Best CPUs for NVIDIA RTX 4070
The sensible middle of Ada's stack. Twelve gigabytes, a sane power draw that does not force a PSU upgrade, and enough performance to drive 1440p properly for years. It never excited anyone, which is roughly the point. The catch, stated plainly: it was priced as an upmarket card and performs like a solid mid-range one, and the used market has been correcting that gap ever since.
Ranked below: 15 CPUs against the NVIDIA RTX 4070 at 1440p, balanced pairings first, then by bottleneck %.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best CPU for the NVIDIA RTX 4070?
The Intel Core i5-14600 is the best CPU for the NVIDIA RTX 4070 with only a 10% bottleneck at 1440p. It has a gaming score of 84/100.
What is the cheapest CPU that won't bottleneck the NVIDIA RTX 4070?
The Intel Core i5-14600 is well-balanced with the NVIDIA RTX 4070, at only 10% bottleneck at 1440p.
Does the NVIDIA RTX 4070 need a high-end CPU?
Not necessarily. The NVIDIA RTX 4070 has a gaming score of 73/100, so a mid-range CPU will pair well. You don't need the most expensive CPU to avoid bottlenecking.
Test any CPU/GPU pair with our free bottleneck calculator.