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The Radeon RX 9070 XT is a powerful GPU for 1080p and 1440p gaming. Here are some CPUs you must buy to prevent this GPU from bottlenecking.
The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is designed on the latest RDNA 4 architecture and is built to deliver high graphical fidelity and performance at both 1440p and 4K resolution. A high-performance graphics card like this must be paired with an equally powerful CPU to minimize bottlenecks and allow games to utilize its full performance.
In this article, you will find all the best CPUs to pair with the Radeon RX 9070 XT.
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 AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT?
1) AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the most powerful gaming CPU in the world as of this writing. Therefore, it is the best processor to pair with the Radeon RX 9070 XT. This processor will prevent bottlenecks, even in the most CPU-intensive games like Battlefield 6, thanks to the large 96MB of L3 cache and fast DDR5 memory. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is also equipped with eight cores and has a 5.2GHz clock speed. It will continue to provide this level of gaming performance for years to come.
| 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) Intel Core i9 14900KF
The Intel Core i9 14900KF is one of the most powerful CPUs from Intel. It has a total of 24 cores that can clock as high as 5.8GHz, delivering unprecedented performance in both gaming and productivity. Due to the high core count, you will also be able to stream games live on Twitch or YouTube without impacting gaming performance. The P-cores handle the gaming workload, while the E-cores take care of live streaming and other background tasks. It is one of the best Intel CPUs to pair with the Radeon RX 9070 XT.
| 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 |
3) AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
The Ryzen 9 9900X is a high-core-count CPU from AMD that promises excellent performance in both gaming and productivity. It will not outperform the legendary 9800X3D, but it is still very capable. With 64MB of cache, it delivers performance that is more than good enough for most gamers. Its 12 cores also allow for true multitasking, including game streaming and other demanding tasks. It pairs well with the Radeon RX 9070 XT.
| Specifications | Values |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Zen 5 |
| Core/Thread count | 12/24 |
| Max clock speed | 5.6 GHz |
| L3 cache | 64 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 |
4) Intel Core i5 14600KF
The Intel Core i5 14600KF is an affordable, high-core-count CPU designed for budget-conscious users who want the best value for their money. It has a total of 14 cores and can reach a 5.3GHz clock speed, making it capable of delivering great gaming performance with the Radeon RX 9070 XT. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. For maximum performance, choose DDR5, but for a budget build, DDR4 will work just fine.
| Specifications | Values |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Raptor Lake Refresh |
| P-Core/Thread count | 6/12 |
| E-Core/Thread count | 8/8 |
| Total Core/Thread count | 14/20 |
| Max clock speed | 5.3 GHz |
| L3 cache | 24 MB |
| RAM support | DDR4-3200 DDR5-5600 |
| PCIe Gen support | Gen 5 |
| Platform Socket | LGA 1700 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 125W Typical | 181W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 10nm |
5) AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
The Ryzen 7 7700X is one of the most affordable eight-core CPUs from AMD. You need at least eight cores for the Radeon RX 9070 XT, or it will bottleneck severely in some games like Battlefield 6. It can reach a high clock speed of 5.4 GHz and supports fast DDR5 memory, delivering fantastic performance in all your favorite games.
This processor is also equipped with PCIe Gen 5 support, making it future-proof. More powerful GPUs in the future will work out of the box without any issues. You can also pair an extremely high-speed PCIe Gen 5 SSD with the Ryzen 7 7700X.
| 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 and Intel Core i9 14900KF are the best CPUs to pair with the Radeon RX 9070 XT. However, cost-friendly options like the Ryzen 9 9900X or Intel Core i5 14600KF are also great choices. Those on a tight budget can go with the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X.
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