If you have just decided to put a build together and you are going to be using AMD’s legendary RX 5700 XT, the good news is that you are getting something that delivers a plethora of offerings and the excellent experience that comes with it. Now, the good thing about the GPU is that you are truly getting something that is powerful and works really well in the games.
So, if a GPU is paired with a CPU that is not good enough, you are going to run into performance issues and that is something we really do not want to experience. Solution? Well, buying a good CPU should be more than enough.
That is why we have taken it upon ourselves to look at the best CPU for RX 5700 XT so you do not have to spend your time in the market trying to figure out what’s good and what’s not.
Reviewing the Best CPU for RX 5700 XT
| Awards | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Best CPU for RX 5700 XT | Buy on Amazon |
|
| Runner Up | Buy on Amazon |
|
| Best CPU for Productivity | Buy on Amazon |
|
| Best Value CPU for RX 5700 XT | Buy on Amazon |
|
| Best Budget CPU for RX 5700 XT | Buy on Amazon |
Now, if you are new to the whole game, finding the best CPU for RX 5700 XT might be a difficult process because with so much to choose from, things can get confusing. Remember the time when the only CPUs in the market were from Intel and AMD was more or less an after thought? Well, that has changed to a point that you get some compelling options from both AMD and Intel camp. This is great for competition because now everyone is racing to become the champion on the finish line.
With that said, let’s get down to business.
Intel Core i7-12700K
Specifications:
- Cores: 12 Cores, 20 Threads. (8P + 4E)
- P-Core Base/Boost: 3.6/5.0 GHz.
- E-Core Base/Boost: 2.7/3.8 GHz.
- TDP: 125W/190W
- Cache: 25MB.
- Socket: LGA 1700.
When Intel came out with the 12th generation of processors, a lot of us were excited and at the same time, a lot of us were scared given Intel’s past history, especially the history that started with the 9th generation of processors. There was a clear decline in terms of performance and a rise in prices, power consumption, and heat.
With that said, the 12th generation’s release solidified Intel as a key player and ensured that the company is back in business for anyone who is looking for an excellent gaming PC that is not going to stop working for one reason or another and the Intel Core i7-12700K was the one processor that caught my eye the most. Sure, the i5 12600K is also a great offering but that one is for those who want something mainstream. The i7 12700K on the other hand is built for the power users and delivers excellent performance.
Right out of the box, the CPU offers an impressive clock speed on both the performance and efficiency cores, and the 12 cores and 20 threads are excellent for anyone who is looking to get into some multitasking.
Moving further, you are getting something that can easily be overclocked. However, I would highly suggest that you are using a good cooler because this baby does generate some heat and you should not be looking into using it with an average cooler.
Intel has also done a great job with the overall pricing of the entire 12th generation lineup, wherein, you are not paying a lot of money but you are getting an excellent price to performance ratio and something that does match the competitor, too.
I have already talked about how good the performance is; in my testing, I never really felt that the process is holding back the GPU or the other way around. The same performance is translated into other tasks which involve multitasking, video editing and rendering, along with a few other CPU intensive tasks.
When it comes to overclocking, the efficiency is excellent and since you are getting an unlocked multiplier, you can easily push the CPU to its limit. However, I would be wise before I do that because even on stock clocks, this is one power hungry CPU and you do not want to run into power issues.
I’ll be honest here, when I first got my hands on the Intel Core i7-12700K, I was concerned as to what the CPU might end up doing but after spending some time with it and checking out the results, I am more than happy to say that Intel has knocked it out of the park as this CPU is one of the best CPU for RX 5700 XT and is not going to let anyone down.
- Impressive pricing strategy.
- Matches higher-end CPUs in terms of the performance.
- Both gaming and productivity performance is impressive.
- Easy overclocking with great power efficiency.
- Significant power draw.
Intel Core i5 12600K
Specifications:
- Cores: 10 Cores, 16 Threads. (6P + 4E)
- P-Core Base/Boost: 3.7/4.9 GHz.
- E-Core Base/Boost: 2.8/3.6 GHz.
- TDP: 125W/150W
- Cache: 25MB.
- Socket:LGA 1700.
