Best CPU for RTX 3070 Ti in 2024 - our top picks from AMD and Intel (2024)

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Whether you’re a gamer, content creator, graphic designer, or beginner enthusiast, selecting a processor for your rig is one of the most crucial steps of the building process.Choose wisely, and you’ll have a PC that can run anything, but if you make a mistake, you’ll fall into the doom of bottleneck or overspending. It sounds like a situation that most would like to avoid; luckily, we’re here to step in.

You must have heard of the 3070 Ti by now: released in 2021, it’s the enhanced version of the mid-range beast of the 3070, offering an upgrade to 6,144 CUDA cores, a 1.77GHz boost speed, and the newer GDDR6X memory. As a mid-ranger, this GPU has established itself as a solid gaming GPU that’s still competitive in the market despite being superseded by the 4070 Super series.

This unit has special characteristics that make it a gaming goal. It’s a fairly affordable unit, it’s strong and fast, and it benefits from the 2nd generation Ray tracing and DLSS.Naturally, to match that speed and power, you need an equally stronger CPU. Depending on the specs of the unit, you’ll be better set for some tasks over others.

We’ve reviewed several CPUs here at PCGuide and have put each one through rigorous testing. Based on the results, we’ve selected a few options that we think are the right fit for the GPU. So, let’s jump straight in!

Products at a glance

How we picked

When purchasing a graphics card such as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, finding a well-matched processor is just as important. Gamers must select a CPU powerful enough to handle their desired settings and provide them with an optimal gaming experience and well-rounded performance.

When selecting a CPU, we considered the budget and types of games that can be played to determine which processor would best suit users’ needs. So, the first port of call was to scour the performance metrics of the highest-rated CPUs from both Intel and AMD, comparing core counts, thread counts, and clock speeds to get a feel for overall computational ability.

Compatibility was next, as we had to make sure each CPU was compatible with different motherboards, chipsets, and socket types to work seamlessly with the 3070 Ti and equally futureproofed to be a long-lasting part of your system.

Lastly, research into benchmark scores for different processors should be conducted to ensure maximum performance from the chosen CPU. Luckily, we’ve done our own benchmarking of our lineup in our in-house reviews and have given each of them a seal of approval after getting hands-on. Click the review link to check them out and find out more about how we test each CPU in thistesting guide.

Best CPU for the RTX 3070 Ti

As our top choice of processor for the 3070 Ti, we’ve gone for the Ryzen 5 9600X. This one comes with the latest Zen 5 architecture, and it offers high performance without breaking the bank. In our Ryzen 5 9600X review, we found it to be a great option for budget-conscious builders.

The 9600X is built using 4nm process technology, which means that it has more transistors on each core than processors that offer 5nm or higher technology. This allows the processor to efficiently divide the workload among the cores.

Its 6 cores and 12 threads provide exceptional power for multitasking and intensive gaming alike, allowing you to run modern titles at high settings effortlessly. With this number of cores, the processor can surge to 5.4 GHz of boosted frequency. However, do keep in mind that constantly running the CPU at such high speeds can generate a lot of heat. So, make sure you’re using one of the best CPU coolers for 9600X to keep the temps low.

As far as the cache size is concerned, the 9600X features a 32 MB L3 cache, which further enhances its ability to handle demanding workloads quickly and efficiently. With support for PCIe 5.0 technology too, users can take advantage of faster storage speeds while enjoying lag-free gaming experiences at higher resolutions.

The 9600X also has a fairly low TDP of only 65W, which is 40W less than its predecessor, the 7600X. This means that it won’t generate too much heat, and you don’t have to worry about getting a high-end power supply for it. However, we’d still recommend pairing it with one of the best PSUs for 9600X to keep your components safe.

To find out how good the 9600X is, we tested it with different benchmarking tools. In CPU Z single and multi-core tests, it was able to deliver 827 and 6,345 points, respectively. We then launched Geekbench, where we were able to get 3,283 and 14,909 points, respectively. These are significantly better scores than what its predecessor, 7600X, was able to achieve. The gaming performance was also decent, as we were getting 325 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p low.

Overall, the Ryzen 5 9600X is one of the best CPUs to pair with the 3070 Ti, and it is a solid option for those who can’t afford to invest in a high-end CPU.

Best Intel CPU for the 3070 Ti

If you’re looking for a CPU that allows you to do more than just gaming for a similar price tag, then you can also consider going with Team Blue, and we’re pushing the 13600K into the spotlight. This is a great option from Intel, and it won’t put a dent in your bank account. In our Core i5-13600K review, we tested the processor in multiple tools and were not disappointed with its performance.

The Intel Core i5-13600K is a powerful little processor with 14 cores and 20 threads. Despite its affordable price of $320, it still manages to deliver top-notch performance.

Compared to the previous model, the i5-13600K has double the number of E-cores and a combination of 8 efficient and 6 high-performance cores. It also supports Hyper-threading, giving it 20 total threads. All this power is packed into a chip that only uses 125W of energy – how’s that for value?

This design is good for gaming and performs well in both light and heavy tasks. It has more cores and faster clock speeds, which make it perform better than the 7600X, and positions it as close to the Intel Core i9 family but with a lower cost and power use.

Our benchmarking of the chip in our i5-13600K review stood as a testament to this, too, reaching a 179 FPS 1080p average in Cyberpunk and a 162 FPS 1080p average in Elden Ring. In layman’s terms, its performance is bang on for enhancing the 1080p efficiency of the GPU, and 1440p should be a breeze, too.

This CPU can be overclocked for better performance, but without a built-in graphics card, the Intel Core i5-13600KF is similar but cheaper. If you have a graphics card, this is a cost-effective choice for the same performance.

