Did you just buy a new Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 for your gaming pc and are now looking for the best CPU to pair it with? Well, you are in the right place as we have compiled a list of the best CPU options for your RTX 3080.
The RTX 3080, with the ray tracing technology, is one of the most popular graphics card used to play games. However, it will not be able to perform up to its potential if the CPU bottlenecks it. Take a look at our list, as we have included the best CPUs from the flagship CPU and the budget CPU range.
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Intel Core i9-12900K*
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Intel Core i9-12900KF Desktop Processor 16 (8P+8E) Cores up to 5.2 GHz...
- Built for the Next Generation of Gaming. Game and multitask without compromise powered by Intel's performance hybrid architecture on an unlocked processor.
- Discrete graphics required
- Compatible with Intel 600 series and 700 series chipset-based motherboards
- Built for the Next Generation of Gaming. Game and multitask without compromise powered by Intel's performance hybrid architecture on an unlocked processor.
- Discrete graphics required
- Compatible with Intel 600 series and 700 series chipset-based motherboards
- The processor features Socket LGA-1700 socket for installation on the PCB
- 30 MB of L3 cache memory provides excellent hit rate in short access time enabling improved system performance
- 10 nm enables improved performance per watt and micro architecture makes it power-efficient
- Intel 7 Architecture enables improved performance per watt and micro architecture makes it power-efficient
The Intel Core i9-12900K is regarded as the best gaming CPU for RTX 3080. The powerful CPU has the following specs
- Core: 16
- Threads: 24
- Base frequency: 3.2 GHz
- Turbo frequency: 5.2 GHz
It is also considered to be a better CPU than the flagship models of AMD CPUs in terms of power consumption, speed and price and can highly improve gaming performance. In fact, it is considered the fastest gaming processor.
However, the processor would require a CPU cooler since the heat output can be quite high in case of a heavy load on the CPU. This is the one to get for passionate gamers who are not concerned with the cost aspect.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X*
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AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-core, 24-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor
- The world's best gaming desktop processor, with 12 cores and 24 processing threads
- Can deliver elite 100-plus FPS performance in the world's most popular games
- Cooler not included, high-performance cooler recommended. Max Temperature- 90°C
- The world's best gaming desktop processor, with 12 cores and 24 processing threads
- Can deliver elite 100-plus FPS performance in the world's most popular games
- Cooler not included, high-performance cooler recommended. Max Temperature- 90°C
- 4.8 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 70 MB of cache, DDR-3200 support
- For the advanced Socket AM4 platform, can support PCIe 4.0 on X570 and B550 motherboards
The next on the list is from the AMD Ryzen processors range, the Ryzen 9 5900X. It is a powerful processor, suitable for the gaming beast RTX 3080. Here are the specs
- Core: 12
- Threads: 24
- Base frequency: 3.7 GHz
- Turbo frequency: 4.8 GHz
It is regarded as one of the top-notch processors with impressive performance and allows for strong processing while maintaining efficient power consumption, thus appealing to competitive gamers.
AMD Ryzen 7 5800-X*
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AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-core, 16-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor
- AMD's fastest 8 core processor for mainstream desktop, with 16 procesing threads. OS Support-Windows 10 64-Bit Edition
- Can deliver elite 100-plus FPS performance in the world's most popular games
- Cooler not included, high-performance cooler recommended
- AMD's fastest 8 core processor for mainstream desktop, with 16 procesing threads. OS Support-Windows 10 64-Bit Edition
- Can deliver elite 100-plus FPS performance in the world's most popular games
- Cooler not included, high-performance cooler recommended
- 4.7 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 36 MB of cache, DDR-3200 support
- For the advanced Socket AM4 platform, can support PCIe 4.0 on X570 and B550 motherboards
- System Memory Specification: Up to 3200MHz
The Ryzen 7 5800-X is a mid-range CPU from the AMD processors range. It is one of the best processors in the budget CPUs. Its processing cores and threads make it quite suitable for video editing etc. It has eight cores. Here are the other specs
- Threads: 16
- Base frequency: 3.8 GHz
- Turbo frequency: 4.7 GHz