Best Cpu for 4k Gaming

This entry has been published on July 5, 2021 and may be out of date.

Last Updated on November 15, 2022 by admin

Best Cpu for 4k Gaming – 4K gaming is heavily demanding of GPU resources. Conversely, the lower frame rates resultant from such a heavy load on the GPU mean that almost any current 6 core CPU is capable of maintaining acceptable performance of 60 fps in almost all titles.

Of course, with a 4K capable GPU costing at least $700 (RTX 2080 Super) we tend to find high-end CPUs in 4K gaming rigs – these builds tend to be about showcasing the heights of enthusiast performance and no one looking for the best value for money should set 4K gaming as an aspiration. If you do want to build a killer 4K rig, the Ryzen 3900X or intel i9-9900K is, of course, an excellent choice, but they’re not actually necessary for acceptable performance. A Ryzen 5 3600 will fill the role with ease.

Table of Contents

ROUND UP

1.AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core

AMD’s value proposition has always been straightforward — more for less. While we typically think of AMD offering more CPU cores than Intel for less money, the strategy also applies to the company’s unrestrained feature sets for each processor, regardless of price.

That includes in-box coolers, Hyper-Threading (AMD calls it SMT), and unlocked multipliers that enable easy overclocking, all of which are features that Intel either leaves out or disables on some of its chips in the name of segmentation.

2.AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-core

The Ryzen 5 5600X takes the mid-range by storm with six cores and twelve threads powered by the Zen 3 architecture fabbed on the 7nm process. That potent combination equates to a ~19% improvement in instruction per cycle (IPC) throughput, making the 5600X an easy choice for our list of Best CPUs.

Other fine-grained improvements, like a vastly optimized boosting algorithm, improved memory overclocking, and reworked cache topology erases the last traces of Intel’s performance advantages while delivering a new level of power efficiency. In fact, as we’ll detail below, the Ryzen 5 5600X is the most power-efficient desktop PC chip we’ve ever tested.

3.AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is the poster child for the AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation processors on the consumer level. Thanks to its new 7nm manufacturing process, it delivers much better performance at a lower power consumption than its predecessor.

It may not come close to surpassing the Ryzen 9 3900X, , especially in multi-threaded workloads, and it has inherited the Ryzen 7 2700X’s 8-core, 16-thread setup. However, it still brings to the table that raw performance for those who are on a limited budget.

4.AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-core

Powered by the Zen 3 architecture that delivers a ~19% increase in instruction per cycle (IPC) throughput, the Ryzen 7 5800X delivers the impressive gains over the previous-gen models that we’ve come to expect, resetting our performance expectations for an eight-core processor.

However, balancing a product stack is all about selecting the right price point for any given chip, and the Ryzen 7 5800X’s relatively high price point ($50 more than the previous-gen model) not only puts it into contention with bruising competition from within AMD’s own product stack, it also allows Intel’s $374 Core i7-10700K to slot in as a value alternative.

5.AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Cores

But, if you’re trying to squeeze every ounce of performance for the best PC games, it was assumed that Intel was the best processor for the job.

But the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X may have changed all that. This CPU might just be the best available option. It’s just as capable with single-threaded tasks as it is with multi-threaded ones. AMD’s Ryzen 5000 presentation made this clear, as the company zeroed in on gaming, with creative applications taking a back seat.

WRAP UP

Best Cpu for 4k Gaming – Balancing the CPU and GPU for your needs is a tricky process – Whilst the GPU is the component that most heavily impacts gaming performance, if you under-specify a CPU the hit to consistency of performance can be jarring, and hard to fix. In this article I’ll suggest a range of combinations to suit any need and budget to ensure that you get great performance without breaking the bank (unless you opt to build a 4k capable rig, of course…)

-46% AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core
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-49% AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-core
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-1% AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core
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-53% AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-core
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AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Cores
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