Best CPUs for NVIDIA RTX 2080

Top 15 CPUs ranked by performance and balance with the NVIDIA RTX 2080 at 1440p. Balanced pairings ranked by power, then by bottleneck %.

1
Intel Core i3-12100
Score: 62/100Socket: LGA1700$175 - price unverified
Balanced ~10%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
2
Intel Core i5-11500
Score: 62/100Socket: LGA1200$174.91 - price unverified
Balanced ~10%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
3
Intel Core i5-11600K
Score: 62/100Socket: LGA1200$139 - price unverified
Balanced ~10%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
4
Core i9-10850K
Score: 62/100Socket: LGA1200$273.98 - price unverified
Balanced ~10%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
5
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
Score: 62/100Socket: AM4$138.21 - price unverified
Balanced ~10%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
6
AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT
Score: 62/100Socket: AM4$300 - price unverified
Balanced ~10%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
7
AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
Score: 61/100Socket: AM4$249 - price unverified
Balanced ~9%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
8
Intel Core i3-14100
Score: 60/100Socket: LGA1700$222 - price unverified
Balanced ~8%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
9
Intel Core i3-14100F
Score: 60/100Socket: LGA1700$105
Balanced ~8%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
10
Core i5-11600
Score: 60/100Socket: LGA1200$132 - price unverified
Balanced ~8%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
11
Intel Core i7-10700K
Score: 60/100Socket: LGA1200$259 - price unverified
Balanced ~8%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
12
Core i9-10900
Score: 60/100Socket: LGA1200$349 - price unverified
Balanced ~8%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
13
Core i9-10900F
Score: 60/100Socket: LGA1200$416.09 - price unverified
Balanced ~8%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
14
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Score: 60/100Socket: AM4$249 - price unverified
Balanced ~8%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf
15
Intel Core i3-12100F
Score: 58/100Socket: LGA1700~$124 - unverified
Balanced ~6%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:42Ultra|61Bal|84Perf

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best CPU for the NVIDIA RTX 2080?

The Intel Core i3-12100 is the best CPU for the NVIDIA RTX 2080 with only a 10% bottleneck at 1440p. It has a gaming score of 62/100.

What is the cheapest CPU that won't bottleneck the NVIDIA RTX 2080?

The Intel Core i3-12100 is well-balanced with the NVIDIA RTX 2080, at only 10% bottleneck at 1440p.

Does the NVIDIA RTX 2080 need a high-end CPU?

Not necessarily. The NVIDIA RTX 2080 has a gaming score of 51/100, 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.