I Tested the Cheapest Ryzen CPU on EVERY GPU
Hardware Canucks · 2026-09-11 · 16 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Z3wmVsX6oVideo summary
Ryzen 5 5500 beats the 2600X, but Radeon RX 9070 XT often outpaces RTX 5090 in 1% lows.
The Ryzen 5 5500 is a popular, inexpensive six-core AM4 CPU, but its PCIe Gen 3 connection and limited performance can hold back high-end graphics cards. Across 11 GPUs and a dozen games at 1440p, upgrading from a Ryzen 5 2600X generally improved performance, especially 1% lows, though entry-level GPUs often showed little average-frame-rate gain. Results repeatedly favored Radeon in CPU-limited scenarios: in Rainbow Six, the 9070 XT delivered better 1% lows than the RTX 5090, and the 9070 matched Nvidia’s flagship. The RX 9050 was judged poor value at roughly $280 US, while the Arc B580 caused compatibility trouble on the 2600X. For a 5500, the creator recommends the Radeon 9070 XT or 9070; Nvidia buyers can consider the 5060 Ti, while a 5070 is better suited to the 5500 than the older 2600X.
Chapters
- 0:00Ryzen 5 5500 vs. 11 GPUs: 1440p tests against the 2600X
- 1:56Sponsor Spot (Thermaltake)
- 2:28CS2 through Baldur’s Gate 3: AMD GPU wins and CPU limits across eight games
- 6:46Rainbow Six, Requiem, Forza Horizon 6, and 007: AMD leads and Nvidia hits CPU limits
- 9:38We Forgot Some GPUs: RX 950, Arc B580, and GTX 1080 Ti comparisons
- 10:50RX 950, Arc B580, and GTX 1080 Ti: pricing, compatibility, and upgrade gains
- 12:43Ryzen 5 5500 GPU pairings: Radeon 9070 sweet spots, Nvidia limits, and upgrade value
What the full analysis includes
6 chapters · 30 key points · 6 section summaries · mind map
Preview of the first chapter · Ryzen 5 5500 vs. 11 GPUs: 1440p tests against the 2600X
The remaining 27 key points, section summaries and mind map are in the full analysis. Analyze this video to see everything →
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