Sarfraz
The Core i5 11400F was the best of its time when it was released in 2021. Even though it is now replaced with the faster Alder and Raptor Lake CPUs, many are still using it for gaming and even productivity.
As it can handle most high-end graphics cards without any problem, it is important to choose the best GPU for it to make a balanced PC configuration.
Even though it can support the RTX 3090 and will deliver awesome performance at 4K, it’s not recommended as the prices of the CPU and GPU have too much gap. A balanced combo helps you achieve better performance per dollar spent. Meanwhile, you can get more with the RTX 3090 if you combine it with something like i7 11700K.
Our Picks
BEST BUDGET | BEST VALUE |
Nvidia Geforce GTX 1660 Super | AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT |
 |  |
So, to choose a graphics card wisely, you need to take a look at the available graphics cards’ performance and their specs. Also, it’s important not to choose a GPU that runs at less than 90% while the i5 runs at 100%, as this will limit your overall performance.
Therefore, for this 11th gen Intel CPU, I recommend going with the following graphics cards that will allow you to play games at resolutions starting from 1080p up to 1440p with 60+ fps in most titles.
Best Graphics Cards For Core i5 11400F
Nvidia Geforce GTX 1660 Super
- Real Boost Clock: 1830 MHz; Memory detail: 6144 MB...
- All-new NVIDIA turing architecture to give you...
- Dual fans offer higher performance cooling and low...
- All-metal backplate, pre-installed
The GTX 1660 Super has a similar story as that of the GTX 1650 Super. At the price of the original non-Super edition GTX 1660 card, the 1660 Super now features faster GDDR6 memory with a memory speed of up to 14Gbps and provides 6GB of VRAM to increase textures to the maximum setting at 1080p.
This card is roughly 20% faster than the 1650 Super on average and increases the performance gap further in some games. With the i5 11400F, it is currently the cheapest 1080p graphics card you should buy that will run at 100% while your processor will still have a lot of room left for more performance which you can use for some background tasks.
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
- Chipset: Radeon RX 6600 XT
- Boost Clock: 1845 MHz
- Video Memory 8GB GDDR6
- Memory Interface 128-bit.Avoid using unofficial...
The RX 6600 XT is capable of playing all the games on ultra settings at 1080p as well as most games at 1440p resolution. In comparison to the GTX 1660 Super, it is up to 20% faster, and compared to the RTX 2060, it is generally equivalent in most games but gets up to a 5% lead in some titles like RDR2, Metro Exodus, Forza Horizon, and more.
It has 2304 Stream processors, a memory bandwidth of 336GB/s, and a TDP of 150W. It will definitely prove to be a wise choice with the i5 11400F if you want something to start on at 1440p.
Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060
- NVIDIA Ampere architecture, 2nd Gen Ray Tracing...
- 12GB 192-bit GDDR6, 15 Gbps, PCIE 4.0; Boost Clock...
- IceStorm 2.0 Cooling, Active Fan Control, Freeze...
- 8K Ready, 4 Display Ready, HDCP 2.3, VR...
Currently, the RTX 3000 series has dominated the GPU market even though they are pricier and the reason for that is the amazing Ray Tracing performance. The RTX 3060 features these characteristics by showing up to 30% more performance compared to the RTX 2060.
Thanks to the latest Ampere architecture, it is not only fast with regular graphics settings but it is way too fast with Ray Tracing On where the RTX 2000 series failed miserably. It features 12GB of GDDR6 memory and 3584 Cuda Cores which are more than double compared to the GTX 1660 Super.
I believe it is the best budget RT GPU for the i5 11400F that will be sufficient for a couple of years to come.
Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 Ti
- NVIDIA Ampere architecture, 2nd Gen Ray Tracing...
- Boost Clock 1695 MHz, 8GB 256-bit GDDR6, 14 Gbps,...
- White LED Logo Lighting, IceStorm 2.0 Advanced...
- 8K Ready, 4 Display Ready, HDCP 2.3, VR...
The RTX 3060 Ti features 4GB less VRAM than the 3060 but the memory interface is bigger. As compared to the 192-bit memory interface on the RTX 3060, here you will get a 256-bit memory interface. You might think that’s a downgrade in memory as less VRAM means lower performance, Right?
Wrong! 8GB is more than sufficient in most games and what matters more is the memory specifications. Also, the RTX 3060 Ti has 4864 Cuda Cores which are 1.35 times more than the RTX 3060. Cuda Cores help increase the execution of processes in a given time yielding more performance.
The RTX 3060 Ti is not only capable of maxing out games at 1440p but in some cases can provide you with decent playable framerates with Ray-Tracing On.
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- Memory Speed:16 Gbps.Digital Max...
- Package Weight : 2.0 Kg
- Stream Processor: 2560
- Game Clock: 2514MHz (OC) / 2433MHz (Silent).Avoid...
Last but not the least, the Radeon RX 6700 XT is the best GPU to use with the i5 11400F due to its price-to-performance value. Currently, available at a much lower price of around $450, the 6700 XT is a 3060 Ti killer when it comes to providing the best value for the money.
The performance boost you will get from this card should be at least around 5% on average across all games where some games will see less performance gap while some will see more.
The 6700 XT comes with 12GB GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit memory bus and a total memory bandwidth of 384GB/s. This might look inferior to the 3060 Ti on paper but having 4 GB more VRAM gives the 6700 XT a great advantage in many games.
With the i5 11400F or any other 6-core GPU, the 6700 XT goes well in any case and makes 1440p gaming easy.
Final Words
Let me say it frankly: Yes, you can go with the RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 too but I would prefer going with an i5 11600K or i7 11700K with those beastly graphics cards just to make my system balanced.
With overclocking enabled and higher cores/threads, you will have more fps in games and can do a lot of CPU-dependent tasks faster.
So, what do you think about these graphics cards? Are you going to stick to one of the GPUs on my list or are you going with a higher-end GPU? Let me know in the comments below!
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