It’s been over a month since Nvidia launched its 2020 flagship gaming GPU - the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. The launch came as part of the release of the new Nvidia Ampere generation of GPUs which also included perhaps the ultimate best GPU available on the market in 2020 - the RTX 3090.
Now that the GPUs have hit the market & so many rave reviews are flying in already from all corners of the world, so many of you must be planning to buy the RTX 3080 and build your own gaming rig. And that’s where the big question comes up - what CPU will be the Best CPU for RTX 3080 GPU? Well, you have come to the right place, because over the course of this blog, we will be discussing just that.
The RTX 3080 is unarguably a very powerful graphics processing unit that can give you top-notch gaming performance. It’s got 10GB of GDDR6X memory and a 1.71Ghz boost clock, which has been reported to clock in speeds more than twice faster than it’s predecessor, the RTX 2080. The new ray-tracing & tensor performance make it a perfect choice for top of the line 4K AAA gaming.
Some of the tech demos we’ve seen show hyper-real showreels for upcoming games like CyberPunk 2077. Powered by the latest AI-driven technologies like DLSS 2.0, the RTX 3080 produces super-realistic complex effects at very high frame rates, even at resolutions that the RTX 2080 struggled with.
But with all that juice, you’re also going to need a beast of the CPU that can handle the performance. If you have an old or low-end CPU, it won’t be able to withstand a load of RTX 3080, especially when you’re playing high-end games or overclocking, and that will result in stutters, lag, and an overall poor user experience. While the number of options for CPUs available in the market is limited, it’s important to get the best pic that fits all of your needs.
Today, we’ve made a list of the best CPUs available on the market in 2020 that you can pair with the RTX 3080. To make the list a diverse one, we’ve included flagship models as well as relatively lower-budget options that won’t compromise much on quality. Let’s check which CPUs are included.
As of now, the overall best CPU for gaming available in the market is Intel’s Core i9 10900K, and anyone who tells you otherwise clearly doesn’t know what they’re talking about. If you’re a proper gaming enthusiast looking to build yourself a great gaming rig with no budget constraints & want the absolute best CPU to go with your RTX 3080 GPU, it just doesn’t get any better than the Core i9 10900K, at least until the newer version arrives.
The 10900K has 10 cores and 20 threads which make it the fastest gaming CPU at the moment, bar none. High base clocks, even higher boost clocks, lots of cores and threads, and clear max frequency advantage over any Ryzen processor make it the best overall choice for users who want to play games and do nothing else.
In the event that you as of now have the 10900K or plan to assemble a gaming PC when the RTX 3080 dispatches, go with it. Simply pair it with an incredible cooling arrangement. Be that as it may, on the off chance that you can hang tight for two-three months, skirt the 10900K and get the lead Ryzen 4000 CPU.
AMD is rumored to release the Ryzen 4000 CPU series before the finish of 2020. In the event that you can hold on till then, our suggestion would be to get the 3900X’s counterpart 5900X since it will pack around tenfold - or even more - expansion in gaming power for a price value in the same ballpark as the 3900X.
While this could give you just as much or even more power than the currently available 10900K at nearly the same cost, the Ryzen CPU will more likely offer better power optimization and lower thermals. Finally, both the B550 and X570 chipsets support PCIe 4.0 standard for GPUs, which could net you a few percent better performance out of the RTX 3080. In conclusion, while the 10900K is indisputably the best CPU available right now, the 5900X should be a strong contender if you can wait until this fall.
One issue with the 10900K that has often been pointed at by users is that its prices have skyrocketed at the moment due to low stocks & high demand amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. If you choose to buy one now, you might end up paying as much as 40 percent over the suggested price for the 10900K CPU.
On the other hand, you can get the 10700K for a relatively lower & more reasonable price, which is essentially just the 9900K with increased clocks. However, like we said earlier, if you want nothing but the absolute best and have no budget constraints, then the 10900K is the absolute best COU to buy & pair with your RTX3080.
