The Best CPUs to Pair With an RTX 4080

Nvidia’s RTX 4080 is one of the fastest GPUs money can buy in 2024. The modest upgrade, along with the price cut that the RTX 4080 SUPER currently offers, means that the RTX 4080 remains a top five contender for the fastest consumer-grade GPU.

This makes it something that runs a significant risk of CPU bottlenecking in various productivity tasks and gaming alike. While some users might be inclined to pick its beefier flagship brethren in the form of the Nvidia RTX 4090, others might consider spending the saved money to build a more balanced gaming PC to ensure that they get their money’s worth.

Picking The Best CPU For The RTX 4080

Picking the best CPU for the RTX 4080 comes down to the following considerations:

Price: The RTX 4080 already pushes budgets and knowing what one intends to spend on a CPU to pair with it before making a choice helps users budget around the rest of their build’s costs, including a compatible motherboard, an SSD, and RAM to boot.

Use Case: Not all CPUs are created equal. Some are better for gaming such as the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D while others excel in productivity-related tasks. Others yet can handle both quite well like the Intel Core i9 14900K thanks to its clock-heavy, core-heavy take on what a modern desktop processor should look like in 2024.

Compatibility: For users who do not need to upgrade CPU sockets and RAM to get an upgrade (i.e. moving from 12th generation Intel to 14th generation Intel), the RTX 4080 and a CPU upgrade are considerably better propositions at times. This is especially true for mid-range CPU upgrades.

Efficiency: While most gamers are not bothered about the cost of running a CPU in their gaming PCs going into 2024, rising power costs do make it a factor. Likewise, productivity professionals overwhelmingly do care about the power draw of the CPU they choose to pair with the RTX 4080 given that many of their workloads tend to be power-intensive and often run continuously making power efficiency a key metric for such use cases.

The Best CPUs to Pair With an RTX 4080

AMD Ryzen™ 9 7950X3D 16-Core, 32-Thread Desktop Processor

The Best Overall CPU To Pair With The RTX 4080

16 Cores of Zen 4 Power

$599 $700 Save $101

The 16-core, 32-thread desktop AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor is AMD’s answer to a resurgent Intel 13th generation processor lineup as it attempts to wrest back the gaming crown with the same technology that made the last generation 5800X3D such a powerful CPU.

With 128MB of L3 cache on offer, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D leverages its 3D V-Cache muscle in gaming as well as its powerful new Zen 4-based cores in productivity to make for a potent enthusiast-grade CPU in the offing.

Socket

AMD AM5

Brand

AMD

TDP

120W

Cores

16

Threads

32

iGPU

Yes, RDNA 2

L3 Cache

128MB

Base Clock

4.2 GHz

Boost Clock

5.7 GHz

Pros

• Offers excellent power efficiency versus its competition
• Has the highest consumer-grade CPU core count of Zen 4 cores
• Large L3 Cache performs extremely well in gaming
• Can effectivity simulate a Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Cons

• Considerably more expensive than other options
• Productivity benchmarks are often beaten by the Core i9 14900K

The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is AMD’s flagship CPU that is marketed as a ‘for creators’ CPU thanks to it offering a mix of both, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D’s 3D V-Cache benefits on a single CCD while throwing in the weight of eight more Zen 4 cores for multithreaded workloads on the side. It also happens to be one of the best 16-core CPUs, even as it contends for the top 32-thread CPUs in the business against a higher-clocked Intel Core i9 14900K.

Its advantages include gaming performance nearly in line with AMD’s gaming juggernaut, the Ryzen 7800X3D, multithreaded performance superior to any other AM5-based AMD CPU (with the 7950X edging it out at times), and significantly better power efficiency than its 24-core Intel counterpart, making it Game Rant’s choice for the best CPU users can pair with the Nvidia RTX 4080 irrespective of their use cases thanks to its strong performance across the board.

With a large $100 price cut over its $699 MSRP, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D sees lower prices as AMD strives to draw a comparison between it and Intel’s latest Core i9 14900K (and the recently released Intel Core i9 14900KS), leveraging better efficiency versus both at a significantly better price tag than the special edition Core i9.

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Intel Core i9 14900KS 24-Core, 32-Thread CPU

The Best Intel CPU To Pair With an RTX 4080

24 Cores Of Special Edition Power

The Intel Core i9 14900KS 24-core, 32-thread CPU is Intel’s special edition CPU take on its flagship 14th generation CPU, the Core i9 14900K.

