Best CPU for RX 6700 XT in 2024 – our top Intel and AMD picks

If you’re looking for the best CPU for 6700 XT, we recommend you check out the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X.

For starters, this processor has 6 cores, 12 threads, a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz, and a 32 MB L3 cache. What this means is that it should be powerful enough to work well with the RX 6700 XT and this combination shouldn’t run into bottleneck issues. The 12 threads should ensure that you can run tasks in parallel without experiencing a drop in performance. On top of that, its single core performance is only slightly lesser than its 5700X counterpart and it even takes over it in Cinebench R23 by over 23 points. This means that, the its gaming potential should be fine for 1080P and 1440P gaming. However, you might begin to see a drop in performance if you switch to 4K gaming.

Its base clock speed should also be more than enough to handle basic and demanding tasks but it does have the functionality of hitting 4.6 GHz. This turbo frequency should be safe to operate at if you’re keeping the temperature under control with adequate ventilation or a good water cooler. It also has a default TDP of 65W but that can fluctuate depending on what its being used for. For example, if you overclock it, there is a high likelihood of it drawing over 65W but if you’re casually browsing, it might not even cross the 15W mark.

This processor should pair well with the RX 6700 XT as both of them use PCIe 4.0 connections. This means that you can upgrade your CPU, as long as it uses an AM4 socket, without worrying about whether your storage drives or RAM will cause conflict. That said, upgrading your RAM is an option to complete deck out your build so check out the best DDR4 RAM that you can pair with your 5600X and 6700XT. On top of that, it has a 32 MB L3 cache which means its data access speed and processing power should compliment the performance of the RX 6700 XT. This should result in a top-notch gaming performance at 1440p but pushing it for 4K gaming might be a much.

Lastly, it also features the AMD Ryzen Master Utility. What this does is allows you to overclock your CPU without the need for any third-party software such as MSI Afterburner. So, as long as you have some experiencing with tweaking CPU metrics, you should have a pleasant experience with this software all the while increasing the gaming potential of your build.

Overall, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X brings good utility to the table and is the best CPU for RX 6700 XT. It comes at an affordable price range and should last you for a couple of years to come.

If you’re looking for the best processor to pair with your RX 6700XT, the Intel i5-13600K might be the option for you.

Let’s kick things off with some general specifications. This CPU has 14 cores, 20 threads, and there are split between 6 performance cores(P-Cores) and 8 efficient cores(E-Cores). How this works is that the performance cores do the heavy lifting and when there are no intense tasks to work with, the E-Cores take over and handle minor and background tasks. What this does is it ensures that you get the right performance for the right activity. If you’re not going heavy-duty gaming and the P-Core keeping firing, this will only result in more power draw, higher temperatures, and increased costs. So, this design helps increase your productivity while giving you control over costs.

It also supports both PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 connections, meaning that you can slap this chip on modern motherboard with the latest DDR5 memory sticks. This should not only increase your systems processing speed and power but also save you a bunch of money that you’d spend on a new CPU. That said, there RAM more suited for the Intel 13th Gen processors and it might be worth it to check them out for your build.

Since it is a “K” processor it can be overclocked to give you the absolute performance but we recommend taking proper precautions before doing that such as equipping yourself with the right tools and ensuring that the chip will remain under controlled temperatures. A neat aspect of this processor is that the P and E cores have independent base and turbo clock speeds. For example the turbo clock speed for each P-Core is 5.1 GHz and for each E-Core is 3.9 GHz. This means, that it should be great at multitasking which can include running multiple applications in parallel and the single-core performance of this CPU should ensure top-notch gaming performance in high-definition.

So, keep these factors in mind, the i5-13600K looks like an ideal match for the RX 6700 XT and might even be suited for a more powerful GPU such as the RX 7800 XT. That said, the i5-13600K comes at relatively affordable price point and should match all your gaming expectations.

If team red is your go to choice and you’re looking for the best CPU for RX 6700 XT, we recommend giving the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D a shot.

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is one of the best processors from Ryzen and while it may be overshadowed by its stronger counterparts, it doesn’t diminish the fact that it is still a gaming beast and should go exceptionally well with your RX 6700 XT.

For starters, this CPU has AMD’s innovative 3D V-Cache technology. This makes it one of the fastest gaming processors of the previous generation. This has to do with how it is designed. It basically has an extra cache that is merged directly with the CPU. What this does is, reduces the gap between the cache and CPU so it take less time for data to travel and be processed. So, this takes its efficiency and productivity through the roof as more data is being processed at a faster rate.

Other than that, it has a default TDP of 105W which when you consider its performance is amazing and speaks toward its efficient design. On top of that, it sports a massive 96MB L3 cache. How the L3 cache works is, it stores data that can be accessed by the different cores should they need to work on it. So, when more cores are called upon, they can directly access it, instead of taking the long way around. This should help in general and gaming performance as quicker data access and processing means lower system lag and higher frames.

This CPU also utilizes the PCIe 4.0 connection which is the same one that the RX 6700 XT uses. This means that there should be good compatiblity between the CPU, GPU, and other components and you should be able to swap out components with ease as long as they are supported by the motherboard.

Overall, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a solid option for RX 6700 XT and should not result in bottleneck issues for CPU, GPU, or general tasks.