Best CPU for RTX 3060 Ti in 2023 – top AMD, Intel, and budget picks

You need the power to match the 3060 Ti speed, and this CPU is the best option. You will enter the new generation of Intel with their hybrid architecture, 3rd gen DLSS, and ray tracing; so running the games you want will be beautiful.

With this CPU your rig will be ready to take on 1080p gaming easily. In reality, due to the processing power of the CPU, your 1440p gaming will be butter-smooth as well. Something that you couldn’t say with an older CPU gen.

The Intel Core i5-13600K boasts an impressive 14 cores and 20 threads, making it a top contender in the CPU market. Its MSRP of $320 is incredibly affordable given the level of performance it offers.

Compared to its predecessor, the Core i5-12600K, the i5-13600K doubles the number of E-cores and comes equipped with a total of 8 efficient cores (E-cores) and 6 performance cores (P-cores). The P-cores also support Hyper-threading, which contributes to the total number of threads reaching 20. All this processing power is contained on a chip with a TDP of only 125W.

In layman’s terms, this design results in excellent performance for lightly threaded tasks such as gaming, and competitive performance for multi-thread workloads. The improvement is due to the increased number of cores and better clock speeds. The single-core performance is superior to AMD alternatives and is not far behind the Core i9-13900K, with a higher base clock but a lower boost.

For gaming purposes, the performance is nearly comparable to the Intel Core i9 with only a slight drop in frames per second, but with a lower cost and power consumption. The CPU is also unlocked and can be overclocked to a maximum TDP of 181W. The Intel Core i5-13600KF is a similar CPU without an integrated GPU and is priced at $30 cheaper. If you already have a graphics card in your setup, this is a cost-effective way to achieve the same performance.

Intel is not the only brand capable of delivering great CPUs at good prices. AMD has been known for being the top-chose brand in mid and low-entry builds. And with its new 7000-series CPUs, AMD introduces to the world one of the best processors for gaming at a beautiful price. Like in Intel’s case, you will be able to perform great at any 1080p and 1440p resolution when gaming; also, one of the enhancements of AMD in this new generation is their improved ability to perform productivity tasks.

The Ryzen 5 7600 is considered one of the best processors from AMD. However, if you’re upgrading from an older system, keep in mind that the Ryzen 7000 processors from AMD only support DDR5 RAM and require a new motherboard with the AM5 socket and DDR5 RAM. With 38MB of total cache, the Ryzen 5 7600 excels at handling heavy loads.

It boasts 6 cores that can reach a boost frequency of 5.1GHz, which is a remarkable performance compared to previous generations where overclocking was necessary to achieve such speeds. This processor is capable of reaching these speeds on its own, as long as you have a sufficient CPU cooler.

The Ryzen 5 7600 is the best option in AMD’s current lineup. Unless you have specific needs for a high number of threads, such as for streaming or creative work, the Ryzen 5 7600 is the ideal choice. Additionally, the AM5 socket is expected to be supported for a considerable amount of time, so although there may be an added expense now, you can be assured that your setup will be compatible with future generations of processors.

You can always find a better price. If you need to go with the best budget for the 3060 Ti, then you can choose the Ryzen 5 5600X. This CPU from the previous Gen has ensured great gaming capabilities into rigs for a long time and has never disappointed. You’ll have the power of running also 1080p games but if you want to go for the 1440p resolution, you’ll find a bit of a struggle.

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is the best budget option for those who want to save money. Despite having a larger bottleneck of around 12%, the price of this CPU is significantly lower, especially if you can find it on sale due to the recent release of the 5000 series CPUs.

The 5600X still offers impressive core speeds, however, it may limit the performance of your GPU at lower resolutions. Surprisingly, it is recommended to use this CPU and GPU combination for 1440p resolution for optimal performance.

The Ryzen 5 5600X is a formidable force in the mid-range market, boasting six cores and twelve threads powered by the advanced Zen 3 architecture and manufactured using 7nm process technology. This combination leads to a significant improvement of ~19% in instruction per cycle (IPC) throughput, making the 5600X a top pick for the Best CPUs list.

Further optimizations such as an improved boosting algorithm, better memory overclocking, and revised cache topology eliminate any remaining performance advantages held by Intel and deliver a new level of power efficiency. In fact, as detailed below, the Ryzen 5 5600X is the most energy-efficient desktop PC chip tested to date.

There’s always that one person that loves putting a high-end component to the budget rig. Let’s say that one person is each one of us, and the minimum chance we have to build a Ryzen 9 7900X into our rig will be taken.

With this CPU you can forget about any possibility of bottlenecking your CPU. The processor is so strong that at some point it’ll carry out the GPU. In big sandbox games, you’ll have no regret about having purchased this processor. Even, if you do content creation tasks, you’ll feel the boost.

The Ryzen 9 7900X by AMD is a top-of-the-line CPU with a price point of $549, which falls between Intel’s premium Core i9 and Core i7 chips. Despite its mid-range placement in terms of price, the Ryzen 9 7900X boasts performance that surpasses the competition, delivering powerful gaming performance that matches or exceeds that of Intel’s best CPUs.

In addition, it has strong performance in desktop PC applications. With its combination of affordability, gaming performance, and powerful desktop application capabilities, the Ryzen 9 7900X is a strong contender for our list of the best CPUs and our CPU benchmark hierarchy. There is much more to consider than just the price when it comes to choosing the best CPU.

The Ryzen 9 7900X boasts impressive specifications with its 12 cores and Zen 4 architecture, which results in a ~13% improvement in IPC, manufactured on the advanced 5nm process. This allows for remarkable peak clock speeds of 5.6 GHz, nearly reaching the 5.7 GHz of the top-of-the-line Ryzen 9 7950X. The high clock speed is even ahead of Intel’s current fastest offerings and sets the bar for future releases.