'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 8 GB variant of the RTX 4060 Ti launches today for $399. The GPU brings improved rasterization and rendering prowess of the Ada Lovelace cards to a budget audience. The card is a solid upgrade over the last-gen RTX 3060 Ti, thanks to the support for DLSS 3.0. Nvidia has claimed the new graphics card is about 70% faster than the Ampere-powered equivalent.
Although we don't recommend the 3060 Ti to jump ship to the latest tech on the market, it is a solid upgrade for Pascal and Turing users. However, CPUs from three to five years ago won't cut with this new GPU.
Thus, this article will list the best mid-range CPUs that don't cost a lot but are a solid pair with the latest graphics card in the market. We have included some dirt-cheap options for the most extreme processor that goes well with the latest GPU.
Trending
The RTX 4060 Ti is a great pair with mid-range processors
5) Intel Core i3 13100 ($103)
Thanks to its vastly improved single-core performance, the Intel Core i3 13100 is a solid gaming chip. The chip brings the best of Raptor Lake to a cash-strapped performance. In the latest video games, it outperforms both the Ryzen 5 3600 and the 5600G while costing less than them.
Don't let the core count of the i3 fool you since most video games don't require more than two cores. When paired with the RTX 4060 Ti, gamers can get outstanding performance from a build that would barely cost $800.
At the time of writing, the 13100 is available for about $103 on Newegg. However, the chip frequently dips to less than $100, often going for about $80 to $90. Considering that AMD has forfeited the budget market, it is the best option at this price point.
2) AMD Ryzen 5 5600 ($119)
The Ryzen 5 5600 almost leveled the Core i5 12400F when it debuted in the summer of 2022. The chip continues to be a great pair for the latest budget graphics cards like the RTX 3060 Ti and the new RTX 4060 Ti.
Currently, it has been discounted to just $132, making it as expensive as the older Core i5 11400F while delivering better performance. The chip also brings all the benefits of AM4, like cheaper motherboards and memory. This makes it a great pair for the new RTX 4060 Ti.
3) Intel Core i5 13400F ($208.99)
The Intel Core i5 13400F has quickly ranked among the best-selling chips. Coupled with competitive pricing and the best of the Intel 7 architecture, Team Blue has delivered a great value-for-money $200 processor that follows the budget Core i5 DNA.
LGA 1700 motherboards are getting cheaper by the day. A 13400F and an RTX 4060 Ti can easily be paired with a decent H610 motherboard, some of which are as cheap as $50 these days. Thus, opting for the 13400F will dramatically reduce the price of the overall build.
The highly improved single-core performance of the 13400 will help the video card in even some of the most demanding CPU-heavy games like the Microsoft Flight Simulator. For around $200, the chip is a top recommendation.
2) AMD Ryzen 5 7600X ($249)
The Ryzen 5 7600X is a decent mid-range processor for 60-class GPUs like the RTX 4060 Ti. The chip easily handled the higher-end RTX 4070 and the 4090 in our testing. Thus, gamers won't face any bottlenecks when paired with the budget $399 video card.
The 7600X has been discounted to just $249, down from its $300 launch MSRP. It is about as expensive as the Core i5 13400 and the slightly slower Ryzen 5 7600. Thus, gamers with extra cash to invest in DDR5 memory and AM5 motherboards should consider this chip.
1) Intel Core i5 13600KF
The Core i5 13600KF is currently the fastest mid-range gaming processor. The F variant is slightly cheaper since it doesn't have the Intel UHD iGPU. The processor is slightly faster than the 7600X and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory.
The LGA 1700 motherboard lineup consists of way more options, starting from the ultra-cheap H610 boards (which we don't recommend for this chip, by the way) to the super expensive Z790 options.
Thus, gamers get way more flexibility in choosing the components that best suit their budget and requirements while building an RTX 4060 Ti-based PC. Although the chip continues to be slightly more expensive than the 7600X, these criteria make it a better recommendation than the 13600KF.
