The former high-performance and value-oriented core i7 10700K processor is still well suited to modern graphics cards.
After in-depth testing, review, and market analysis, we figured the PNY GeForce RTX™ 4080 16GB XLR8 is the sweet spot GPU that redeems the i7 CPU to its former glory in terms of premium gaming experience.
That’s not all, considering different factors, we picked the 5 best GPUs in 2023 for i7 10700K in this article.
Let’s jump right in!
5 Best Graphics Cards For i7 10700K
Before we delve into our individual GPU choice, here’s a quick look at our best GPU stack for i7 10700K.
| Graphics Card | Award | VRAM |
|---|---|---|
| PNY GeForce RTX™ 4080 16GB XLR8 | Best Overall | 16GB GDDR6X |
| ASUS TUF GeForce RTX® 4090 OC | Absolute Best Performance | 24GB GDDR6X |
| XFX Speedster MERC310 AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX | Best Gaming GPU | 24GB GDDR6 |
| ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 4070 | Best Upper Midrange GPU | 12GB GDDR6X |
| MSI Gaming Radeon RX 6750XT | Best 1080p Gaming | 12GB GDDR6 |
1. PNY GeForce RTX™ 4080 16GB XLR8: Best Overall GPU
Key Specifications
CUDA Cores: 9728
Clock Speed: 2205 MHz (Base), 2550 MHz (Boost)
Memory Bus: 256-Bit
Memory Interface: PCIe 4.0x 16
Power Supply Requirement: 750W
External Power: 16-pin (One 16-pin to Three 8-pin)
- »Gigantic leap in 1440P & 4K Gaming over its predecessor RTX 3080.
- »Incorporates Nvidia AI frame generation (DLSS3) to boost gaming performance even further thanks to 4th gen Tensor Cores.
- »Top-tier productivity application performance.
- »3rd gen RT cores help to leapfrog in games and productivity works compared to the last gen top dog RTX 3090Ti.
- »Improved efficiency that finds a balance between power and performance.
- »Overpriced, considering this is an xx80 series GPU.
Why We Chose It
The RTX 4080 (AD103) is the one GPU that is capable of delivering premium performance in this generation without breaking the bank. Out of heaps of RTX 4080 models currently available in the market, we specifically found the PNY XLR8 model an excellent option due to its performance, competitive price, and build quality.
Speaking of performance, this PNY card performs excellently and appreciably meets our expectations. For high resolution (4K & 1440p) and high refresh rate (120Hz and up) gaming, the i7 10700K bodes well with this beast of a GPU. Besides, the noise profile and thermals are up there with more expensive 4080 models.
That said, it’s not overbuilt like we see on some AIB cards. And it’s neither too flashy nor gives a cheap appearance and feel. Though, its 3.5 slot dimension pushes most of the ATX cases to the edge.
But what surprises us the most is the PNY XLR8 RTX 4080’s price. It undercuts the MSRP by almost $100 (at the time of writing this article).
Who Should Buy This GPU?
For a CPU like the i7 10700K, the RTX 4080 is a perfectly fine card to pair if you consider gaming at 4K. But anyone who targets 1080p should avoid this card due to CPU bottleneck. Apart from that, for any productivity task such as 3D graphics & rendering, and video editing, the RTX4080 is a monster and won’t create any compatibility issues.
What We Liked Most
The PNY GeForce RTX4080 16GB XLR8 VERTO dazzled us with its build quality and components. The 14-phase power design with UPI uP9512R controller provides a great power delivery system.
Also, the Voltage Regulatory Modules (VRM) are rated for the 50A power stage, which allows overclocking on this GPU. And the GPU shroud, along with the X pattern Epic-X RGB, provides a fusion between gamery and a classy look.
What Could be Improved
Price is the only thing that is hard to swallow for any RTX4080. Compared to the last gen xx80 card, the RTX3080, this card comes at an MSRP of a whopping $1200.
That is a ridiculous bump in price in a single generation, regardless of the performance gain. As a result, AIB partners have little or nothing to do in these circumstances. Though, the PNY RTX4080 XLR8 coming at a slightly lower retail price makes it more appealing.
Verdict
After extensive testing and reviewing carefully, we found the PNY GeForce RTX4080 16GB XLR8 provides a tremendous balance between performance, price, and efficiency. Hence, this is our pick for the best overall GPU to couple with core i7 10700K, despite the CPU’s lackluster single core performance for this card.
2. ASUS TUF GeForce RTX® 4090 OC: Absolute Best Performance
Key Specifications
CUDA Cores: 16384
Clock Speed: 2595 MHz (OC), 2550 MHz (Boost)
Memory Bus: 384-Bit
Memory Interface: PCIe 4.0x 16
Power Supply Requirement: 850W
External Power: 1 x 16-pin (Converter included in the box)
- »Maximum gaming performance that money can buy.
- »4K gaming over 120 Frames per second. Even 8K gaming is possible with DLSS3.
- »Double the AI performance with 4th gen tensor cores.
- »Take full advantage of 3rd gen Ray Tracing cores in games and applications. Provides the pinnacle of visual fidelity.