It is essentially a cherry-picked 14900K SKU that can push higher clocks with up to a minimum of 6.2 GHz on its P-Cores, making it effectively the highest-clocked CPU out of the box to date when it comes to boost clocks from Intel.

It trades at a significant premium as a result and is expected, as a limited-run chip, to be a collectible SKU with high demand from enthusiasts and overclockers in 2024.

Brand

Intel

CPU Model

Core i9 14900KS

CPU Socket

LGA 1700

Cores

24 Cores (8 P-Cores + 16 E-Cores)

Threads

32 Threads

Architecture

Raptor Lake Refresh

Process

Intel 7

Base Clock Speed

3.2 GHz (2.4 GHz E-Cores)

Boost Clock Speed

6.2 GHz (4.5 GHz E-Cores)

Cache

36 MB L3, 32 MB L2 Cache

PCIe

PCI-E 4.0 and 5.0 Support

Graphics

Intel® UHD Graphics 770

TDP

150 Base TDP

PCIe 4.0 Support

Yes

Transistors

Unstated

Power Draw

253 W

Pros

• Offers up to 6.2 GHz P-core clocks out of the box
• Industry-leading single-thread performance rating
• Leverages Intels XTU utility as well as Intel’s APO optimizations
• Works with existing Intel 12th and 13th-generation motherboards
• Holds its own versus AMD’s X3D CPUs

Cons

• More inefficient than the power-hungry 14900K
• Requires significantly high-end cooler
• Does not beat the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D in most benchmarks

The Intel Core i9 14900KS was launched in March 2024. Much like the refreshed Core i9 14900K and the older Raptor Lake-based Core i9 13900K/KS, it offers a 24-core, 32-thread configuration that offers a significantly faster clock speed than the competition going into 2024. This, in turn, makes it one of the fastest CPUs money can buy and a relatively undisputed winner when it comes to single-thread performance.

Single thread performance is an important factor, especially for many games that are often performance-restricted based on the primary thread for all subsequent computations, making it a somewhat controversial, but relevant factor for many titles, including FPS games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 2, Call of Duty and other franchises. At the same time, the sheer amount of compute power available via the 14900KS’s 24-core configuration makes quick work of simulation games that require more power under the hood split across multiple cores.

Intel’s 24-core, 32-thread CPU does, however, have some requirements that push it into costlier territory than most of its direct competition. For starters, it can draw massive amounts of power when running under load across all cores at an efficiency that is considerably worse than its competition from AMD. Likewise, the push for higher clocks makes this Intel’s hottest consumer-grade CPUs to date, making it a significantly expensive CPU to cool and run over time as users are forced to invest in a powerful AIO to get the job done.

The Core i9 14900KS, as mentioned above, is not a CPU for most users looking for a gaming or productivity tool that can hold its own against the competition. It is, by its very definition, targeting enthusiasts, users who want the fastest possible Intel chip this generation, and power users who stand to benefit from the extra clock speeds that a cherry-picked chip can deliver, albeit at a significant premium, as scalpers continue to push prices upwards on multiple marketplaces.

Alternatively, the Core i9 14900K is a significantly more enticing CPU to get in 2024, given that it is already trading at a sub-$50 discount over its MSRP. Users can save more by opting for the cheaper, iGPU-less version, also known as the Intel Core i9 14900KF. Given that users already own or have picked out an RTX 4080, this might be a better choice for many of them since their discrete GPU takes care of their visually intensive needs far better than the integrated UHD 770 offerings from Intel with the top-end 14th-generation CPUs.

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AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

The Best Gaming CPU To Pair With an RTX 4080

Octa-Core Gaming Juggernaut

$369 $450 Save $81

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is AMD’s latest and greatest CPU when it comes to gaming. With an excellent and highly efficient gaming performance that tops the charts currently, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is here to stay and has a crown to claim thanks to its 3D V-Cache-enabled prowess when it comes to gaming on a PC.

The octa-core CPU currently happens to be the fastest in the business for gaming even as it leads efficiency charts at the top, making it a very sought-after gaming upgrade.

