Best CPUs for NVIDIA RTX 4080

Top 15 CPUs ranked by performance and balance with the NVIDIA RTX 4080 at 1440p. Balanced pairings ranked by power, then by bottleneck %.

1
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Score: 98/100Socket: AM5$340.45
Balanced ~10%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
2
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
Score: 98/100Socket: AM5$679
Balanced ~10%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
3
AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D
Score: 97/100Socket: AM5$490
Balanced ~9%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
4
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
Score: 97/100Socket: AM5$499.99
Balanced ~9%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
5
Intel Core i9-14900KF
Score: 96/100Socket: LGA1700$457
Balanced ~8%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
6
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Score: 96/100Socket: AM5$478.28
Balanced ~8%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
7
Intel Core i9-14900K
Score: 96/100Socket: LGA1700$440
Balanced ~8%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
8
AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
Score: 95/100Socket: AM5$359.99
Balanced ~7%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
9
Intel Core i9-13900K
Score: 94/100Socket: LGA1700$432.42
Balanced ~6%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
10
Intel Core i9-13900KF
Score: 94/100Socket: LGA1700$432.42
Balanced ~6%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
11
Intel Core i7-14700K
Score: 94/100Socket: LGA1700$359.99
Balanced ~6%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
12
Intel Core i7-14700KF
Score: 94/100Socket: LGA1700$359.99
Balanced ~6%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
13
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
Score: 93/100Socket: AM5$439.91
Balanced ~5%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
14
Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus
Score: 93/100Socket: LGA1851$319.99
Balanced ~5%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf
15
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
Score: 92/100Socket: AM5$264.99
Balanced ~4%Buy on AmazonNewegg
CPU
GPU
~FPS 1440p:73Ultra|106Bal|145Perf

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best CPU for the NVIDIA RTX 4080?

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the best CPU for the NVIDIA RTX 4080 with only a 10% bottleneck at 1440p. It costs $340.45 and has a gaming score of 98/100.

What is the cheapest CPU that won't bottleneck the NVIDIA RTX 4080?

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D at $340.45 is well-balanced with the NVIDIA RTX 4080 (only 10% bottleneck at 1440p).

Does the NVIDIA RTX 4080 need a high-end CPU?

Not necessarily. The NVIDIA RTX 4080 has a gaming score of 88/100, 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.