There is no doubt that the Ryzen 7 7700X is one of the strongest processors for gaming not only in the 7000 series lineup but also in all the CPUs that have ever existed.
Thanks to the Zen 4 architecture, the 7700X is fast enough to handle almost any high-end GPU without bottlenecking it in the least. Ryzen 7700X can be called the fastest $399 gaming CPU that can crush any title if used with a decent GPU and can also achieve high numbers in CPU-oriented applications.
In this post, we will see what factors you should consider when buying a GPU for the 7700X and what are the best options right now you can have.
Ryzen 7 7700X Overview
Ryzen 7 7700X is based on the Zen 4 architecture and is made using the latest TSMC’s 5nm process node. It brings several enhancements over the last generation but retains the core and thread count to 8/16.
The core clock speeds it features are 4.5GHz to 5.4GHz which are almost 1GHz more than the 5700X. This improvement alone brings up to 50% of the total performance boost out of the total gains over the 5700X.
The L2 cache is doubled over the last gen and now it comes with 8MB of L2 cache and 32MB of L3 cache memory that are accessible directly by all the cores. The Zen 4 die design is very similar to the Zen 2 where 8 cores are present in two CCX but several architectural improvements make it significantly faster than both the Zen 2 and Zen 3.
Ryzen 7700X will only be compatible with the AM5 socket and will only support DDR5 memories out of the box. The TDP is 105W and the processor is unlocked for overclocking.
Things You Should Consider Before Buying A GPU
Before you choose a GPU for the 7700X, consider the following three factors that will help you avoid the most common issues people face on a daily basis.
These will help you achieve the maximum performance with the 7700X and will help you get the most value for your money.
Avoid The Bottleneck
Bottlenecking is a process that occurs when either the CPU or GPU is significantly more powerful than the other making one of the components slow down the overall performance.
So for instance, if your CPU is significantly stronger than the GPU, it will keep assigning the processes to the GPU that the GPU can handle. On the other hand, if the GPU is significantly stronger than the CPU, the CPU won’t be able to assign the required number of processes the GPU can execute.
It is a very common phenomenon in PC builds where one component is much more powerful than the other and will result in frequent fps drops, lower performance, stuttery gameplay, and freezes.
Sufficient VRAM
Ryzen 7700X is designed to handle any GPU but what is required on your behalf is to buy a GPU that can allow increasing the graphics settings in games.
What this means is that if you buy a GPU with only 2GB of VRAM, you won’t be able to put the graphics to high or ultra in the modern AAA titles which defeats the whole purpose of buying the 7700X.
Therefore, I recommend getting a GPU with at least 6GB of VRAM for 1080p resolution. On higher resolutions and more intensive titles, memory usage will increase, therefore, I have also included more powerful options in the list.
Avoid Overspending
No doubt, the Ryzen 7700X can support even crazily fast GPUs like the RTX 4090 but I would rather go with a Ryzen 7900X and an RTX 4090 combo than the 7700X and 4090.
While there is nothing wrong with getting the highest-end GPU, I prefer more of a balanced approach to building PCs to keep stuff at the same level. An RTX 4090 can surely get you above 100 fps even at 4K resolution but if you own a 1080p or a 1440p monitor, spending a lot of money on a high-end GPU like 4090 is nonsense.
Best Graphics Cards List for Ryzen 7 7700X
AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT
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Not everyone needs a super high-end GPU and not everyone has the budget to spend over $1000. While those high-end GPUs are certainly better at making your games feel realistic, the RX 6650 XT isn’t a bad choice at all. Instead, it is one of the most affordable choices to buy for gaming at 1080p resolution.
This GPU can max out any game at 1080p and deliver 60+fps. It is based on the RDNA 2 architecture and was among the second batch of RX 6000 GPUs that were launched this year. It features 8GB of VRAM on a 128-bit memory interface. This much VRAM is sufficient for any game at 1080p and you should see beautiful graphics without compromising much on the fps numbers.
Unlike its Nvidia competitors, it is much cheaper and gives the best value for around a price of $350. With ray tracing support enabled, it can also allow you to play RT-supported games on low to medium settings with playable fps but don’t expect it to do much.
Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 Ti
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Next, we have the RTX 3060 Ti from Nvidia. It is the bigger sibling of the RTX 3060 and is the strongest competitor of the RX 6650 XT. The performance gain with the 3060 Ti will be roughly around 5% which looks fine but the performance gain increases when you switch on Ray Tracing.
Nvidia’s RTX 3060 Ti is based on the Ampere architecture which is significantly faster in Ray Tracing than RDNA 2 as it is the second generation of the RTX GPUs which made several improvements over the Turing GPUs. RTX 3060 Ti too comes with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM but on a bigger 256-bit memory bus giving higher memory bandwidth.
It features nearly 5000 Cuda Cores for fast processing and does a pretty well job in maintaining the 60+fps mark at the highest settings. The only thing which might disappoint you is its current price which is significantly higher than the RX 6650 XT. However, if we consider the original price of both these cards which is $399, the RTX 3060 Ti takes the crown for the best $400 gaming GPU.
AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT
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The Radeon RX 6750 XT is the bigger sibling of the 6650 XT and is noticeably faster than the 3060 Ti. Actually, it is more of a 1440p GPU and can play most titles with the highest settings at this resolution.
You will get roughly a 3-10% performance gain over the 3060 Ti and also better specs. While we can’t directly compare their cores, we can compare their VRAM size. The 6750 XT comes with 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM which is 50% more VRAM than the 3060 Ti. As some games can utilize up to 12GB of VRAM when maxed out, the 6750 XT is a better choice than the 3060 Ti.
It comes with 2560 Stream Processors and an amazingly high boost clock speed of more than 2600MHz. It is also much better at ray tracing than the 6650 XT and with AMD’s super scaling techniques like FSR, you can really gain some good boost in performance if ray tracing makes it hard to run games at 60 fps.
Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 Ti
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The RTX 3070 Ti is a beast GPU that can max out games at 1440p resolution. It features 26% more Cuda Cores than the 3060 Ti and a faster 8GB GDDR6X VRAM. While the VRAM size is still 8GB, the GDDR6X memory speed helps the card run faster.
Except for the low VRAM size for a beastly card like this, everything about this card is amazing. It outperforms the 6750 XT by roughly 10% and is significantly superior in Ray Tracing. RTX 3070 Ti is one of the best matches for the Ryzen 7700X and officially costs $750.
However, the current price trend allows you to buy it for around $600 which increases its value, otherwise, the 6750 XT gives much better value if we consider the original prices of these GPUs.
Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 Ti
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Originally launched for $1200, the card has seen a massive drop in prices in the past few months. Right now it is available for $800-$900 and is easily the best and the most suitable choice for high-end gaming.
It can play modern titles at 4K with ultra settings without dipping below 60 fps. Combined with the 7700X, it will give you the best possible performance for the money and should be a better value than going with the RTX 3090 or 3090 Ti.
It is nearly 30% faster than the 3070 Ti and provides you with 12GB GDDR6X VRAM. Cuda Cores are more than 10,000 and as a result of crazy specs, the TDP of this card is significantly higher than the cards listed above. It is the max I recommend going with the 7700X but if you think 4K ultra is not sufficient, then you may go with the 3090 Ti.
Final Words
The best choice for maxing out games is the 3080 Ti but I believe that most users prefer a maximum resolution of 1440p. For that resolution, the 3070 Ti will be perfect. For 1080p, the 6650 XT, 3060 Ti, and 6750 XT are all good choices.
Let me know what GPU you are buying for the Ryzen 7700X in the comments below and why.
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