Best CPUs for NVIDIA GTX 980

Top 15 CPUs ranked by performance and balance with the NVIDIA GTX 980 at 1440p. Balanced pairings ranked by power, then by bottleneck %.

1
Core i5-2400
Score: 28/100Socket: LGA1155Not recommended
Balanced ~10%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
2
Core i5-3470S
Score: 28/100Socket: LGA1155Not recommended
Balanced ~10%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
3
Core i5-3450S
Score: 27/100Socket: LGA1155Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
4
Core i3-7300T
Score: 26/100Socket: LGA1151Not recommended
Balanced ~8%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
5
Core i3-6300T
Score: 25/100Socket: LGA1151Not recommended
Balanced ~7%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
6
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
Score: 25/100Socket: AM4Not recommended
Balanced ~7%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
7
Core i3-4170
Score: 24/100Socket: LGA1150Not recommended
Balanced ~6%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
8
Core i5-2400S
Score: 24/100Socket: LGA1155Not recommended
Balanced ~6%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
9
Core i3-4160
Score: 23/100Socket: LGA1150Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
10
Core i3-4340
Score: 23/100Socket: LGA1150Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
11
Core i3-4130
Score: 22/100Socket: LGA1150Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
12
Core i3-4330
Score: 22/100Socket: LGA1150Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
13
Intel Pentium Gold G7400
Score: 22/100Socket: LGA1700Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
14
AMD Ryzen 3 1200
Score: 22/100Socket: AM4Not recommended
Balanced ~5%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf
15
Core i3-3245
Score: 21/100Socket: LGA1155Not recommended
Balanced ~4%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:14Ultra|20Bal|28Perf

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best CPU for the NVIDIA GTX 980?

The Core i5-2400 is the best CPU for the NVIDIA GTX 980 with only a 10% bottleneck at 1440p. It has a gaming score of 28/100.

What is the cheapest CPU that won't bottleneck the NVIDIA GTX 980?

The Core i5-2400 is well-balanced with the NVIDIA GTX 980, at only 10% bottleneck at 1440p.

Does the NVIDIA GTX 980 need a high-end CPU?

Not necessarily. The NVIDIA GTX 980 has a gaming score of 17/100, 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.