Best CPUs for NVIDIA RTX 2060

Top 15 CPUs ranked by performance and balance with the NVIDIA RTX 2060 at 1440p. Balanced pairings ranked by power, then by bottleneck %.

1
Intel Core i5-9600
Score: 49/100Socket: LGA1151Not recommended
Balanced ~10%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
2
Intel Core i5-8600K
Score: 48/100Socket: LGA1151Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
3
Core i5-9500
Score: 48/100Socket: LGA1151Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
4
Core i5-9500F
Score: 48/100Socket: LGA1151Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
5
Core i7-6700K
Score: 48/100Socket: LGA1151Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
6
Core i7-7700
Score: 48/100Socket: LGA1151Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
7
Core i7-7820X
Score: 48/100Socket: LGA2066Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
8
Core i9-7920X
Score: 48/100Socket: LGA2066Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
9
Core i9-7940X
Score: 48/100Socket: LGA2066$176.39 - price unverified
Balanced ~9%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
10
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
Score: 48/100Socket: AM4Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
11
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
Score: 48/100Socket: AM4Not recommended
Balanced ~9%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
12
Core i9-7960X
Score: 47/100Socket: LGA2066Not recommended
Balanced ~8%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
13
Intel Core i3-10100
Score: 46/100Socket: LGA1200Not recommended
Balanced ~7%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
14
Core i3-10105F
Score: 46/100Socket: LGA1200Not recommended
Balanced ~7%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf
15
Core i3-10300
Score: 46/100Socket: LGA1200Not recommended
Balanced ~7%
See current builds→Used on eBay
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:32Ultra|46Bal|63Perf

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best CPU for the NVIDIA RTX 2060?

The Intel Core i5-9600 is the best CPU for the NVIDIA RTX 2060 with only a 10% bottleneck at 1440p. It has a gaming score of 49/100.

What is the cheapest CPU that won't bottleneck the NVIDIA RTX 2060?

The Intel Core i5-9600 is well-balanced with the NVIDIA RTX 2060, at only 10% bottleneck at 1440p.

Does the NVIDIA RTX 2060 need a high-end CPU?

Not necessarily. The NVIDIA RTX 2060 has a gaming score of 38/100, 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.