At some stage, we have all felt doubtful regarding which CPU & GPU we should combo to get the most enjoyable gaming experience. And today, you are about to reveal the secret regarding which parts you should purchase to get the best value for your money.
To find the best combo, you will first have to identify your utilization, such as gaming, gaming, streaming, heavy workload, budget… etc. Once you have figured this out, you will be able to choose the perfect combination according to your needs.
The main part of a gaming PC is the GPU. Yet, you cannot throw any CPU with it because a low-end CPU can bottleneck your GPU (which means that it won’t be able to perform at its maximum potential).
With this being said, let’s dive into the various CPU and GPU combo for different frame rates, resolutions, and price ranges.
Best CPU & GPU Combo for 1080P 60Hz
1-AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
Building a good gaming PC doesn’t require you anymore high budget, especially with the fierce competition. And the latest AMD CPUs aren’t only affordable processors, but they also offer competitive performance.
First and foremost, the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X is one of the latest 7nm Ryzen CPUs in the Zen 2 lineup. This processor has amazed all its users with its competitive performance despite the fact that it’s a quad-core CPU.
The Ryzen 3 3300X comes with 4C/8T and a good stock cooler. Like all Ryzen CPUs, the Ryzen 3300X uses an AM4 socket. And one of the best AM4 platforms is the B450 board. Most of these motherboards come with excellent features such as good quality VRM, several M.2 slots, and much more.
The bottom line, the Ryzen 3300X is a fantastic CPU that offers impressive performance for anyone looking to build a midrange gaming PC without breaking the bank.
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2-XFX Radeon RX 580
You don’t need a high-end graphics card to have a good gaming experience, all that you need is an AMD RX 580 8GB, and you are ready to go.
This graphics card comes with 2304 stream processors at 1386MHz, which will allow you to play most AAA titles at ultra settings with 60FPS, which is more than enough to enjoy the game.
Moreover, the RX 580 will offer you a consistent (144 FPS+) at eSport games such as Overwatch, CS GO, League of Legends. In other words, if you got a high refresh rate monitor, you could benefit from a smoother gaming experience.
With this being said, the RX 580 is a great affordable graphics card that will allow you to play all the modern titles in the right conditions.
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Best Value CPU & GPU Combo for 1440P 60Hz/1080P 144Hz
1-AMD Ryzen 5 3600
We have recommended this CPU for almost anyone that was looking to build a strong midrange gaming PC.
The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is the best CPU in terms of price performance. It comes with 6 cores and 12 threads at an affordable price and competitive performance.
Furthermore, for less than 200$, you will benefit from Zen 2 Architecture that allows you to have better performance compared to the previous Ryzen Generations.
Also, you can combine any graphics card with the Ryzen 5 3600 without worrying about bottlenecking issues, even the RTX 2080 Ti. When it comes to the temperature, the Ryzen 5 3600 comes with a good stock cooler that can maintain good temps at around 70C under load.
However, an aftermarket cooler will be required if you choose to get a better temperature or you want to overclock your CPU. Most of the aftermarket coolers will offer you better performance compared to the stock cooler at a reasonable price.
Regardless of the type of gamer you are, if you want to build an excellent mid-range gaming machine without breaking the bank, then the Ryzen 5 3600 should be your primary choice.
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2-ASUS TUF NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti
The 1440P resolution is getting more popular nowadays, especially with the latest released GPUs. And if you are one of these people that want to get a taste of this resolution, then we have an excellent graphics card that will provide you a more enjoyable gaming experience at a fair price.
First and foremost, the RTX 3060 Ti is one of the newest Nvidia Ampere GPUs. It offers better performance compared to the RTX 2080 Super while it’s more budget-friendly. The RTX 3060 Ti is an 8nm graphics card with 4864 Cuda Cores and can boost up to 1670 MHz.
Moreover, the RTX 3060 Ti is a strong midrange GPU for both 1440P and 1080P with high refresh rate monitors.
Therefore, if you have a limited budget and want to benefit from your high refresh rate monitor, or enjoy your AAA titles at 1440P resolution, then the RTX 3060 Ti is an excellent choice for you.
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Best Overall CPU & GPU Combo for 1440P 144Hz/4K 70Hz
1-AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
If you are looking for a high-end CPU that can offer you fantastic performance in both Gaming & Multitasking, then search no more because the Ryzen 7 3700X is the way to go.
The Ryzen 7 3700X comes with 8 cores and 16 threads and consumes only 65W. Also, the stock cooler that comes with this CPU is more than capable of handling your processor under proper temperature, even under load. Yet, since this CPU is unlocked, you will surely get attempted to get extra performance by overclocking it, and in this case, you will need a 3rd party cooler for it.
