Designed for hardcore gamers and tech enthusiasts, the Nvidia RTX 3080 is the mighty graphics card that gamers have been holding their money for. It’s made primarily to take your gaming experience to the next level by delivering the 4K gaming experience as you have never seen before. However, if you want to have unique gaming moments, you will have to pair your performance beast, the Nvidia RTX 3080, with the right CPU.
Whether you are a pro or beginner in PC building, the fact that there are multiple CPUs from both Intel & AMD can make your final decision a bit harder. And if you are confused about which processor you should choose, then you can take a look at our list of the best CPU that deserves to be paired with your RTX 3080.
Without further ado, here is a list of the best CPU for the Nvidia RTX 3080.
1-AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
With the Ryzen 9 5900X, you will immerse yourself in the world of high performance in gaming and multitasking. Along with the Ryzen 9 5950X, this CPU offers the best gaming performance in the market right now. They even beat the Intel flagship, the Core i9 10900K.
Its mind-blowing performance relies upon its ZEN 3 architecture and high core counts. The Ryzen 9 5900X got 12 cores and 24 threads, everything you need for a perfect gaming experience. Its amazing multithreading performance allows you to offer your viewers a fantastic time.
This processor does accommodate the PCIe Gen 4 support allowing you to take maximum advantage out of your RTX 3080. Currently, this feature is exclusive to AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs only.
However, unlike the previous generation of AMD Ryzen CPUs, the Ryzen 5 5900X does not come with a stock cooler. And therefore, you will need a decent aftermarket CPU cooler for it.
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2-Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel’s most powerful processor, the Core i9-10900K, is the real competitor to AMD’s latest 5000 CPUs. This gaming CPU is on par with the competition’s flagship, while it does have a similar price tag.
The Intel Core i9 10900K is one of the dominant gaming CPUs. And if you are a fan of high frequencies, you will find your joy with this amazing processor. It has a boost clock of 5.3Ghz, which is insane. And on top of its high clock speed, you can push it beyond its limits as it’s an unlocked CPU.
Furthermore, like every Intel high core clock multi-core CPU, the Intel Core i9 10900K does require a good CPU cooler. And if you are looking to do some overclocking or wish to maintain its high speed more frequently, we recommend either a good 360mm cooler or a high-end air cooler such as Noctua NH-D15. If you wish to learn more about this subject, we highly recommend taking a look at our review regarding CPU coolers for the Intel Core i9-10900K.
Should you choose the Intel Core i9-10900K or the Ryzen 9 5900X? After reviewing both of them, we find out that they offer similar gaming performance, especially at high resolutions such as 1440P and 4K. However, the Ryzen 9 5900X got the upper hand when it comes to multitasking performance. Therefore, if multitasking is not your thing, then you should choose the available/cheaper one.
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3-AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
AMD’s 5000 Ryzen CPUs have known a huge performance gain in gaming. Even though they kept the same architecture, the ZEN 3 processors have significantly jumped in the overall performance over the previous generation. And one of these stellar CPUs is the famous Ryzen 7 5800X.
For those who want to get the best performance out of the RTX 3080, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X can be an excellent CPU for this task. With its 8 cores and 16 threads, this insane gaming CPU will deliver to you a high-end gaming performance similar to the two CPUs mentioned above.
Just like every 5000 Ryzen CPU, the Ryzen 7 5800X is power efficient. And therefore, maintaining a low temperature for it shouldn’t be an issue. In fact, it can easily be done with a good midrange Air or AIO cooler.
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4-AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Now and more than ever, being a competitive gamer is not accessible to those who pay a premium price only. With the Ryzen 5 5600X, gamers can benefit from high-end performance similar to both brands’ flagship at a fantastic price point.
Enjoy high-end gaming performance without breaking the bank with the Ryzen 5 5600X. Even though it’s a 6 cores CPU, the Ryzen 5 5600X is on par with Intel’s flagship, the Core i9 10900K, in many titles.
And on top of its outstanding gaming performance and low energy consumption, the Ryzen 5 5600X also comes with a stock cooler. Unlike Intel, AMD’s stock coolers provide an excellent cooling solution, enough to handle its CPUs at their clock speed. But, if you wish to get every drop of performance out of this processor, we recommend getting a good aftermarket cooler.
Whether you are looking to build your gaming rig for casual or hardcore gaming, the Ryzen 5 5600X will amaze you with its performance.
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5-Intel Core i7-10700K
Designed with comet lake architecture, the Intel Core i7-10700K is another stellar CPU. And if you wish to get the Intel Core i9-10900K’s performance without paying a premium price, then this CPU can be one of your best options.
The Core i7-10700K is an 8 cores CPU with hyperthreading. Its clock speed has also crossed the 5GHz clock speed. In fact, this CPU can boost up to 5.1GHz at its stock speed. And like every Intel Core CPU that ends with a “K”, the Intel Core i7-10700K is an unlocked processor. In other words, if you pair it with a good 3rd party CPU cooler, you can achieve a significant performance gain by doing some overclocking.
Furthermore, for those who want to take full advantage of this amazing Intel CPU, we highly recommend pairing it with at least a decent mid-range Z490 motherboards. These motherboards got some features that will allow your Intel Core i7-10700K to run at its maximum potential.
Other than that, if you would like to have a high gaming performance from team blue without spending a significant amount of cash, then this CPU is the way to go.
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6-AMD Ryzen 5 3600
The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is one of the best affordable CPUs. Designed with the Zen 2 (Matisse) architecture, this processor can still offer competitive gaming performance. Actually, its performance at a high resolution, such as 4K, will be similar to the high-end CPUs. And the reason for this is that at high resolution, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, allowing your budget CPU to be as good as premium CPUs.
Moreover, the Ryzen 5 3600 got 6 cores and 12 threads. It also has a good stock cooler included in the box. And as we have mentioned above, most Ryzen CPUs, including the Ryzen 5 3600, are power efficient. And therefore, the stock cooler will be more than adequate if you plan to leave the frequencies at their stock speed.
Overall, the Ryzen 5 3600 is still holding the crown of the best value CPU. Hence, if you want to save your money for something else or you simply don’t want to be left with an empty wallet, this CPU should be one of your primary options.
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Bottom Line
After going across these 6 CPUs, you may be wondering which one you should choose? Well, it’s simple, choose the one that suits your budget and needs. Regardless of their core counts and price tag, you should expect a fantastic gaming experience with all the CPUs mentioned above. And therefore, the one you should choose should be based on your budget and utilization.
We highly recommend getting a high core count CPU such as Ryzen 9 5900X or Intel Core i9 10900K if you want to utilize your PC just for gaming. A Ryzen 5 5600X or Ryzen 7 5800X should be more than enough for this task.
Other than that, we hope that we have given you the information you were looking for. Don’t forget to let us know which team you have decided to go to within the comment section below. Also, we will be happy to know about your experience with your chosen CPU.
