Released in 2021 in the Alder Lake lineup of CPUs, the Intel i7 1200K consists of 12 cores and 20 threads and is manufactured in a 10nm process. Coming from the rather unimpressive performance of 11th Gen CPUs, the 12700K is well-liked by many gamers as a high-end CPU.

If you want to take full advantage of the power it offers, you need to get a good GPU to pair it with. This can be a tough choice, given the current market conditions. So, I’ve made the choice clear by doing the legwork for you in this article.

Intel i7 12700K Specs

Here are the specs for the Intel i7 12700K:

  • Socket: LGA 1700
  • Cores and Threads: 12C/20T
  • Max. Memory Capacity: 128GB DDR4-3200 or DDR5-4800
  • Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 770
  • Boost Clock: 5 GHz
  • TDP Rating: 125W
  • Cooler Included: No

If these technical specifications overwhelmed you, don’t worry. I’ve created this lineup while keeping it in mind for the best price-to-performance ratio. If you’ve either bought or are planning to buy an i7 12700K and are having a hard time choosing a GPU, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s go ahead with the list…

Top 5 Best GPUs for Intel i7 12700K in 2022:

1. MSI Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT – Best Overall

SPECS:

  • Memory: 16GB GDDR6
  • Stream Processors: 4608
  • Base Clock: Not Stated
  • Boost Clock: 2.31 GHz

If your goal is to get around 144FPS in most AAA titles on a 1440p monitor, the MSI Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a good GPU to pair with the i7 12700K. As shown by gaming benchmarks, it consistently reaches that point without much trouble in most titles.

As you can see, this card is a triple-fan monster. It also contains plenty of RGB lighting on the sides and has great build quality. At the back, you get three DP 1.4 ports and one HDMI port. This card also has a higher boost clock at 2.31 GHz compared to 2.25 GHz on the reference card.

To sum it up, the RX 6800XT is a high-end card from AMD, and the Gaming Z Trio from MSI pushes it a step further. If you’re looking for a great gaming experience without worrying about stuttering, get this one!

Pros

  • Great build quality
  • Vibrant RGB lighting
  • Suitable for 1440p gaming

Cons

  • Expensive

2. Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 6600 – Best on a Budget

SPECS:

  • Memory: 8GB GDDR6
  • Stream Processors: 1792
  • Base Clock: Not Stated
  • Boost Clock: 2.49 GHz

Many reviewers and tech enthusiasts have recently hailed the RX 6600 as a great “bang for your buck” GPU in 2022. For around $300, it’ll provide you with a decent 1080p gaming experience, easily reaching around 144 FPS in many AAA titles.

This unit from Sapphire is also quite impressive. The design is minimal and it is also built well, fearing an all-aluminium backplate for increased durability and heat dissipation. Of course, it also has two fans for airflow, which Sapphire has labelled as Dual-X Cooling.

All in all, the Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 6600 is a good value-packed GPU to pair with your i7 12700K. It’s suitable for 1080p gaming, and can be pushed up to 1440p in some cases, but at a lower refresh rate.

Pros

  • Budget-friendly
  • Power efficient
  • Durable metal backplate

Cons

  • Not suitable for 1440p or 4K gaming

3. PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT – Best Value for Money

SPECS:

  • Memory: 12GB GDDR6
  • Stream Processors: 2560
  • Base Clock: 2.15 GHz
  • Boost Clock: 2.71 GHz

For those willing to spend a few hundred bucks extra on their GPU, the PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT will give you some more frames for that money. PowerColor has always excelled at overclocking its cards, and this one is no exception. While the reference card has a boost clock of 2.60 GHz, the Red Devil pushes that up to 2.71 GHz. As a result, it’s also quite power-hungry, requiring a 700W PSU.

For keeping things cool, it has three fans (100mm x 90mm x 100mm) using two-ball bearing tech. In addition, it has nickel-plated copper heat pipes with extra fin arrays and a backplate, maximizing surface area for heat dissipation. It also has RGB lighting at the sides, which can be controlled using the Devil Zone RGB software.

