offering up to 8GB of GDDR6 memory to match that uses a 128-bit bus for a bandwidth of 272GB/s. That comes with a frequency of 1.83 GHz base clock, with a 2.46GHz boost, and an overclock on the MSI model of 2.5GHz, whilst requiring a power of just 115W.
We took a look at what the GPU has to offer in our RTX 4060 review. It is primarily a 1080p graphics card, it can be pushed further in some cases, but it is more of an entry-level option. That does pair up nicely with an i5 CPU and you can always upgrade further down the line.
Can Intel i5 handle RTX 4080?
You could pair an RTX 4080 with an Intel i5 processor but it’s not the most efficient pairing, you’d have to play at 1440p or 4K to limit the bottlenecking that the CPU would cause. It’d be a literal waste of money to play at 1080p.
Can you use ray tracing with these GPUs?
Yes, all of these GPUs are capable of ray tracing, however, some are better than others. As of right now, Nvidia is far better at ray tracing than AMD is. So if that is a big selling point for you, you’re better off opting for a higher-level Nvidia GPU.
Final Word
There you have it, these are the expertly chosen GPU picks for the Intel i5. As we said before, we’re going to be focusing on the 12th-gen onward just for simplicity, we suppose you can extend this to the 11th-gen, but we wouldn’t go any further than that. Choosing a CPU and GPU pair is all about finding a balance and trying to avoid introducing a bottleneck where possible. You can rest assured that bottlenecks have been considered, and won’t be an issue here.
