Best CPUs for NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti

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

1
AMD Ryzen 7 5700
Score: 67/100Socket: AM4$159
Balanced ~10%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
2
Intel Core i7-11700K
Score: 65/100Socket: LGA1200$249.94 - price unverified
Balanced ~8%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
3
AMD Ryzen 5 5500
Score: 65/100Socket: AM4$99
Balanced ~8%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
4
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Score: 65/100Socket: AM4$249 - price unverified
Balanced ~8%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
5
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Score: 64/100Socket: AM4$123.31 - price unverified
Balanced ~7%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
6
Intel Core i9-10900K
Score: 63/100Socket: LGA1200$430
Balanced ~6%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
7
Intel Core i3-12100
Score: 62/100Socket: LGA1700$175 - price unverified
Balanced ~5%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
8
Intel Core i5-11500
Score: 62/100Socket: LGA1200$174.91 - price unverified
Balanced ~5%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
9
Intel Core i5-11600K
Score: 62/100Socket: LGA1200$139 - price unverified
Balanced ~5%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
10
Core i9-10850K
Score: 62/100Socket: LGA1200$273.98 - price unverified
Balanced ~5%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
11
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
Score: 62/100Socket: AM4$138.21 - price unverified
Balanced ~5%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
12
AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT
Score: 62/100Socket: AM4$300 - price unverified
Balanced ~5%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
13
AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
Score: 61/100Socket: AM4$249 - price unverified
Balanced ~5%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
14
Intel Core i3-14100
Score: 60/100Socket: LGA1700$222 - price unverified
Balanced ~4%Check availabilityNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf
15
Intel Core i3-14100F
Score: 60/100Socket: LGA1700$105
Balanced ~4%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:46Ultra|67Bal|92Perf

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best CPU for the NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti?

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 is the best CPU for the NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti with only a 10% bottleneck at 1440p. It has a gaming score of 67/100 and costs $159.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 is well-balanced with the NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti, at only 10% bottleneck at 1440p and costs $159.

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

Not necessarily. The NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti has a gaming score of 56/100, 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.