Pretty much anyone who has built a PC in their life knows that Intel’s Core i5 series is something that is unofficially made for the gamers who are not looking to spend a lot of money. This happens all the time and honestly, this is not something that is going to cause any confusion because you are looking at something that is excellent in terms of the value it provides and the performance is unmatched.
So, when we heard that the Core i5 12600K is going to be a thing, a lot of people were excited for the simplest reason that you are looking at a processor that has always been hard to beat and has provided some excellent value for money. Will the Core i5 12600K manage to live up to the name and legacy? We are going to see and find out what the hype is all about.
Now, the pricing is one thing I’m going to get out of the way simply because the value alone is there. This is a cheaper processor than most of the other offerings available in the market. Not just that, it manages to outperform the higher end options from the past generations in not just single but also multi-threaded tasks. You are looking at a CPU that will deliver unparalleled gaming performance with a side of some really nice productivity boost, too. Intel clearly has done a great job at mixing this CPU up because with 10 cores, you definitely are getting a great overall experience.
Thankfully, the CPU also brings a rather impressive CPU performance when it comes to overclocking it. You can just chuck on a good CPU cooler and your experience will become so much better. The Core i5 12600K also brings a massive generational leap when you are talking about the performance. Plus, the Z690 platform is something that will be relevant for years to come.
After using the Core i5 12600K extensively, I did not run into any issues that would make me want to go and use something else. However, I would suggest that if you are overclocking this CPU, you are aware of the massive power draw.
Overall, the Core i5 12600K more than proves that the legacy still lives on as the CPU manages to deliver fantastic performance across all boards and all that while keeping the price really amazing and the overall value sustained.
- The processor is based on Z690 platform with a lot of advanced features.
- Easy to overclock with great potential.
- Impressive generational performance gains.
- Easily outperforms the competition.
- Overclocking causes the power draw to rise drastically.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Specifications:
- Cores: 12 cores 24 threads.
- Clock Speed: 3.7 GHz base and 4.8 GHz boost clock.
- TDP: 105W
- Cache: 64MB.
- Socket: AM4.
We are finally moving to the team red but a little context before we jump. AMD has suffered a lot in terms of their CPU market as well as their GPU market. The first 2 generations of Ryzen CPUs were great but they failed to perform on the same level as their Intel counterparts. However, with the Ryzen 5000 series, AMD wanted to change that.
Well, this is where the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X comes into play and while it is not the highest end option from AMD, the difference between the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and the 5950X is not as great and does not warrant the higher price, either. Therefore, I decided to pick this one instead and now, we are going to take a look at why this CPU is so good.
We all know about the fact that AMD has always been there when it comes to having a lot of cores in a processor and same is the case here because the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X packs an impressive 12 cores, which are more than enough for not just your games but also productivity and creative tasks. If you are someone who is looking forward to rendering videos at higher resolutions, or play games and stream at the same time, then going for the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X makes a lot of sense since the CPU is more than capable of handling itself in such tasks.
Thankfully, performance is not the only thing that this CPU is good at. If you want to get in on some really, really great efficiency, then the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is more than capable of delivering on that front and the power consumption is always under check.
The one thing that many people love about the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is the fact that for those who are not looking to upgrade their current AMD 400 series motherboards, you can just go ahead and use the processor but be sure that the bios is up to date, which is always convenient.
If you want to wonder what is wrong with this CPU then the answer is simple, inherently, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X. However, if you want to manually overclock, then the headroom simply is not there to a major extent.
Overall, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is more than capable as one of the best CPUs for AMD RX 5700 XT not because both of them are from AMD but simply because the performance here is excellent, to say the least. The CPU easily manages to hold up against the competition and has a place for itself.
- One of the fastest CPUs in the market.
- Lots of cores and threads for single and multi-core performance.
- Gaming performance is finally promising.
- Can run easily on older motherboards.
- Does not overclock that well.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Specifications:
- Cores: 6 cores 12 threads.
- Clock Speed: 3.7 GHz base and 4.6 GHz boost clock.
- TDP:65W
- L3 Cache: 32 MB.
- Socket: AM4.
As I move closer to the list, I keep realizing that we still have some amazing options to look into. Now, I do understand that not all CPUs are made the same and there are a lot of factors that are involved into making something that is truly remarkable but if you have been searching for something that delivers good overall performance, AMD has some excellent options.
