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The Nvidia RTX 5050 is the latest budget GPU. If you are planning to build a new PC with this graphics card, here are the CPUs you should buy.
The recently announced budget GPU from Nvidia, the RTX 5050, launches in the second half of July 2025. It brings some decent performance improvements over its predecessor, the RTX 3050. The new Nvidia RTX 5050 has the potential to be a great GPU for the low-end market. If you are planning on buying this graphics card for your next PC build, we have some suggestions on the CPUs you should pair it with.
In this article, we are sharing all the best processors to buy alongside the RTX 5050.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions. The prices mentioned herein are subject to change.
What Are the Best CPUs To Pair With the Nvidia RTX 5050?
1) AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is the ultimate CPU to pair with the Nvidia RTX 5050, thanks to its incredible performance and efficiency. It may cost a bit more compared to other processors on this list, but its gaming performance will totally win you over. In fact, the Ryzen 5 7600X delivers the highest FPS out of the CPUs in this list. It supports DDR5M memory modules with high frequencies and will have no issue delivering top-tier performance for the RTX 5050 GPU.
| Specifications | Details |
| Architecture | Zen 4 |
| P-cores/threads | 6/12 |
| E-cores/threads | — |
| Total cores/threads | 6/12 |
| Max clock speed | 5.3 GHz |
| L3 cache | 32MB |
| RAM support | DDR5-5200 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 105W Typical | 142W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 5nm, 6nm |
2) Intel Core i5-12600KF
If you want a Ryzen 5 7600-like CPU performance at a lower cost, then you should buy the Intel Core i5-12600KF. It has a total of 10 cores and 16 cores, which is more than enough for gaming. However, the Core i5-12600KF absolutely beats the Ryzen 5 7600 in productivity, thanks to its 10 cores. This Intel CPU also supports both DDR5 and DDR4 RAM kits, so you can go with either.
If you are on a low budget, you can choose DDR4 to save some money and invest it when buying the RTX 5050. However, if budget is not an issue, you can choose DDR5 for better performance.
| Specifications | Details |
| Architecture | Alder Lake |
| P-cores/threads | 6/12 |
| E-cores/threads | 4/4 |
| Total cores/threads | 10/16 |
| Max clock speed | 4.9 GHz |
| L3 cache | 20MB |
| RAM support | DDR5-4800 DDR4-3200 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 125W Typical | 150W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 10nm |
3) AMD Ryzen 5 5600
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is also a great CPU and offers a lot of value for your money. It is also a great companion to the RTX 5050 GPU. After all, if you are buying the RTX 5050, you are probably trying to save some cost, and the Ryzen 5 5600 is a fantastic budget processor. It can be a treat for budget Ryzen fans. It is also an incredibly efficient CPU and even supports PCIe Gen 4 for both graphics cards and SSDs.
| Specifications | Details |
| Architecture | Zen 3 |
| P-cores/threads | 6/12 |
| E-cores/threads | — |
| Total cores/threads | 6/12 |
| Max clock speed | 4.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | 32MB |
| RAM support | DDR4-3200 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 65W Typical | 88W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 7nm, 12nm |
4) Intel Core i5-12400F
The Intel Core i5-12400F is one of the most popular budget CPUs due to its incredible price-to-performance ratio. Its gaming performance is similar to or even better than the more expensive Ryzen 5 5600 in some games. On top of that, the Intel Core i5-12400F provides support for both DDR4 and DDR5, which is one of the best things about this processor. This choice matters a lot to budget gamers. It can easily handle the RTX 5050 without any issues.
| Specifications | Details |
| Architecture | Alder Lake |
| P-cores/threads | 6/12 |
| E-cores/threads | — |
| Total cores/threads | 6/12 |
| Max clock speed | 4.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | 18MB |
| RAM support | DDR5-4800 DDR4-3200 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 65W Typical | 117W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 10nm |
5) AMD Ryzen 5 5500
The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is one of the cheapest CPUs you can pair with the Nvidia RTX 5050. It won’t cause any bottlenecks and can run games at full performance with this GPU. The Ryzen 5 5500 has a total of six cores, which is sufficient for 1080p budget gaming. The best part is that it is available for under $85, which is a price bracket that is populated by quad-core CPUs.
However, there’s a small caveat, and that’s the lack of PCIe Gen 4 support. The Ryzen 5 5500 is limited to PCIe Gen 3 only, which can cause a 3 – 5% performance loss in some games with the RTX 5050. At this low price point, you kind of have to accept some compromises.
| Specifications | Details |
| Architecture | Zen 3 |
| P-cores/threads | 6/12 |
| E-cores/threads | — |
| Total cores/threads | 6/12 |
| Max clock speed | 4.2 GHz |
| L3 cache | 16MB |
| RAM support | DDR4-3200 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 65W Typical |
| Manufacturing nodes | 7nm |
Final Thoughts
The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is obviously the best CPU for the Nvidia RTX 5050, but it is also quite costly. In the mid-range, the Intel Core i5 12600KF and 12400F are great options. However, if you are on a really tight budget, you can buy the Ryzen 5 5500 processor.
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