F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop 8th or 9th generation Intel CPUs work well with an RTX 3060.

8th or 9th generation Intel CPUs work well with an RTX 3060.

8th or 9th generation Intel CPUs work well with an RTX 3060.

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S0ul_Taker
Junior Member
25
06-14-2021, 12:59 PM
#1
I'm improving my old gaming PC component by component. I've been playing on an i5-8500T and RTX 3060 for a while now, but at 1080p sometimes the 3060 only handles half of it because of the bottleneck... I need to upgrade the CPU but don’t want to change RAM or the motherboard. What’s the best choice for pairing with a 3060? A 9th gen i7 might work?
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S0ul_Taker
06-14-2021, 12:59 PM #1

I'm improving my old gaming PC component by component. I've been playing on an i5-8500T and RTX 3060 for a while now, but at 1080p sometimes the 3060 only handles half of it because of the bottleneck... I need to upgrade the CPU but don’t want to change RAM or the motherboard. What’s the best choice for pairing with a 3060? A 9th gen i7 might work?

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Skayko
Junior Member
15
06-15-2021, 06:22 AM
#2
A 9700k would also fit, or even a 9400f
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Skayko
06-15-2021, 06:22 AM #2

A 9700k would also fit, or even a 9400f

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Bubzkittys
Member
50
06-16-2021, 09:24 AM
#3
Buying now the 9th gen Intel seems risky. A 9700K used model runs about $180-200, while a brand new setup like the 13100+B660M+16GB DDR4 is under $250. It offers superior performance and flexibility for future upgrades.
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Bubzkittys
06-16-2021, 09:24 AM #3

Buying now the 9th gen Intel seems risky. A 9700K used model runs about $180-200, while a brand new setup like the 13100+B660M+16GB DDR4 is under $250. It offers superior performance and flexibility for future upgrades.

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AwsomeFace2
Member
202
06-17-2021, 10:04 PM
#4
None of these options fit well. The 6-core processor struggles in many games, while the 9700k is essentially an 8-core setup—the standard for modern gaming. Upgrading to an i7 8700(k) or i9 9900(k) makes sense but comes with a higher cost. A budget 12th-gen i5 or Ryzen 5600+ with a decent board (and enough RAM) offers better value.
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AwsomeFace2
06-17-2021, 10:04 PM #4

None of these options fit well. The 6-core processor struggles in many games, while the 9700k is essentially an 8-core setup—the standard for modern gaming. Upgrading to an i7 8700(k) or i9 9900(k) makes sense but comes with a higher cost. A budget 12th-gen i5 or Ryzen 5600+ with a decent board (and enough RAM) offers better value.

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gicu2002
Junior Member
38
06-21-2021, 08:50 PM
#5
Neither option fits the newest titles well, and the 9400F matches OP’s present CPU exactly.
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gicu2002
06-21-2021, 08:50 PM #5

Neither option fits the newest titles well, and the 9400F matches OP’s present CPU exactly.

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chrisbanaan
Junior Member
31
06-27-2021, 09:49 AM
#6
Consensus reached. The 9700 was a poor CPU choice; the 8700/8700K offers better performance. Your choices are 8700/8700K, 9900/9900K, or similar options. Make sure your BIOS reflects a 9th generation processor if you plan to upgrade. When selecting the chip, verify you're getting a solid price—otherwise it won't justify the cost. With enough effort, a 8700 for around $150 is achievable.
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chrisbanaan
06-27-2021, 09:49 AM #6

Consensus reached. The 9700 was a poor CPU choice; the 8700/8700K offers better performance. Your choices are 8700/8700K, 9900/9900K, or similar options. Make sure your BIOS reflects a 9th generation processor if you plan to upgrade. When selecting the chip, verify you're getting a solid price—otherwise it won't justify the cost. With enough effort, a 8700 for around $150 is achievable.

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hockeyjedi10
Junior Member
4
06-27-2021, 11:45 AM
#7
The 8th generation will work well as long as it's around an 8700k. If your current PCIe slot isn't a Z-series, you'll be limited in upgrading the CPU and stuck with default settings. It's not a huge issue but pushing the CPU to 5+ GHz on all cores is straightforward. I own a 2080ti with an 8700k and a 9700k paired with a 3080ti; my GPU usage stays high, hitting 4K at 60fps to 120fps on the 3080ti and 1440p at 60 on the 2080ti.
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hockeyjedi10
06-27-2021, 11:45 AM #7

The 8th generation will work well as long as it's around an 8700k. If your current PCIe slot isn't a Z-series, you'll be limited in upgrading the CPU and stuck with default settings. It's not a huge issue but pushing the CPU to 5+ GHz on all cores is straightforward. I own a 2080ti with an 8700k and a 9700k paired with a 3080ti; my GPU usage stays high, hitting 4K at 60fps to 120fps on the 3080ti and 1440p at 60 on the 2080ti.

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damien1032
Junior Member
5
06-27-2021, 02:00 PM
#8
Even at that point, Ryzen processors run significantly quicker than Intel chips, especially with a 5600. If you're tight on budget, a 140 offers better performance compared to a 4500, while still being faster.
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damien1032
06-27-2021, 02:00 PM #8

Even at that point, Ryzen processors run significantly quicker than Intel chips, especially with a 5600. If you're tight on budget, a 140 offers better performance compared to a 4500, while still being faster.

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CycloneStormz
Junior Member
16
06-27-2021, 07:14 PM
#9
Absolutely, your setup is GPU-dependent at that point. You also have the lowest possible CPU core count right now, which means performance should stay stable without any lag.
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CycloneStormz
06-27-2021, 07:14 PM #9

Absolutely, your setup is GPU-dependent at that point. You also have the lowest possible CPU core count right now, which means performance should stay stable without any lag.

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ostenvelez
Member
241
07-05-2021, 07:25 AM
#10
In the EU I found both a 9700K and a Z390 Maximus XI available at reasonable prices.
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ostenvelez
07-05-2021, 07:25 AM #10

In the EU I found both a 9700K and a Z390 Maximus XI available at reasonable prices.

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