What users say

With an average of 4.8 stars across its Amazon user reviews, it’s fair to say that the i5-13600K has gotten a good rep for itself for being an excellent value CPU with a stellar performance for its price. Users have commented on how it’s a “champion in the mid-range desktop processor arena” and commend it for being a “true powerhouse”.

On the flip side, heat management has cropped up a few times, and it’s well-known that particular processors, such as the 13600K, can get hot when performing under heavy loads or stress.

Best AMD CPU for the 3070 Ti

Next up, we’ve concluded that fans of Team Red should certainly consider the Ryzen 7 5800X3D as their AMD pick for pairing alongside an RTX 3070 Ti. The X3D processors are specially designed for gaming, and this is why they’ve always been a popular choice. In our 7 5800X3D review, the processor was able to handle whatever we threw at it.

The X3D platform, which has exploded with new releases from AMD, still proves to be an exciting new edition to the processor market. Despite being AMD’s very first iteration of the X3D lineup, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is still an amazing option as the best CPU for a 3070 Ti.

The 5800X3D is host to 8 cores and 16 threads and, as mentioned previously, leverages AMD’s 3D v-cache technology, which gifts it a ton more L3 cache for exciting enhancements and efficiency.

This means games will effectively run better, and multi-tasking workloads will also be much smoother, but it does come with one major downside:no overclocking. If you can get past that, though, the $325 price tag is a hard bargain to pass up.

On top of this, it’s also remarkably efficient, with a TDP of just 105W. While this has its benefits, some users might find themselves held back overall by the lack of support for DDR5; on the flip side, it means you won’t need to invest in an AM5 or DDR5 ecosystem just yet, which could be a cost-efficient solution for a lot of users that are upgrading their rig one component at a time.

For our review, we launched CPU Z, Cinebench, and Geekbench, where the 5800X3D was able to hit 461, 1,112, and 1,655 points in single-core tests. In the Handbrake TOS 4K Fast 1080P encode test, the average recorded speed was 52.15 FPS, and the encoding time was 5:40. As far as gaming performance is concerned, we were getting 283 FPS in Days Gone and 279 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077. Both games were running at 1080p low.

What users say

Amazon users have given the Ryzen 7 5800X3D a whole lot of praise on Amazon, with 92% awarding it with a shiny 5-star rating. In particular, there was a focus on its performance, smoothness, value, and also how easy it was to set up in a PC. While some users found it running on the hot side, there was no lack of comments on the 5800X3D being a “worthy investment thattransforms your computing capabilities.”

Best performance CPU for the 3070 Ti

Sometimes, you just want the best of the best; we can’t blame you for that. If that’s your case, then you could be in need of the Intel i9-13900K. This is the strongest CPU from the Raptor Lake generation of Intel; it was built to endure hardcore processes, and thanks to a large amount of cores multi-tasking is the main activity you should perform on this CPU. We gave it a 4.5/5 rating in our 14700 review, as the processor was able to meet our expectations.

The Intel i9-13900K is a high-end desktop CPU that was released in 2021, standing as the previous flagship replaced only by the 14900K. It features 24 cores and 32 threads, with 8 cores designated as performance cores (P-cores) and 16 cores as efficient cores (E-cores). The P-cores have a base clock speed of 3.0 GHz and a boost clock speed of 5.8 GHz, while the E-cores have a base clock speed of 2.2 GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.3 GHz.

For pairing alongside a 3070 Ti, there’s not much more of a future-proof choice; while you could go for the 14th Gen, there’s only a marginal performance upgrade that’s not necessarily worth your investment. Our very own 13900K review and in-house benchmarking show the chip-making light work of AAA titles at 1080p, with Cyberpunk 2077 and CS2 averaging 342 FPS and 185 FPS, respectively. The synthetic performance was also pretty great, as we were able to get 2,174 points in the Cinebench single-core test and 3,092 points in the Geekbench single-core test.

The CPU has 68 MB of cache memory split between L2 and L3 caches and a thermal design power (TDP) of 125W. The peak boost power (PBP) and memory transfer rate (MTP) are 253W and DDR4-3200/DDR5-5600, respectively. The Intel i9-13900K is priced at $589, while the KF version without integrated GPU is priced at $564.

Features and considerations

Here are a few things to consider before you invest in a new processor –

Number of cores

The very first thing to consider when selecting a CPU is the number of cores. The more cores, the more tricks it can perform simultaneously. You’ll find that the bigger the version, the more cores it has. This is mainly because the Ryzen 9 or Intel i9 is built for serious workloads that need to involve all the cores.

On the other hand, with Ryzen 5 or Intel i5, the number of cores diminishes, making them less expensive, and more suitable for gaming because, luckily, gaming is mainly a single-core activity. So, considering the architecture and number of cores of yourCPUis very crucial. In accordance with this, each brand is better at some aspects than the other.

Performance

To perform more well-nigh-perfect AAA games, AMD’s architecture is better capable of dealing with video game rasterization. On the other hand, while Intel is better at coping with serious game platforms thanks to its multi-thread architecture, this efficacy difference changes depending on the CPUs and the price point.

Budget

This leads us to the next point. The3070 Tiis a mid-levelGPU, so the build will be based on a budget that can always allow for the fanciest features. With this in mind, you must consider value-to-performance productivity. One of the best sensations when building a budget rig is knowing that you have the best piece at the best possible price.

Overclocking feature

If you’re interested in manually squeezing more performance out of your CPU, consider models with unlocked multipliers (Intel K-series or AMD X-series). However, remember that overclocking requires a good cooling solution and may not be significant for all users.