NVIDIA is keeping the world of gamers on their edge with one after another release of high-end GPU units. But as they are taking baby steps to precise-level perfection, they’ve come up with two versions of their infamous RTX 2070- the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 and RTX 2070 Super. But what is a good CPU for RTX 2070?
Once you’ve bagged this impressive GPU in your shopping cart, the next mission is to look for the right CPU unit that will complete its performance. But it’s a tough nut to crack, as both Intel and AMD had been fighting within that ring for quite a few years now.
To give you a hand, we’ve picked 5 of the best CPU for RTX 2070 and RTX 2070 Super. We’ve kept the blend in such a way that there are premium, mid-range, and even budget picks of processors. Take a few minutes of break from whatever you are going and hope on the wagon with us.
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Our Top Pick
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Our Top Pick
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#1 AMD Ryzen 7 3700X |
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#2 Intel Core i7-9700K |
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#3 AMD Ryzen 5 3600X |
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#4 Intel Core i5-9600K |
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#5 AMD Ryzen 5 2600 |
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Top 5 Best CPU for RTX 2070 Super
The RTX 2070 is one of the best gaming GPU, and you need a perfect matching processor for this graphics card. So, we have picked some top-rated CPU for you. Before diving deep, here’s a bird’s eye view of all 5 of our today’s picks-
#1 Best Gaming CPU for 2070: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
- Octa Core, 16 threads in the system.
- High clock speed range of up to 4.4 GHz.
- Game Cache memory is 36 MB.
- System RAM spec is DDR4 3200 MHz.
- It contains the AMD Wraith Prism cooler.
- Color-oriented LED support.
Our first pick, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X has a claim from their brand that- it’s the world’s most advanced processor for gaming in PC. Well, that’s quite a claim in this competitive market of gaming hardware. But how much truth is behind that? Let’s explore-
Firstly, it’s a technical roundup. This powerful processor comes with 8 cores and 16(wow) threads in it. The GameCache memory is insanely 36MB, which is going to create a heaven for power-gamers. The maximum CPU clock speed is 4.4 GHz, which will provide some boost to your system. It’s built-in AM4 socket and can be accompanied by PCIe 4 0 on any x570 motherboard.
For a processor of such high-end, cooling is going to be an issue. But AMD had taken care of that with their Wraith Prism Cooler. On top of that, it comes with a LED-controlled backlit showdown as well.
Before going to the list of games, let’s talk about something generic. FPS or Frame Per Second is a top-tier concern of any gamer as he or she looks for the high-resolution gaming experience. Fortunately, this AMD Ryzen 7 3700X has been proven to provide up to 100+ FPS delivery without any stress or decay.
Now, the games that you can play in a system with AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and the RTX 2070 GPU are- World of Tanks, Fortnite, Battlefield V, The Witcher 3, League of Legends, etc. All in all, we’ve to say that the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is one of the best gaming CPUs in the market, if not the best of them all.
#2 Intel Core i7-9700K
- 8 core, 8 thread processor.
- Clock speed is from 3.60-4.90 GHz.
- Cache memory is 12MB.
- Supports DDR4 RAM of up to 64GB.
- A separate cooling device can accompany it.
- Intel UHD 630 built-in graphics.
As long as it’s about high-quality CPU units, Intel had set the benchmark rather high. And the 9th gen Intel Core i7-9700K is one of those benchmark models from Intel’s inventory. So, you don’t need to worry about i7 9700k RTX 2070 super benchmarks. What made it appear on the #2 position in this list of the best intel CPU for RTX 2070? Well, here is the catch.
This octa-core processor contains the same number of threads as well. The base clock speed is 3.60 GHz, which can be boosted up to 4.90 GHz – perfect for high end, optimal resolution gaming. For basic graphics support, it has the Intel 630 Graphics, and the cache memory capacity is up to 12MB. In terms of RAM compatibility, it can go well with up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM (2666 MHz).
Many of these games would ask for high RAM storage on the motherboard. However, this processor is compatible with up to 64GB DDR4 RAM, which is a great plus. In case you want to step down into a bit less feature-rich version of the same model, there is the Intel Core i7-9600K available.