All of this makes the card quite chunky, so I’d recommend you get a GPU sag bracket for it. Here are two great options from upHere and CoolerMaster. Overall, the PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is worth considering as a high-end GPU to pair with your i7 12700K!

Pros

  • Great upgrade from the RX 6700 XT
  • Great build quality and stealthy design
  • LED illuminated ports

Cons

  • Power hungry (requires 700W PSU)

4. Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Trinity OC – Best from Nvidia

SPECS:

  • Memory: 8GB GDDR6X
  • CUDA Cores: 6144
  • Base Clock: 1.58 GHz
  • Boost Clock: 1.80 GHz

Now, let’s get to Team Green! The RTX 3070 Ti is a beast of a GPU, sporting 8GB GDDR6X memory and over six thousand CUDA cores under the hood. If you’re targeting high refresh rate 1440p gaming and even 4K to some degree, this one might be it.

This unit from Zotac has some surprises under its sleeve: a higher boost clock of 1800 MHz (up from 1.77 GHz on the reference card), Spectra 2.0 Lighting software, active fan control, and an RGB metal backplate.

In terms of output ports, you get three DP 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1 port. If you’re planning a multi-monitor setup, you’d be happy to know that this card is capable of powering four monitors, and is also 8K- and VR-ready.

Pros

  • Suitable for 1440p and 4K gaming
  • Elegant design with RGB lighting under the Zotac logo
  • Triple-fan setup for increased airflow

Cons

  • Overpriced

5. ASUS GeForce RTX 2060 OC EVO – Best for SFF Build

SPECS:

  • Memory: 6GB GDDR6
  • CUDA Cores: 1920
  • Base Clock: 1.36 GHz
  • Boost Clock: 1.78 GHz

So far in this article, I’ve only talked about the latest generation GPUs, but the RTX 2060 is also worth mentioning as a viable option to pair with the i7 12700K. It still holds up well in 2022 and provides good value for money for 1080p gaming.

This unit from ASUS packs all that power in a small package, measuring around 10 inches long. It also comes with a higher boost clock of 1.78 GHz, which is impressive compared to other RTX 2060 models. If you want to monitor performance, you can use GPU Tweak II. To keep temps under control, it has two special wing-blade fans and an aluminium backplate.

In terms of output ports, you get one DP 1.4, two HDMI 2.0, and one DVI port. Everything considered, the ASUS GeForce RTX 2060 OC EVO is an exciting, value-packed GPU. It might be from 2019, but it still packs a punch and will provide you with a great 1080p gaming experience.

Pros

  • Perfect for a small form factor PC build
  • Impressive boost clock
  • Great build quality

Cons

  • Lacks vibrant RGB lighting

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the i7 12700K Have Integrated Graphics?

If you’ve already bought an i7 12700K, while browsing this list you might’ve wondered a few times if you can make do without a GPU. The good news is, that the 12700K does have integrated graphics in the form of UHD 770, based on the Xe architecture. Unfortunately, it generally fails to achieve 60FPS in most AAA titles. You can take a look at gaming benchmarks here.

How Many Performance and Efficiency Cores Are Included in the i7 12700K?

I noted before that the i7 12700K has 12 cores and 20 threads, but this isn’t the whole story. Eight of those are Performance (P) cores, and the rest of the four are Efficiency (E) cores. The P-cores support hyperthreading, leading to a total of 20 threads that can perform simultaneously. Moreover, the P-cores can clock up to 5 GHz (all thanks to Turbo Boost Max 3.0) whereas the E-cores up to 3.9 GHz. All cores get access to 25MB of Smart Cache.

Wrap Up

If you’re building your first gaming and streaming PC or are upgrading after a long while, it can be overwhelming to choose the GPU. It’s an integral component of the PC and buying the wrong one can lead to many issues. I hope this article made things simpler for you. Here is a summary of the featured GPUs and their categories:

  • MSI Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is Best Overall
  • Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 6600 is Best on a Budget
  • PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is Best Value for Money
  • Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Trinity OC is Best from Nvidia
  • ASUS GeForce RTX 2060 OC EVO is Best for SFF Build

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