Now that we have seen the absolute top-notch CPU, let’s talk about the all rounder CPU on this list. The Ryzen 3950X is one of those CPUs that is an amazing choice for gaming as well as professional work alike, and when it comes to compatibility with RTX3080, it’ll work like a breeze even when you’re playing the largest of games. The 3950X has got 16 cores and 32 threads which make it insanely productive & multitasking friendly, and also a great option for gaming.
Even when you’re playing games or editing videos at high resolutions such as 1440p and 4K, the difference between the performances of the 10900K and the 3950X is hardly noticeable. Another noticeable aspect is that the Ryzen 3950X has got B550 and X570 chipsets that offer PCIe 4.0 which make it at least as good as, if not better than the 10900K when running with an RTX 3080 graphics card.
When it comes to the productivity performance, the 3950X hits it way outside Intel CPUs’ ballpark. If you’re a professional who uses their PC for additional heavy work such as 3D animation, rendering, designing or video-editing, the Ryzen CPU is an incredible choice for your professional work as well as for your gaming.
Of course there’s always the option to wait out a couple of months & get the Ryzen 5900 series instead, but if you’re in dire need of a CPU to pair with your RTX3080 right now and can’t wait, the 3950X is an absolutely no brainer CPU to go with. Moreover, many gaming experts have claimed that the newer series would only be slower than the 3950X in terms of productivity performance because it’s got lesser cores than the latter.
With $700 for the RTX3080 GPU and $710 for the Ryzen 3950X CPU, you’ll have built yourself a workstation powerful enough for anything that you could possibly throw at it, in just under $1500.
On the off chance that high FPS visuals & gameplay are your thing however you shy away from the cost of an i9-10900K, might we recommend it’s lesser expensive sibling, the 8-center i7-10700K. This CPU parts with only a couple hundred MHz in clock speed yet holds all the vital USPs of the Comet Lake CPU design for gamers.
Yielding a strong mid-range Z490 motherboard the 10700K will give you the option to appreciate rapid & smooth FPs rates while playing all current and impending FPS games. Additionally, the higher frame rates will bring the action to you faster than your rivals by just the minutest of split seconds, giving you the edge. Matching this CPU with a RTX 3080 and a 165-240Hz screen with insignificant info slack imply that it's simply your expertise on the test.
Nvidia even declared a 360Hz screen and slack decrease innovation as a component of their featured discussion, featuring their pledge to giving serious gamers the most ideal experience. Combined with a RTX 3080 you'll have a monster gaming assembly.
If you're trying to combine your RTX 3080 GPU with a processor ready to handle high FPS gaming, then the 8-core i7-10700 should definitely be on your shortlist. This processor contains a 3.8GHz base clock and 5.1GHz boost clock, allowing the 10700K to cruise at high frame rates and deliver the sharpest pictures.
Importantly, pairing this spectacular GPU and C.P.U. to a reliable and a capable Z490 Motherboard with an honest feature-set and VRM. can permit you to get pleasure from superior frame rates and smooth images. Moreover, when you are into competitive gaming at high FPS, a steady & smooth high frame rate is crucial to the player to visualize the gameplay in real time, with an edge over your competitors.
Over the previous couple of years, VR gaming has progressed from a flashy side attraction and moved towards becoming a mass-level gaming phenomenon worldwide. For instance, the recently come out VR games like Half-Life Alyx, have received rave reviews from normal users as well as pro-gamers & critics alike. Releases of giant triple-A titles still support the thought that VR represents the longer term of gaming.
Further, the discharge and recognition of headsets like that of the Oculus Rift S, only further support the thought that VR gaming is the one true future of gaming in the coming years.However VR gaming comes with its own set of unique requirements & challenges on any PC. Although the Nvidia RTX 3080 is a GPU that can easily handle High Definition VR gaming, the gaming experience only gets as good as your CPU is.
The Ryzen 7 3800X is one such CPU that you can buy confidently without having any concerns about performance or capabilities. With a staggering 8 cores and extra 16 threads, this CPU is a beast at offering an immersive gaming experience with its build & impressive boost clocks of up to 4.5GHz.