At this point, it’s a piece of bad news that there is no dedicated cooling unit provided with this CPU. You can either take it as a chance to equip any cooling unit as per your choice(as most of the CPUs don’t give you that liberty) or look at it as an extra expense.
Combined with either of these GPUs, this processor can provide a true UHD gaming experience, even in multiple screens. We’ve found this list of games that are compatible perfectly within this system- Red Dead Redemption 2, Battlefield 5, PUBG, Jedi: Fallen Order, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, HITMAN 2, Rainbow Six Siege, The Witcher 3.
#3 AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
- Contains 6 core and 6 thread.
- The Clock speed is from 3.8 GHz to 4.4 GHz.
- L3 GameCache is 35MB.
- Runs on 95W power.
- Cools with AMD Wraith Spire cooler.
To accompany a high-end GPU like RTX 2070, the processor unit has to be of the same standard. Thus, it is often hard to meet budget and premium quality while searching for such processors. AMD Ryzen 5 3600X happens to be one of those few CPUs that lie within the sweet spot between price and performance, which none of these two is compromised anyway.
This Ryzen 5 processor contains 6 cores and 12 threads in it. The clock speed(base) is 3.80 GHz, while the maxed-out overclocking speed is as high as 4.40 GHz. The L3 cache memory capacity is 32 MB, which happens to be one of the best in this listing. And lastly, it stands on the popular AM4 socket.
The cooling unit of this processor is worth your attention. It’s bundled with the infamous AMD Wraith Spire cooler, which takes care of the high power CPU even while it’s serving for hours. Because of the thermally designed AM4, the top temperature will be within tolerable limits that won’t reach any physical issue to the processor or any other hardware nearby.
Now, it’s the time for gameplay. In a system containing the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X processor and any of the RTX 2070/RTX 2070 Super will be able to host these games well- World of Warcraft, Cod Warzone, Assassin Creed Odyssey, Apex Legend, Fortnite, Nfs Heat, Hitman 2, Metro Exodus, Control, Farcry Newdawn, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, etc.
If you use ryzen 5 3600x with 2070 super, it will be the best gaming PC for playing any latest games. Unlike many similar models, there won’t be any separate cooling unit that you have to purchase. In a sense, this is also a big saving for you as a gamer.
#4 Intel Core i5-9600K
- 6 core, 6 thread CPU.
- 7-4.6 GHz clock speed.
- Comes with a 9MB cache memory.
- Intel UHD Graphics 630 built-in.
- Runs on 95W power.
- Supports Intel Optane memory.
While talking about Intel’s previous entry (i7 9700K), you might recall that we’ve talked about a one-step smaller version of the CPU. Eventually, that’s the Intel Core i5-9600K, and we are going to talk about that now.
Intel Core i5-9600K sports many of the features of it’s an elder sibling, except for the fact that they are trimmed down a bit. For example, instead of 8 core, 8 thread structure, the 9600K comes with 6 core and 6 threads. The Processor clock speed is within 3.70 GHz to 4.60 Hz- which adjusts as per the gaming requirement goes.
Just like the i7 9700K, the Intel Core i5-9600K suits fine with any motherboard of Intel 300 Series chipset or higher. Another similarity between these two is the presence of UHD graphics 630 from Intel, just in case you don’t buy a dedicated GPU unit very soon.
Compared to the previous series of i7, this ninth gen i5 had been made to be cooler. Also, it’s very easily overclockable as well. But for optimal performance, we’d recommend having an AIO liquid cooler or any other budget cooler of a similar kind.
Now, what games can you play well in this system? The answer would be just the same as what we’ve listed for the i7 9700K. So, we won’t list those games again. One advice for optimal game performance is, play with a smaller frame rate and a bit less resolution to keep the CPU unit stress-free.
Will an i5 bottleneck an RTX 2070? No, Intel Core i5-9600K is a good CPU for this processor. Because of CPU Clock speed at 115% and RTX 2070 Clock speed at 100%. Another important thing that we almost forgot to mention is the price. It stands for quite a low cost as long as gaming CPUs are concerned.