The AMD Ryzen 5 series is to AMD what Core i5 is to Intel; this means that if you are looking for a CPU that delivers good overall quality, and an excellent value for money, this is the CPU that you should be going for. On paper, it might not look as much, considering how we now have a lot of cores available in the market, this still serves as a great hexa core CPU and I am going to tell you why.
One of the key determinants that decide whether a processor is good or not is just how much heat a processor generates and how hard it is to cool. Thankfully, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X does not generate a lot of heat and can even be cooled with a stock cooler or an affordable air cooler. However, if you still want the best performance possible, I would highly suggest that you are using a good cooler for overclocking purposes.
The performance, thankfully, remains a strong case here; the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X shines through in both single and multithreaded tasks and I am more than happy to report that for those who are buying this CPU for the sake of gaming will realize that they are actually getting their money’s worth with this CPU.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X can also run on older motherboards just fine. However, if you do plan on using it with an AMD 400 series motherboard, a bios update is going to be needed and you would be all good to go.
My only concern here is the fact that you are looking at a CPU that despite having an unlocked multiplier is not all that easy to overclock manually because of not having enough headroom.
Overall, it is more than safe to say that the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X presents itself as a great CPU for anyone who is looking for the best possible value. If you have been wanting performance and an excellent experience overall, then this CPU is a right choice and something that is not going to leave you with regrets.
- The CPU brings a great value to the table.
- Performs like a champion in both gaming and productivity tasks.
- Does not require a hefty cooler.
- Can easily run on older motherboards, too.
- There is not much overclocking headroom.
Intel Core i5-12400F
Specifications:
- Cores: 6 Cores, 12 Threads.
- P-Core Base/Boost: 2.5/4.4 GHz.
- TDP: 65W/117W
- Cache: 7.5 MB.
- Socket: LGA 1700.
I am finally on the last processor on the list but that does not mean that you are not going to get something special or something that is a treat for all the gamers who are on a budget. Before I go on and talk further, there is a little context here. For starters, with its 12th generation, Intel decided to head in a different direction, allowing you to get access to better processors that did not cost as much.
The Intel Core i5-12400F is a cheap and affordable processor but that does not mean that it slows down in terms of the overall performance because when you are talking about performance, things only get better and this CPU is definitely one of the hottest (not thermally) options that you can choose in terms of the price to performance ratio. Let me tell you why.
I am going to get the obvious out of the way, this right here is just a 6 core processor, however, this time around, it does offer 12 threads. In case you find yourself thinking whether you are going to get good performance or not, worry not as this CPU is excellent in both single and multithreaded tasks. I did run some rendering of 4K videos, and the CPU breezed through every task I put it through. Not just that, if you plan on streaming and gaming at the same time, the Intel Core i5-12400F is more than capable of handling that sort of workload, as well. To put it simply, for anyone who wants good performance, this CPU more than delivers in every case and does not slow down, either.
Moving further, the CPU does not generate a lot of heat either, so if you are concerned that you might run into thermal constraints, you do not have to worry as a good cooler is going to do the job just fine and you will not have to second guess yourself.
Now, I normally do not complain about budget CPUs or components in general but one thing that I have to tell you is that the Intel Core i5-12400F is an excellent processor but if you are looking for something that can overclock, this is not for you. Why? Well, the multiplier based overclocking is locked here, so you cannot go that route.
Overall, the Intel Core i5-12400F is that one CPU that has the potential to be an excellent purchase for anyone who is on a budget and still wants something good. Sure, you are getting a processor that cannot be overclocked but for the price and the performance, you cannot really complain.
- Surprisingly delivers excellent performance.
- Works well for both single and multithreaded applications.
- Does not run into thermal issues.
- Great pricing.
- Cannot be overclocked.
Conclusion
I do understand that for a lot of people, getting the RX 5700 XT might be a scary thought because they would need to get a good CPU, too. Thankfully, we have you covered. If you have been confused about which CPU to pick for your GPU, then this round up perfectly lists all the great options that you can not only check but can also buy right away.
The goal was to list down all the options from various price points and for various type of consumers and that is exactly what we have done with this list so you are able to choose without any confusion.
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I have been gaming for almost 24 years with extensive knowledge of all platforms and the gaming industry, in general. With interests in literature, art, gaming, and PC hardware.