- »Almost 2X rasterize and efficiency rating compared to RTX3090.
- »The ASUS TUF RTX4090 is super quiet in operation.
- »Big fat GPU that has compatibility issues with most of the cases out there.
- »Super expensive.
Why We Chose It
In terms of Graphics processing power, nothing can touch RTX4090 in this generation. From a solely ultra-premium perspective, this card is an obvious choice.
After checking out several RTX4090 cards, we discovered ASUS TUF RTX 4090 to be the one GPU that brings the highest quality to the table without any compromise. And that being close to the MSRP. It also performs silently, just like its subdued presentation.
Who Should Buy This GPU?
Yes, the Intel Core i7 10700K is an immediate bottleneck with RTX 4090, even in 1440p. But still, when gaming at 4K, this will no longer be an issue as the GPU will do the heavy lifting in such a resolution.
Therefore, for gamers targeting 4K and money is not a variable, the ASUS TUF RTX4090 is an obvious choice. Also, if you are planning to upgrade the CPU down the road, you can’t really go wrong with this GPU.
What We Liked Most
When we first ran RTX4090 in our lab, we couldn’t believe our eyes at the beginning. In every possible application, game, and synthetic benchmark, it set a new record.
We even played some titles at 8K. We also strongly believe, with DLSS3 and some graphics adjustments, it is possible to game on your 8K TV with breathtaking picture quality. This is the pinnacle of the gaming experience.
What Could Be Improved
The dimension of the ASUS Tuf RTX4090 gave us trouble fitting into the chassis. It’s a behemoth of a GPU that takes up almost four slots. It also sagged dangerously from the PCIe slot of the motherboard. So, we switched to an open bench setup for our tests.
Apart from that, a modest price cut would benefit the gaming community better than it is right now.
Verdict
We consider ASUS RTX4090 to be put together with core i7 10700K for the absolute best gaming performance.
3. XFX Speedster MERC310 AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX: Best Gaming GPU
Key Specifications
Stream Processors: 6144
Compute Units: 96
Clock Speed: 1855 MHz (Base), 2455 MHz (Game), 2615 MHz (Boost)
Memory Bus & Interface: 384-Bit, PCI-E 4.0
Ray Accelerators: 96
Power Supply Requirement: 850W
External Power: 3x PCI-E 8 pin connections
- »Solid rasterization performance that is on par with the more expensive RTX 4080 on average.
- »Competitive pricing and provides better cost per frame.
- »Inclusion of AV1 encoder improves capability in production workloads.
- »Disappoints in Ray Tracing and upscaling image output.
- »High power consumption than the competing RTX4080.
Why We Chose It
The RX 7900XTX performs on par with the RTX4080 yet comes at a $200 cheaper MSRP. Advancement in ray tracing performance compared with the RX6000 series is noteworthy progress. Not to mention, the raw performance over RX6900XT is remarkable.
On top of that, AV1 integration is a step in the right direction. It does improve productivity, especially streaming games. And XFX did a solid job putting everything together in a sleek package, harnessing the power of RDNA3.
Who Should Buy This GPU
XFX Speedster RX 7900XTX makes a brilliant graphics card from a gaming standpoint. Get everything that RTX 4080 can offer, only a bit cheaper. So, if you want a top-notch gaming experience, go for this XFX variant of the RX 7900XTX card.
What We Liked Most
XFX Speedster RX 7900XTX has a 10% higher base and boost clock over AMD’s reference design, which interprets a free performance boost. GPU core, memory junction, and hotspot temperature remained chilled in our testing compared to other cards. In best cases, our unit ran 15-20 degrees Celsius cooler.
And all of this is achieved in a regular fan profile, keeping the ambiance relatively quiet.
What Could Be Improved
We felt the length and the fan design on the XFX RX 7900XTX could be better. It’s not terrible, but not something we adore.
Adding more to the injury, the 7900XTX is still a generation behind Nvidia in ray-traced graphics and AI-powered upscaling features like the DLSS3.
Verdict
The XFX RX 7900XTX screams tremendous performance and emerges as the best gaming GPU for its price.
4. ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 4070: Best Upper Midrange GPU
Key Specifications
CUDA Cores: 5888
Clock Speed: 2580 MHz (OC), 2550 MHz (Boost)
Memory Bus: 192-Bit
Memory Interface: PCIe 4.0x 16
Power Supply Requirement: 650W
External Power: 1 x 8-pin
- »Highly capable 1440p gaming with Ray Tracing enabled. It can also deliver a high frame rate in games utilizing DLSS3.
- »One of the most efficient graphics cards in 2023.
- »Incorporates all the proprietary Nvidia technology such as Reflex, Broadcast, RTX Voice, and more.
- »Sweet deal for a mid-high level GPU from a value perspective.
- »ASUS TUF Gaming RTX4070 solves the overclocking issues that exist with the founder’s edition.
- »Hefty price increase for an xx70 card from the last generation. It hurts!
- »12GB VRAM is ok for now, but it will soon hit the wall for 1440p gaming.
