Looking for the best CPU to pair with your RTX 4090? Here is our list of the seven best gaming CPUs you can get for this purpose.
The RTX 4090 is the top-of-the-line GPU from Nvidia that offers unparalleled graphics performance even at higher resolutions like 4K. It can run games at 120 FPS constantly without breaking a sweat.
In order to run the GPU at its maximum capability, it is recommended that you pair it with a high-end CPU. If there is a discrepancy between the CPU and the GPU, it could sometimes lead to a bottleneck, impacting the performance of the game with uneven frame times and lower FPS.
Apart from being very power-hungry, the RTX 4090 is easily the best GPU on the market from Nvidia.
These are the 7 best CPUs to pair with the RTX 4090.
7 Best CPUs To Pair With RTX 4090
The CPU is the brain of the computer, carrying out crucial instructions and processes. The CPU and the GPU work in tandem to give us the best results when gaming and other intensive works. You must choose a CPU that is as powerful as your GPU to avoid bottlenecks.
These are the best CPUs to pair with the RTX 4090.
1. AMD 9800X3D
The AMD 9800X3D is touted as the best gaming processor in the market due to its blazing-fast performance and power efficiency. It pairs very well with the RTX 4090 both in terms of speed and performance.
Based on Zen-5 architecture and running on the AM5 socket, this GPU is a screamer in performance numbers. It comes with 8 cores and 16 threads, with each core clocked at 4.7GHZ and a 5.2GHZ turbo mode. It comes with 104MB of L3 cache and runs just under 120 watts.
Specs
- Price: 499 USD
- Socket: AM5
- Clock Speed: 4.7GHZ (5.2GHZ Turbo)
- Cache: 104MB
2. AMD 7950X
As AMD’s flagship product for quite some time, the AMD 7950X offers strong performance in intensive workload and gaming. It runs on the Zen-4 architecture and is very flexible in terms of being compatible with a plethora of sockets in the market. It comes equipped with 16 cores and 32 threads, with each core running at 4.5GHZ and 5.7GHZ turbo mode. This CPU is great for single and multithreaded work and is no slouch even for gaming.
Specs
- Price: 438 USD
- Socket: AM5
- Clock Speed: 4.5GHZ (5.7GHZ Turbo)
- Cache: 64MB
3. AMD 7800X3D
Before the introduction of the 9800x3D, the AMD 7800X3D was the fastest on the market for quite a long time. It offers great performance for gaming-related applications with super fast single-core speeds and the 3D technology allows for an even smoother gaming experience.
Built on the ZEN-5 architecture, this CPU is packed with 8 cores and 16 threads each running at a speed of 4.2GHZ with a boost of 5.0 GHZ. It is still a great buy to pair with your RTX 4090 as it will be a great bargain with a price drop.
Specs
- Price: 455 USD
- Socket: AM5
- Clock Speed: 4.2GHZ (5.0GHZ Turbo)
- Cache: 40MB
4. Intel Core i9 -13900K
As Intel’s fastest offering, this chip is splendid in gaming performance. The Intel i9-13900K has 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores, for a total of 24 cores. The single-core performance offers up to a boost clock of 5.8GHZ while having a 36M cache. So, if you are looking for single-core performance for your applications or games, this processor is a great buy.
Specs
- Price: 479 USD
- Socket: LGA 1700
- Clock Speed: 5.8GHZ (8-P Cores 18-E cores)
- Cache: 36MB
5. Intel Core i7-13700K
As a direct competitor to AMD’s budget offerings, the i7-13700K delivers excellent gaming performance at a significantly lower cost. It boasts 8 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores, for a total of 16 cores, a boost clock speed of 5.4GHZ, and a 30MB cache.
Specs
- Price: 328 USD
- Socket: LGA 1700
- Clock Speed: 5.4GHZ (8-P Cores 8-E-Cores)
- Cache: 30MB
6. AMD 9950X
The AMD Ryzen 9950X is one of the top-of-the-line processors if you are looking to do gaming and heavy productivity work. It’s built on the Zen-5 architecture and works on the AM5 socket. This comes with 16 cores and 32 threads while clocking at 4.3GHZ and 5.7GHZ with turbo. This even has a 64MB level 3 cache.
Specs
- Price: 609 USD
- Socket: AM5
- Clock Speed: 4.3GHZ (5.7GHZ Turbo)
- Cache: 64MB
7. AMD 5950X
This is a budget-friendly offering if you are looking to pair your 4090 with something that is quite easy to run and doesn’t need that much expensive cooling. The AMD 5950X is compatible with the older AM4 socket and features 16 cores and 32 threads, making it an excellent choice for gaming and productivity tasks. It has a clock speed of 3.4 GHZ which can boost up to 3.9GHZ and has a 64MB cache size.
Specs
- Price: 272 USD
- Socket: AM4
- Clock Speed: 3.4GHZ (3.9GHZ Turbo)
- Cache: 64MB
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