Brand

AMD

CPU Model

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

CPU Socket

AM5

Cores

8

Threads

16

PCIe 4.0 Support

Yes, Supports up to PCI-E 5.0

Architecture

Zen 4

Process

5nm

Base Clock Speed

4.2GHz

Boost Clock Speed

5.0GHz

Cache

8MB L2 + 96MB L3

TDP

120W

iGPU

Yes, Integrated Radeon 2 Core

Pros

• Offers the best gaming performance of any CPU
• Considerably cheaper and faster than higher-end CPUs
• Is much more power efficient than its peers
• Runs relatively cooler than high-end gaming alternatives

Cons

• Falls significantly short in productivity benchmarks

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D happens to be one of the best gaming CPUs money can buy in 2024. This is largely in part of AMD bringing the tried and tested formula of marrying a large L3 cache to its fast Zen-based cores (from the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D) to its newer Zen 4-based 7000 series CPUs. This allows for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D to dominate benchmarks across the board, even as it leverages its efficiency to take the crown for being the fastest gaming CPU available to end users, despite similarly stellar performance from the much beefier and costlier Intel Core i9 14900KS.

While one of the most optimized octa-core CPUs in the business for gaming does have its limitations when it comes to multi-core, multi-threaded benchmarks, and productivity tools, its lower clock speeds and lower core counts make it fair game for many of Intel’s lower-end CPUs, as well as AMD’s higher-end core-heavy alternatives. All in all, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is, first and foremost, almost exclusively a specialist gaming CPU and must be treated as such by users looking to game with the best possible results, instead of looking to run more intense workloads unrelated to gaming in 2024.

For gamers eyeing the RTX 4080 for purely pushing FPS counts, there isn’t much better that they can do than AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D which offers efficiency, better thermals, and a better price point than all of its direct contenders for gamers, even compared to AMD’s flagships. It also trades at a sub $80 discount over MSRP at multiple retailers at the time of writing.

Users can also benefit from regularly available coupon codes on vendors such as Amazon and Newegg, both of which currently offer a further discount on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D (currently at $81 off at the time of writing), which brings it down to Prime Day and Black Friday sales-level pricing. This makes the Ryzen 7 7800X3D a uniquely better offering in a market that sees three generations of Intel and two generations of AMD CPUs competing at various price points thanks to both Team Blue’s LGA 1700 and Team Red’s AM5 platforms in play.

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Intel Core i5 14600K 14-Core, 20-Thread CPU

The Best Budget Gaming CPU To Pair With an RTX 4080

Raptor Lake Refresh Unbridled

$319 $340 Save $21

The Intel Core i5 14600K 14-Core, 20-Thread CPU is a powerful mid-range CPU that replaces the last generation Intel Core i5 13600K with higher clocks on both its performance and efficiency cores.

Like all its siblings, it does offer better performance out-of-the-box versus its predecessors but replaces them at the same price points they sold last year.

Brand

Intel

CPU Model

Core i5 14600K

CPU Socket

LGA 1700

Cores

14 (6P + 8E Cores)

Threads

20

Base Clock Speed

3.5 GHz

Boost Clock Speed

5.3 GHz

Cache

20MB L2 + 24MB L3

Architecture

Raptor Lake Refresh

Process

Intel 7 (10 nm)

RAM

Upto 192GB DDR5 RAM

PCIe

PCI-E 4.0/5.0 support

Graphics

Intel UHD 770

Power Draw

181W (Turbo)

PCIe 4.0 Support

Yes

Transistors

Unstated

Pros

• Offers best-in-class unlocked performance
• Offers a 14-core, 20-thread config
• Works with Intel 12th and 13th-gen motherboards
• Compatible with both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM
• Excellent price-to-performance

Cons

• Offers minimal gains versus the last generation Core i5 13600K
• Doesn’t benefit from Intel’s APO performance gains

The Intel Core i5 14600K 14-Core, 20-Thread CPU is hardly a new CPU by any measure, essentially taking the spot and core count of the well-received Core i5 13600K CPU while throwing in an extra 200 MHz for P-cores and 100 MHz for the e-cores as Intel rolls out its newer Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs. It offers decent overclocking potential along with significant multi-threaded performance gains versus its AMD counterparts in tow, taking its well-earned place as the budget CPU recommendation from Game Rant.

However, much like its siblings, it does have somewhat demanding cooling requirements, though it can work with more mid-tier CPU coolers than its higher-end brethren. More importantly, Intel seems to not offer its newer APO solution to the 14600K, which already does not have the XTU AI advantage the 14900K does, or the extra 4 cores the 14700K has in play. All in all, the 14600K is a well-rounded, unlocked (overclockable) CPU that offers exceptional value across the board to gamers, power users, and professionals, making it one of the best CPUs to pair with the RTX 4080.