#5 AMD Ryzen 5 2600
- The CPU unit contains 6 core, 12 threads.
- Up to 3.4 GHz of clock speed.
- Min L2 cache is 576KB.
- Max L3 cache is 16MB.
- Supports DDR4 RAM of 2933 MHz.
- One of the most budget-friendly CPUs for RTX 2070.
We’re going to drop the curtain of this listing with a budget-friendly CPU that you can use with RTX 2070. And it’s the AMD Ryzen 5 2600. Although it can hardly beat the other entries of this listing, that’s not the reason behind us, including this CPU. We’re rather concerned about the budget buyers among all of the readers of our blog.
To start with the specs, the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6 core, 12 thread processor, that is built in the AM4 circuit. Also, it offers a clock speed of a maximum of 3.4 GHz, which is good for medium-chore gaming. It can be associated with a 2-channel DDR4 RAM of up to 2933 MHz. Starting from 576kb of L1 cache memory, the L3 chance memory is 16MB, which is decently good.
The cooling system is one of the main factors for gaming PC. Like any of AMD’s stand-out processors, this one sports the Wraith Stealth Cooler, which is famous for near-silent runtime along with smart take over on the temperature department of the processor.
Let’s see the gaming performance. About the games that you can play within this system, the list is not very long. Even if you want to play a high-demand game, you’ve to trim down the resolution and FPS demand to a decent and tolerable limit. Mostly, you can play any modern games without any issue.
Again, if you want to close the budget of your gaming PC buildup within 1000 bucks, the combo of an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or RTX 2070 Super can be an excellent go-to.
How to Buy a CPU for 2070 super?
So far, we’ve talked about 5 best CPU for a RTX 2070 and RTX 2070 Super. But having an in-depth buying guide on what to look for while you’re making up your mind, will be useful indeed. Let’s check out-
Core and Thread
The number of cores and threads are the most feature that you care about. While taking over a load of high gaming graphics, having as many cores and threads will be good for avoiding stress on the GPU unit.
GameCache Memory
Cache memory(addressed as GameCache in gaming CPUs), is the next thing that you have to keep an eye on. This memory is called right when the L3 cache memory is more than 16 megabytes. However, as long as it’s about processors that can go with RTX 2070 Super, it can be as high as 35 MB as well.
Clock Speed
While the processor is going through a normal workload, the clock speed quite sticks to its base level, which is 2.4-3.4 GHz for most of the models. But if you want to go through some high-quality gaming, it should be able to stretch its clock speed. The best score here is about 4.5 GHz or so.
Cooling system
Some CPUs come with their cooling mechanism, while there are models that don’t. In case you are looking for an all-in-one processor for your RTX 2070, you better go with in-built cooling units. Both AMD and Intel provide dedicated cooling systems that you can go for.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
If you want to know the maximum standard of which processor bottlenecks RTX 2070, it’s the Intel Core i5 8600K. Any model under that standard will bottleneck the RTX 2070 GPU.
As long as this list of RTX 2070-compatible CPUs is concerned, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X stands out of the crowd. You can go for Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X as well.
No, it will not. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600X produces only 3.31% of a bottleneck, where 10% is the minimum standard. So, you can use this processor for the 2070 super graphics card.
No. The Intel i7 9700K is another CPU that produces a minimum bottleneck of 0.19% of a bottleneck with RTX 2070 Super. However, the minimum standard to bottleneck the GPU is 10%.
Bottom Line:
Thanks for sticking to the post till the dead bottom. Hopefully, the time you’ve spent has been worth sorting out the best CPU for RTX 2070 Super that will find its place in your next gaming PC. There are also some CPUs, but we picked these processors, which is an excellent choice for the Geforce TX 2070.
In case you forgot, check for the RAM requirement and motherboard compatibility for your next purchases as well. By the way, we also reviewed gaming RAM and Motherboard for specific CPU & GPU. So, it will help you to choose the right RAM and Motherboard for your PC. Good luck!
