Best CPUs for NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti
Top 15 CPUs ranked by performance and balance with the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti at 1440p. Balanced pairings ranked by power, then by bottleneck %.
Balanced ~10%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~9%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~9%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~9%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~9%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~9%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~7%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~7%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~6%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~5%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~5%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~5%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~4%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~4%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Balanced ~3%
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:17Ultra|24Bal|33Perf
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best CPU for the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti?
The Core i5-3450 is the best CPU for the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti with only a 10% bottleneck at 1440p. It has a gaming score of 31/100.
What is the cheapest CPU that won't bottleneck the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti?
The Core i5-3450 is well-balanced with the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti, at only 10% bottleneck at 1440p.
Does the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti need a high-end CPU?
Not necessarily. The NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti has a gaming score of 20/100, 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.