It represents the best value-for-money unlocked Intel CPU for gamers and productivity users who can meet their needs by its reduced, but still potent 14-core configuration. For users previously considering an Intel Core i5 13600K/13600KF, this comes as a no-brainer. For others, however, an upgrade might be subjective given it offers possibly the smallest upgrade generation-on-generation for an unlocked Intel CPU when one considers the 14th-generation Intel offerings.

While the Intel Core i5 14600K (and the locked 14600KF) has seen prices creep upwards by approximately $20 at multiple retailers, it remains a viable alternative with better productivity performance and acceptable gaming performance versus more specialist CPUs like the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which offer superior gaming performance even as AMD’s 12-core Ryzen 9 CPUs continue to inch closer towards a price point below $400 over time.

Intel Core i7 14700K 20-Core, 28-Thread CPU

The Best Productivity CPU To Pair With an RTX 4080

Pushing Core Boundaries

$400 $418 Save $18

The Intel Core i7 14700K 20-Core, 28-Thread CPU succeeds the Intel Core i7 13700K CPU with a 200 MHz boost clock increase as Intel also throws in an additional 4 efficiency cores to make it increasingly better value for money versus its predecessor.

With 28 threads on offer and higher boost clocks, the Intel Core i7 14700K is noticeably faster in both games and productivity benchmarks alike while replacing its predecessor at the same price points.

Brand

Intel

CPU Model

Core i7 14700K

CPU Socket

LGA 1700

Cores

20 (8P + 12E Cores)

Threads

28

Architecture

Rocket Lake Refresh

Process

Intel 7 (10 nm)

Base Clock Speed

3.4 GHz

Boost Clock Speed

5.6 GHz

Cache

28MB L2 + 33MB L3

PCIe

PCI-E 4.0/5.0 Support

Graphics

Yes, Intel UHD 770

RAM

Upto 192GB DDR5 RAM

Power Draw

253W (Turbo)

PCIe 4.0 Support

Yes

Pros

• Offers 4 more efficient cores and threads than its predecessor
• Can handle up to 28 threads simultaneously
• Supports Intel’s APO for higher performance
• Offers up to 200 MHz higher boost clocks on performance cores
• Can run on older Intel Socket LGA 1700-based motherboards

Cons

• Runs considerably hotter than the competition
• There are better, cheaper CPU options for gamers

The Intel Core i7 14700K 20-Core, 28-Thread CPU offers some of the best productivity performance a CPU can offer with a mid-range price, aiming to corner the market while offering a decent experience to users looking to game on the side. It does so by leveraging the 4 extra efficiency cores Intel is offering with its updated Raptor Lake refresh lineup, to date, the only CPU to get that treatment (the 14700KF notwithstanding).

It does require a significantly better cooler than most entry-level options and might require an adequate motherboard in tow to allow users to exact higher sustained clock speeds. This makes it an expensive, but powerful proposition versus some of the more budget options available from Intel and AMD.

With higher clocks than its predecessor, the ability to leverage Intel’s recently launched Application Optimization tweaks for games that see titles such as World of Warcraft already implement it and the ability to be run on existing Intel 12th and 13th-generation motherboards, albeit with a mandatory BIOS update for most required out of the box.

The Intel Core i7 14700K trades at a small $9 discount over MSRP at multiple retailers currently. This is a considerably more modest incentive than the $50 discount the Core i9 14900K currently employs to persuade gamers and enthusiasts to stay with Intel this generation, but given its better price-to-performance ratio, the 14700K (or 14700KF) continues to be an excellent, viable, all-round option that excels at being a serious workhorse capable of powering a variety of workloads along with the RTX 4080 in 2024.

Intel Core i5 14500

The Best Budget Productivity CPU To Pair With an RTX 4080

Locked Multithreading

The Intel Core i5 14500 CPU is a locked Raptor Lake Refresh CPU that offers higher clocks than its predecessor, the 13500 by pushing both its Performance and Efficient cores higher by 200 MHz.

The 14-core, 20-thread CPU offers similar pricing as its predecessor and comes in the same 6-performance and 8-efficiency core configuration. It also works with existing LGA 1700-based 12th and 13th-generation chipset-based motherboards.

