Best CPUs for NVIDIA GTX 970

Top 15 CPUs ranked by performance and balance with the NVIDIA GTX 970 at 1440p. Balanced pairings ranked by power, then by bottleneck %.

1
Core i5-3450S
Score: 27/100Socket: LGA1155Not recommended
Balanced ~10%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
2
Core i3-7300T
Score: 26/100Socket: LGA1151Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
3
Core i3-6300T
Score: 25/100Socket: LGA1151Not recommended
Balanced ~8%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
4
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
Score: 25/100Socket: AM4Not recommended
Balanced ~8%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
5
Core i3-4170
Score: 24/100Socket: LGA1150Not recommended
Balanced ~7%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
6
Core i5-2400S
Score: 24/100Socket: LGA1155Not recommended
Balanced ~7%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
7
Core i3-4160
Score: 23/100Socket: LGA1150Not recommended
Balanced ~6%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
8
Core i3-4340
Score: 23/100Socket: LGA1150Not recommended
Balanced ~6%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
9
Core i3-4130
Score: 22/100Socket: LGA1150Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
10
Core i3-4330
Score: 22/100Socket: LGA1150Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
11
Intel Pentium Gold G7400
Score: 22/100Socket: LGA1700Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
12
AMD Ryzen 3 1200
Score: 22/100Socket: AM4Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
13
Core i3-3245
Score: 21/100Socket: LGA1155Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
14
Core i3-2130
Score: 20/100Socket: LGA1155Not recommended
Balanced ~4%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf
15
Core i3-3220
Score: 20/100Socket: LGA1155Not recommended
Balanced ~4%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:13Ultra|19Bal|26Perf

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best CPU for the NVIDIA GTX 970?

The Core i5-3450S is the best CPU for the NVIDIA GTX 970 with only a 10% bottleneck at 1440p. It has a gaming score of 27/100.

What is the cheapest CPU that won't bottleneck the NVIDIA GTX 970?

The Core i5-3450S is well-balanced with the NVIDIA GTX 970, at only 10% bottleneck at 1440p.

Does the NVIDIA GTX 970 need a high-end CPU?

Not necessarily. The NVIDIA GTX 970 has a gaming score of 16/100, so a mid-range CPU will pair well. You don't need the most expensive CPU to avoid bottlenecking.

Check Your Own Combo

Test any CPU/GPU pair with our free bottleneck calculator.