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The Nvidia RTX 5090 is the most powerful gaming GPU. An equally powerful CPU is necessary to get its full performance.
The Nvidia RTX 5090 is Nvidia’s most powerful consumer graphics card in the world. Whether you want to use this GPU for gaming, content creation, or both, it will not disappoint. Even when playing games at 4K, it barely breaks a sweat. However, you can’t just install the RTX 5090 in any system. You need a powerful CPU to handle all the frames it renders and display them on your monitor. Older processors will bottleneck and prevent this Nvidia graphics card from running at its full performance.
In this article, we are showcasing five of the best CPUs that can truly handle the raw performance of the Nvidia RTX 5090. The list is ranked according to the gaming performance, with the top model being the most powerful and the bottom being the least.
Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions. Also, the prices mentioned herein are subject to change.
What Are the Best CPUs for Nvidia RTX 5090?
1) AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the most powerful gaming CPU in the world as of this writing in 2025. The 96MB of L3 cache boosts gaming performance tremendously. It delivers higher FPS, 1% Lows, and 0.1% Lows than any other processor. Also, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is equipped with eight cores in total, so it will continue to deliver this amazing performance for years to come.
This CPU is also clocked at 5.2GHz and can be overclocked higher. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D supports high-speed DDR5 RAM, and you should choose DDR5-6000 EXPO RAM for the best performance.
| Specifications | Values |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Zen 5 |
| Core/Thread count | 8/16 |
| Max clock speed | 5.2 GHz |
| L3 cache | 96 MB |
| RAM support | DDR5-5600 |
| PCIe Gen support | Gen 5 |
| Platform Socket | AM5 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 120W Typical | 162W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 4nm, 6nm |
2) AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D used to be the top gaming CPU before the newer Ryzen 7 9800X3D came in and took its spot. However, it still holds the second spot comfortably, thanks to the similar 96MB of 3D cache. It is clocked slightly lower at 5GHz, but it should be more than enough for gaming. However, unlike its successor, you cannot overclock the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. It will still handle the Nvidia RTX 5090 in most games just fine.
| Specifications | Values |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Zen 4 |
| Core/Thread count | 8/16 |
| Max clock speed | 5 GHz |
| L3 cache | 96 MB |
| RAM support | DDR5-5200 |
| PCIe Gen support | Gen 5 |
| Platform Socket | AM5 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 120W Typical | 162W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 5nm, 6nm |
3) Intel Core i9 14900KF
The Intel Core i9 14900KF is one of the most powerful CPUs for gaming from Intel. Therefore, it can handle the Nvidia RTX 5090 without any issues. This little beast has a total of 24 cores, so you can even use it for productivity and content creation, and it will deliver a world-class performance. Also, its clock speed can reach 5.8GHz, which is quite high.
You can pair the Intel Core i9 14900KF with either DDR4 or DDR5 RAM. Go with the latter for the best performance, but budget users should buy the cheaper DDR4 instead.
| Specifications | Values |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Raptor Lake Refresh |
| P-Core/Thread count | 8/16 |
| E-Core/Thread count | 16/16 |
| Total Core/Thread count | 24/32 |
| Max clock speed | 5.8 GHz |
| L3 cache | 36 MB |
| RAM support | DDR4-3200 DDR5-5600 |
| PCIe Gen support | Gen 5 |
| Platform Socket | LGA 1700 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 125W Typical | 253W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 10nm |
4) Intel Core i7 14700K
The Intel Core i7 14700K is one of the best processors under $350. It is equipped with 20 cores and has a 5.6GHz clock speed to deliver the best possible performance in both productivity and gaming. In fact, you can even set up and run game streaming without impacting the game performance, thanks to its high core count. The P cores run the gaming, while the E cores handle the game streaming and other background tasks efficiently. It’s a great CPU to pair with the Nvidia RTX 5090.
| Specifications | Values |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Raptor Lake Refresh |
| P-Core/Thread count | 8/16 |
| E-Core/Thread count | 12/12 |
| Total Core/Thread count | 20/28 |
| Max clock speed | 5.6 GHz |
| L3 cache | 33 MB |
| RAM support | DDR4-3200 DDR5-5600 |
| PCIe Gen support | Gen 5 |
| Platform Socket | LGA 1700 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 125W Typical | 253W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 10nm |
5) AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is the most affordable CPU we can recommend pairing with the RTX 5090. Ideally, we recommend something stronger for a GPU of this class, but if you are on a limited budget, you can still get it without impacting the performance too seriously. It has eight cores in total, which is the same as in the PS5, and it will serve you just fine. The Ryzen 7 7700X is also clocked at 5.4GHz and supports high-speed memory.
| Specifications | Values |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Zen 4 |
| Core/Thread count | 8/16 |
| Max clock speed | 5.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | 32 MB |
| RAM support | DDR5-5200 |
| PCIe Gen support | Gen 5 |
| Platform Socket | AM5 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 120W Typical | 162W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 5nm, 6nm |
Final Thoughts
The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and Intel Core i9 14900KF are obviously the go-to CPU choices for the Nvidia RTX 5090. These processors will deliver the most out of the RTX 5090. However, if you are on a budget, you can choose either the Intel Core i7 14700K or AMD Ryzen 7 7700X.
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