Brand

Intel

CPU Model

Core i5 14500

CPU Socket

LGA 1700

Cores

14

Threads

20

Base Clock Speed

P Core: 2.6 GHz E Core: 1.9 GHz

Boost Clock Speed

P Core: 5 GHz E Core: 3.7 GHz

TDP

Base TDP: 65W

iGPU

Yes, Intel UHD Graphics 770

PCIe 4.0 Support

Yes

Architecture

Raptor Lake Refresh

Process

Intel 7

PCIe

PCI-E 4.0/5.0 Support

Power Draw

Max Turbo Power: 154 W

Pros

• Works with all LGA 1700 motherboards
• Comes with a stock cooler as part of the package
• Costs considerably less than its unlocked counterparts

Cons

• Considerably outperformed by unlocked CPUs

The Intel Core i5 14500 CPU is a 14-core, 20-thread locked CPU that succeeds the slightly lower-clocked Intel Core i5 13500, even as it offers the same configuration as the unlocked 14600K CPU. This makes it an ideal candidate for productivity users looking to capitalize on its lower thermal and power footprint while benefiting from the savings in play, thanks to its lower prices and accompanying thermal solution.

With decent single-core performance and a strong multicore showing, the locked Intel Core i5 14500 is a solid candidate for the best budget productivity CPU for the RTX 4080 GPU. It currently trades at the same price as its predecessor, the Core i5 13500, which makes it a better upgrade in terms of clock speeds, despite employing the same Raptor Lake cores to keep things going.

Like all Intel CPUs before it, the Core i5 14500 benefits from having compatibility with motherboards from 2021 to 2024 and beyond thanks to it using the same LGA 1700 socket that the 12th, 13th, and 14th generation CPUs do. The Core i5 14500 is also able to work with newer DDR5 modules, as well as more cost-effective DDR4 upgrades for users looking to use their existing memory modules.

With a price tag of $250, some gamers might be less enthused about getting the 14500 versus the unlocked 14600K, due to its ability to boost considerably higher while also offering better tweaked performance. Productivity enthusiasts would see the bundled stock cooler’s substantial savings, as well as the high core count and decent single-core performance, as key reasons to pick up the Core i5 14500, which is more economical than it seems at first glance.

How to Find the Best CPU to Pair with An RTX 4080

While the RTX 4080 is often ignored in favor of the RTX 4090, it is still a significant upgrade over essentially any other GPU on the market currently, with only AMD’s 7900XTX coming close in terms of benchmark tests. There’s also the added benefit of excellent DLSS 3 and 3.5 support, as well as 16GB of VRAM versus Nvidia’s other counterparts that cap at 12GB (apart from the newer RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, RTX 4080 SUPER, and the flagship RTX 4090 that sits at 24 GB on offer).

Picking a CPU to pair with the RTX 4080 comes down to the use cases of the person buying Nvidia’s penultimate GPU. It can be broken down into the following factors:

Single-Core Performance: For gamers, single-core performance is the make-or-break factor when picking a CPU in most cases. The faster a CPU core is at handling individual tasks directly translates to better in-game performance down the line for gamers looking to build a powerful gaming PC that does well across the board in multiple titles.

Core counts: For productivity-centric users and power users, core counts and thread counts are also key factors as most of their use cases revolve around running large multi-threaded programs such as video rendering software or 3d modeling solutions. Having a fast multi-core CPU is key to getting the most out of one’s PC to ensure the RTX 4080 is not bottle-necked in any meaningful way during the CPU-intensive parts of such workloads.

Specialist CPUs: While CPUs such as the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D lead gaming benchmarks comfortably, they fall short of made-for-creators CPUs like Intel’s 14900KS and AMD’s higher-end Ryzen 9 7950X3D due to their lower core and thread counts. Defining and planning for the use case of the RTX 4080 a user owns is key, with specialist gaming CPUs not being very good for productivity in some cases, while some locked higher core count CPUs excel at multi-threaded performance instead.

FAQ

Q: How much memory does the RTX 4080 Have?

The Nvidia RTX 4080 comes with 16GB of high-speed GDDR6X memory, utilizing a 256-bit bus for an effective memory bandwidth of 717 GB/s.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 work with PCI-E 5.0?

The RTX 4080 is a PCI-E 4.0 GPU but it is forward compatible with PCI-E 5.0 slots on motherboards which are also backwards compatible by proxy with older generation PCI-E GPUs. There is no performance gain or loss when one uses a PCI-E 5.0 slot over a PCI-E 4.0 with an RTX 4080.