Another cool thing about the new generation of these Ryzen CPUs is that AMD has built them to be future proof, which makes them seamlessly integrate with any PCIe 4.0 slots on their motherboards. This will come in very handy when you decide to integrate NVMe SSDs to your setup in the near future, in order to allow faster data transfer speeds than the previous generation PCIe 3.0 devices. And If performance & features were not convincing enough, the Ryzen 3800 has a price tag that will definitely make it worth your money - just $230!
When we talk of mid-range gaming CPUS, the Ryzen 5 3600 will definitely be a better option when it comes to processor per dollar spent,however, it lacks the superior single and multi-threaded performance that the i5 10600K delivers. Unlike its preceding 9th generation, the 10th generation i5 processor can easily handle a high-end graphics card like RTX 3080 and ensure there’s no bottleneck in any game.
The Core i5-10600K has got 6 cores and 12 threads which make it a decent gaming CPU and also very easy to overclock. The 10600K has a core base clock of 4.1GHz plus a boost clock of 4.8GHz, which is higher than any other previous generation i5s we've seen. With a powerful CPU that has 6 cores and 12 threads, you ought to be ready to play all high FPS games with no major lags or dips in high-intensive areas in AAA games.
Another important thing to note is that the i5-10600K doesn’t have a stock heatsink, so you’re going to have to buy a powerful CPU cooler for it because temperatures will go high when you’re overclocking & playing high definition games.The 10600K can also reportedly handle ultra-high definition future games decently, given to its 12 threads and high boost frequencies.
While using the CPU for this review, we did not notice any bottlenecks occurring on the RTX 3080 with the 10600K even at 1440p and 4K resolutions. In case you were looking for budget CPU options to consider pairing with your RTX 3080, we think that the 10600K is one of the best bang for the buck CPUs available on the market currently.
Last, but not the least, is our budget CPU option available to pair with the RTX 3080 GPU. Even while recommending this CPU we’re taking a slight stretch, so keep in mind that in any condition you can NOT go any lower than this CPU if you want to enjoy a decent gaming experience with your RTX 3080 Graphics Card.
While the 3600 is very likely to bottleneck the RTX 3080 GPU even at 1440p resolution on High FPS games, the overall gaming experience will still be very decent for the money you are paying. However, you can always wait for the new Ryzen 5000 series’ budget CPU option for a couple of months.
But when it comes down to real serious gameplay, the Ryzen 5 3600 is definitely a good option when you look at processors per dollar on its own, however when coupled with a powerful gaming GPU like the RTX 3080, it won’t be enough no matter the resolution and performance expected.
If you just want a solid, decent, budget CPU majorly for your work-related tasks with some slice of gaming on the sides, the 3600 is undoubtedly good to go. It comes with enough juice to deliver a satisfying performance with productivity centric tasks and occasional gaming sessions, but not enough for regular high FPS gaming hours. But then again, the Ryzen 5 3600 is much better suited for the Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and not for the flagship Ampere card.
From absolute powerful monster CPUs to overall best-performers to budget options, this has been our list of Best CPU for RTX 3080 GPU that can give you a decent gaming experience. Keep in mind that all of these CPUs are the absolute best in the market in their respective ranges, and while they have a lot to offer, you should only get what you need & not end up spending over the top on CPUs.
If you want the absolute best gaming CPU to pair with your RTX 3080 GPU, go for the Intel i9 10900K, or the Ryzen 3950X (Or better yet, one of the new Ryzen 5000 series CPUs if you’re willing to wait for some time.) If you want a CPU that can deliver equally good on productivity as well as gaming tasks, you should consider one of the mid-range CPUs that we have listed.
And of course, if you just want the most basic decent CPU that can work with your RTX 3080 graphics card for your professional work & every once in a while also handle some gaming sessions, checkout the intel core i5 10600K or the Ryzen 5 3600 CPUs. Keep visiting more information related to gaming, technology & computers!