One of the most noteworthy graphics cards when building a high-performance gaming PC is NVIDIA’s RTX 4070 Super. However, to fully utilize the capabilities of this powerful GPU, it is essential to pair it with a suitable CPU. If the CPU and GPU are not well matched, the graphics card’s potential may not be fully exploited, resulting in a performance bottleneck.
In this article, we share the test results to find the best CPU to pair with the RTX 4070 Super and provide a guide to choosing the optimal CPU.
The Importance of Choosing a CPU Suitable for a High-Performance GPU
In recent years, the most rapidly increasing cost among computer components has been the graphics card. While the CPU used to be the most expensive component, now the graphics card has taken that position. As a significant amount of money is invested in the graphics card, it is important to have an environment that can fully utilize it.
However, if the CPU’s performance is insufficient, a high-performance graphics card like the RTX 4070 Super may not be able to realize its full potential. Therefore, this test focused on analyzing various CPU and RTX 4070 Super combinations to determine which CPU can best maximize the GPU’s performance.
List of CPUs Used in the Test
This test compared eight different CPUs from Intel and AMD. The CPUs used in the test are as follows:
Intel Core i9-13900K
Intel Core i5-13600K
Intel Core i5-12600K
Intel Core i5-13400F
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
The test was conducted using Intel LGA 1700 and AMD AM4, AM5 sockets, and we analyzed the performance combination of the CPU and GPU.
Test Environment and Conditions
The test used the Gigabyte Z790 Tachyon motherboard, a high-end product specialized for overclocking. The Intel system was tested with DDR5 6000MHz memory, while the AMD system used DDR4 3600MHz memory.
Two games were tested: The first was PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds), which relies heavily on single-core performance, and the second was Cyberpunk 2077, which effectively utilizes multiple cores.
PUBG Performance Test Results
PUBG is a game that heavily relies on CPU performance, and to fully utilize the RTX 4070 Super, the CPU’s performance is critical. The performance of other CPUs was compared with the Intel Core i9-13900K as a reference.
i9-13900K: Average 350fps, 1% low 250fps
Ryzen 5 5600X: Showed a performance difference of over 100fps, with significantly reduced GPU utilization
Ryzen 7 5700X: Improved performance, but unable to fully utilize the RTX 4070 Super
i5-12600K: Did not meet expectations, incompatible with the GPUi5-13400F: Showed even lower performance and yielded disappointing results when paired with the 4070 Super
i5-13600K: Reached an average of 300fps but still had a 10% performance difference compared to the i9-13900K
Ryzen 5 7600X: Delivered decent performance but wasn’t a perfect match with the 4070 Super
As a result, the i9-13900K performed the best with the RTX 4070 Super in PUBG, while budget CPUs like the Ryzen 5 5600X failed to fully utilize the 4070 Super’s capabilities.
Cyberpunk 2077 Performance Test Results
Cyberpunk 2077 utilizes multi-core performance effectively. In this game, the performance difference between the i9-13900K and other CPUs was smaller than in PUBG.
- i9-13900K: Average 250fps
- Ryzen 5 5600X: Showed about a 10% performance difference
- i5-13600K: Unlike in PUBG, the difference from the i9-13900K was not significant
In games that utilize multi-core well, a CPU at the level of the i5-13600K or higher could sufficiently bring out the 4070 Super’s performance.
QHD Resolution Test Results
At QHD resolution, the influence of the CPU decreases, widening the range of CPUs that pair well with the 4070 Super. The results at QHD resolution are as follows:
The i9-13900K and i5-13600K showed almost no performance difference, and the Ryzen 7 5700X also paired well with the 4070 Super at this resolution. At QHD resolution, the CPU’s performance becomes less critical, making CPUs like the i5-13400F or Ryzen 7 5700X good options.
The RTX 4070 Super is a powerful graphics card, and to fully exploit its performance, choosing the right CPU is crucial. At Full HD resolution, high-performance CPUs like the i9-13900K or i5-13600K are necessary, but at QHD resolution, CPUs like the Ryzen 7 5700X or i5-13400F can also be sufficient.
If you want to maximize frame rates while playing games at Full HD, it is recommended to use at least an i5-13600K. At QHD resolution, the performance difference between CPUs becomes smaller, making CPUs like the Ryzen 7 5700X or i5-13400F good choices.
Ultimately, the best CPU to pair with the RTX 4070 Super depends on your gaming environment and resolution, but for a high-performance gaming setup, the i9-13900K or i5-13600K will be the top choices.