Moreover, the Ryzen 7 3700X offers almost the same gaming performance with its 4.4GHz boost clock as the Intel Core i7-9700K. However, Ryzen 7 3700X provides better performance when it comes to productivity tasks thanks to its higher threads count.
Therefore, Ryzen 7 3700X is an excellent CPU for both gaming and productivity, and it should be your first option in case you want to get the best value for your money.
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2-EVGA RTX 3070
With Ampere cards, Nvidia has given us the chance to enjoy RTX 2080 Ti at less than its half price. RTX 3070 has known amazing success from the day it was released due to its outstanding gaming performance and reasonable price.
First of all, the new Ampere architecture of the RTX 3070 has shown us a huge performance gain over the previous generation in multiple benchmarks. Besides, the RTX 3070 got an improved version of all RTX features such as Ray Tracing, DLSS…etc.
Moreover, the RTX 3070 got 5888 Cuda cores, 1730Mhz, and 8GB GDDR6 of VRAM. The 8GB of VRAM will be more than adequate for a 1440P resolution. However, you may incur a lack of VRAM in some games at 4K resolution, but it didn’t prevent this amazing graphics card from delivering outstanding performance.
Overall, the RTX 3070 is a great GPU for 1440P resolution at 144Hz; it will provide you the high-end performance as well as the latest features that will improve your gaming experience. It also offers excellent gaming performance at 4K.
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Best CPU & GPU Combo for 4K & High Refresh Rate at 1440P
1-Ryzen 9 5900X
If you want to step toward streaming platforms like Youtube, Facebook, or Twitch and you are looking to offer your viewers high-quality time, then the Ryzen 9 5900X will provide you with what you are seeking.
First, the Ryzen 9 5900X is one of the top tier AMD Ryzen processors. This CPU offers monstrous performance; it has 12 Cores and 24 Threads that can boost up to 4.8GHz.
Furthermore, this CPU will provide you with an amazing performance for gaming better than the Intel 10th gen flagship CPU and stellar results in multitasking. No matter how demanding the task you are looking to throw at your CPU, you can be confident that it will handle it as a piece of cake.
Overall, the Ryzen 9 5900X offers a similar gaming performance to its big brother, the Ryzen 9 5950X, while it cost way less. And on top of its outstanding overall performance, it’s a very power-efficient CPU.
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Or
2-Intel Core i9-10900K
If you are among people that are obsessed with the frame rate or you are a competitive gamer where each frame matters, then the latest Intel Core i9-10900K should be an excellent option for you.
First and Foremost, Intel has come up with new features on the 10th gen CPUs, which are Thermal Boost Velocity and Turbo Boost Max 3.0, which offer to its users a high core clock speed while running a demanding task or game.
Additionally, at the same price as the Core i9-9900K, the Core i9-10900K offers higher core counts, threads, and gaming performance. Moreover, the 10th gen Intel CPUs uses a new socket type, which is the LGA 1200, and if you want to get the best performance out of your CPU, then you should go with the Z490 chipset.
Furthermore, the Z490 motherboards support the 10th Gen Intel CPUs; it offers PCIe 4.0, high overclocking potential as well as Memory overclocking ability. Also, Intel has confirmed that the Z490 chipset will support the next Gen Intel CPUs.
Therefore, if you want Intel flagship gaming CPU, then the Intel Core i9-10900K is an excellent option. You will get high-end gaming performance along with a future-proof motherboard.
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3-EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 Gaming
If you have ever thought about taking your gaming experience a step further by joining the 4K gaming community, then the time has come.
First and Foremost, the RTX 3080 is the best top-tier value GPU from Nvidia. This GPU is able to run most of the current AAA titles at 70+ FPS at 4K resolution, while it’s more affordable when we compare it with the previous RTX generation.
Moreover, this GPU comes with 8704 CUDA Cores, a Boost Clock of 1710 MHz, and 10GB of memory. In terms of connectivities, it has 3 x DisplayPorts and 2 x HDMI ports.
Also, on top of the monstrous performance, the RTX 3080 comes with a new, improved version of all RTX features such as DLSS 2.0, Ray Tracing, NVIDIA NGX, and some other amazing features that will enhance your gaming experience.
Hence, the RTX 3080 is an amazing GPU that will deliver a great 4K gaming experience while sitting in a reasonable price range.
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Conclusion
After reading this guide, you should now have an idea about the best CPU & GPU combo that you can purchase to get the best value for your money. Now what you should do is to identify your budget as well as your utilization, and then you will be able to select the best combo that will suit your needs.
If you haven’t chosen a motherboard yet, you can check our Best CPU & Motherboard Combo, where we have reviewed the best motherboards for the CPUs listed above.
Here is where the article comes at its end. If you decide to purchase one of the combos selected above, please leave us a comment below, letting us know your experience with it and if you are satisfied with the result.