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The Nvidia RTX 5090 was announced earlier this month and is set to be released in late January 2025. The new flagship offers top-of-the-line features that outperform its predecessors by a mile. It sets a new standard for graphical performance, offering cutting-edge capabilities that can handle the most demanding games and creative applications with ease.
However, to fully unleash the potential of this GPU, choosing the right CPU is crucial. In this article, we’ll explore the five best CPUs to pair with the RTX 5090.
The best CPUs for Nvidia RTX 5090
1) Intel Core i9-14900K
Price: $433.00
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First on our list is the Intel Core i9-14900K, which is undoubtedly one of the best processors available from Team Blue right now. It features a hybrid architecture comprising 8 Performance cores and 16 Efficient cores, allowing for a total of 24 cores and 32 threads. Moreover, it has a base clock speed of 3.2 GHz and a maximum turbo boost of up to 6.0 GHz. This helps the CPU excel in both single-threaded and multi-threaded applications.
The CPU is incredible for gaming due to its high clock speeds and multi-threading capabilities. Additionally, its strong single-core performance makes it ideal for heavy coding and content creation tasks like video editing and rendering as well.
Pairing the Intel Core i9-14900K with the Nvidia RTX 5090 maximizes gaming performance, as the CPU can keep up with the GPU's capabilities without causing bottlenecks.
Also read: 5 best Nvidia GPUs to buy in early 2025
2) AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
Price: $599.00 (expected)
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a new processor that was announced at CES 2025. It was advertised as the best card in the market and boasts a super impressive spec sheet. It features the Zen 5 architecture with 16 cores and 32 threads, making it an incredibly capable CPU for heavy gaming and graphic workloads. Moreover, its unique V-cache technology enhances gaming performance by increasing cache size, which reduces latency during high-demand scenarios.
The processor is excellent for gaming, content creation, and creative tasks due to its high core count and advanced architecture. The V-cache technology makes it perfect for gaming, while its multi-threading capabilities make it ideal for video editing, rendering, and other resource-intensive tasks.
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D pairs exceptionally well with the Nvidia RTX 5090, as its high core count ensures that the CPU can handle demanding gaming workloads without hindering the GPU's performance.
3) Intel Core i7-13700K
Price: $343.00
Next on the list is the Intel Core i7-13700K. It is a much more affordable option compared to the others on the list. With a combination of 8 Performance cores and 8 Efficient cores, totaling 16 cores with 24 threads. With a base clock speed of 3.4 GHz and a maximum boost clock of up to 5.4 GHz, this CPU strikes a balance between performance and efficiency.
The chip is well-suited for gaming and provides solid performance across various titles thanks to its efficient architecture. It also performs admirably in content creation tasks such as video editing or graphic design due to its multi-threading capabilities.
The Intel Core i7-13700K is an excellent match for the Nvidia RTX 5090 as it provides sufficient processing power to prevent bottlenecks during gameplay or resource-intensive tasks. Its ability to handle multiple threads efficiently ensures that users can run background applications while gaming without sacrificing performance.
4) Intel Core i5-14600K
Price: $224.99
The Intel Core i5-14600K is the best option for those on a tighter budget. It's currently the best processor from the i5 line-up. It features a hybrid architecture with a total of 14 cores and supports hyper-threading for up to 20 threads. It has a base clock speed of around 3.5 GHz, which can boost up to 5.3 GHz, helping you tackle performance-intensive workloads.
The processor is great for gaming and content creation, striking a balance between price and performance. It can handle demanding games at high settings while also being capable of multitasking during creative tasks such as video editing or graphic design work.
When paired with the RTX 5090, the i7-13700K ensures that gamers experience minimal bottlenecking during gameplay. Its solid single-threaded performance complements the powerful GPU effectively, allowing users to take full advantage of high frame rates even in graphically intensive titles.
5) AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Price: $359.00
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is one of the best processors in the Ryzen 7 7000 series line-up. Featuring the Zen 4 architecture and the AMD 3D V-Cache technology, it provides enhanced performance for gaming and creative workloads. It maintains a total of eight cores and sixteen threads, allowing for decent mid-range performance.
This processor is particularly well-suited for gaming, where its large cache helps improve frame rates significantly compared to traditional architectures. It also performs reasonably well in content creation tasks but shines brightest in gaming-focused workloads where responsiveness is critical.
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D pairs effectively with the Nvidia RTX 5090 by leveraging its significant cache size to enhance game loading times and overall responsiveness during play sessions.
Also read: 5 best AMD Ryzen CPUs to buy in 2025
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