Who Should Buy This GPU?
Playing almost every modern AAA title at the highest quality at 1440p resolution is what the RTX 4070 is targeted for, using upscaling technology when necessary. This is a great upper-midrange GPU for gaming and workloads.
Ergo, users with this intention in mind can pick the RTX 4070, especially the TUF edition, eyes closed. Last but not least, this card has the minimum bottleneck with the core i7 10700K.
What We Liked Most
Founders Edition RTX 4070 doesn’t have enough headroom in terms of clock speed. This is where the ASUS Tuf Gaming RTX 4070 has taken us by surprise. We were able to clock this card higher and achieved an overall performance boost. Most importantly, the card delivered everything at spectacular thermal and noise level readings.
Having said that, the TUF RTX4070 is even more impressive internally with 10 phase power design, 2-phase memory voltage, and VRMs (Vishay SIC654A) with a 50A rating.
What Could Be Improved
RTX 4070 comes a $100 more than the MSRP of RTX 3070. On top of that, the AIB cards come with additional price bumps. We feel like this card should’ve come at least $50 cheaper than it is right now.
Verdict
Out of new-generation AMD and Nvidia cards, the ASUS Tuf RTX4070 provides a satisfactory cost-per-frame graph. Hence, the best upper midrange 1440p GPU among more recent cards.
5. MSI MECH Gaming Radeon RX 6750XT: Best 1080p Gaming
Key Specifications
Stream Processors: 2560
Compute Units: 40
Clock Speed: 2512 MHz (Game), 2618 MHz (Boost)
Memory Bus & Interface: 192-Bit, PCI-E 4.0
Ray Accelerators: 40
Minimum Power Supply Requirement: 650W
External Power: 2x PCI-E 8 pin connections
- »Superb 1080p gaming performance in current games and years to come.
- »Outstanding value for money.
- »Capable of producing a rich 1440p gaming experience with graphics settings adjustment.
- »Terrific power efficiency.
- »MSI MECH Gaming Radeon 6750XT fork out brilliant thermals and noise level.
- »Poor productivity performance in most applications.
- »Weak Ray Tracing and Upscaling (FSR) performance compared to Nvidia counterparts.
Who Should Buy This GPU?
With the latest-gen GPU price hike, the last-gen AMD RX6000 series is seeing the best price after the release. This is where the RX6750XT is recognized as one of the best cost-per-frame GPUs.
Anyone with a buttery smooth gaming experience in mind at a fraction of the cost should consider the MSI MECH Gaming Radeon RX6750XT. Conquering the 1080p resolution, it can even expand its reign to 1440p, with occasional graphics settings dialing down here and there.
What We Liked Most
First of all, the jaw-dropping price of MSI MECH RX6750XT is simply unavoidable for i7 10700K. Strong gaming performance with an extraordinary cost-per-frame graph impressed us the most. Besides, the card is easily manageable and will fit in any ATX and Micro ATX chassis out there.
What Could Be Improved
We felt the aggressive power profile imposed by AMD was unnecessary. Factory undervolt would’ve placed this card in the Most Efficient GPU Hall of Fame.
Verdict
At the price, MSI Gaming MECH RX6750XT is going right now offering 12GB VRAM, which earns the best GPU award for 1080p gaming. We believe this card will age better than any other 8GB card available in the market.
Honorable Mention
RTX 3060ti can be slotted in this segment as a great 1080p card for core i7 10700K. But its 8GB VRAM has proven to be inadequate and a troublemaker in the latest AAA titles like Hogwarts Legacy and The Last of Us Part 1.
However, this card packs a serious punch against RX6750XT. You can find this card on Amazon for between $330 to $350. Also, it will do much better than the AMD card in anything other than gaming, where VRAM is not a constraint.
This is How We Picked Best Graphics Cards for i7 10700K
To determine the best GPU for i7 10700K in 2023 is not easy. Yet we managed to pick the best graphics cards anyway.
We paid attention to the current market and product trends which includes the latest GPU releases, price, availability, and, most importantly, relative performance.
Gaming and professional workloads, such as 3D design, rendering, modeling, Artificial Intelligence, etc., were our chosen metrics for each GPU evaluation. And as the i7 10700K is an older processor, CPU bottleneck was one of our major concerns.
Now, speaking of our choices for the best GPU, each had made its way into our list after going through the intensive testing procedure that I’ve mentioned above.
FAQs
Does the i7-10700K Need a graphics card?
The i7 10700K will require a good GPU when you plan on playing games on your computer or doing graphics-intensive tasks.
Can i7-10700K run RTX 3090?
Yes, core i7 10700K can run the RTX 3090 without a problem. But at a lower resolution, 10700K will bottleneck the GPU slightly. Overclocking the processor, however, can reduce the bottleneck.
Is i7-10700K High End?
Traditionally, the Intel i7 branding is reckoned a high-end SKU. When the 10th generation of core processors came out back in 2020, the i7 10700K was considered one of the highest offerings from Intel. But in 2023, with more advancement in the CPU industry, it should be considered as a lower mid-range CPU.
