The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a powerful graphics card targeting the mid-range market. This card offers a decent performance uplift at 1440p and 4K in modern games compared to its predecessor, the RTX 4070 SUPER. However, if you’re looking to build a new PC, what CPUs are the best options to pair up with the RTX 5070? To answer this question, we’ve put a range of CPUs through the wringer, testing and benchmarking them to determine which processors offer the best performance and value with the RTX 5070.
This series of buyer’s guides explores the best PSUs, cases, and CPUs for the RTX 5070. We delve into the strongest components that cater to a range of different budgets and use cases. This article looks at the best processors for the RTX 5070, where we discuss the specs, performance, pros, and cons of each option.
Our Top Pick: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
The best CPU to buy for the RTX 5070 is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X. This CPU is an eight core, sixteen thread processor offering solid single-core metrics, making it a great competitor for gaming. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X can easily handle 1440p and 4K gaming, along with some less intense multi-threaded workloads, such as video editing and photo editing. This CPU offers solid value and is worth picking up for a RTX 5070 PC build.
The Best CPUs for the RTX 5070
1. AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
For several reasons, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is our top pick in this buyer’s guide. The first of these is its strong gaming performance. The Ryzen 7 9700X comes with eight cores, sixteen threads, and a boost clock speed of 5.5GHz, allowing it to quickly read, write, and execute instructions within games. Additionally, this CPU has a low power draw of 65W, resulting in reasonably low overhead, meaning the Ryzen 7 9700X can sustain its high clock speed within your favourite titles.
Thanks to the low power budget, the Ryzen 7 9700X’s thermals can also be easily managed. Ryzen 9000 doesn’t share the same thermal limitations as Ryzen 7000, so you can install an air cooler without issue. A solid-liquid cooler is not a requirement for the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 models. This is further enhanced by switching on AMD’s ECO mode, which sets power limitations that continue to drop temperatures.
| Key Specs | AMD Ryzen 7 9700X |
|---|---|
| Core Count | 8 |
| Thread Count | 16 |
| Base Clock Speed | 3.8GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 5.5GHz |
| Max Cache | 40MB |
| Default TDP | 65W |
| CPU Socket | AM5 |
| Overclockable | Yes |
In terms of the rest of the specs, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X has a 40MB cache and is fully overclockable, allowing you to increase performance across the board at the cost of stability. Furthermore, because the Ryzen 7 9700X uses the AM5 socket, those with an X670 or B650 motherboard won’t require an upgrade.
Regarding the weaknesses, the most significant one to consider for the Ryzen 7 9700X is its multi-threaded performance. While eight cores will be sufficient for some lighter-threaded applications, this CPU struggles with more burdensome workloads like high-resolution video editing or 3D modelling. We recommend looking at a CPU like the Ryzen 9 9950X if you plan on pushing your system with multi-core applications.
Pros
- Affordable pricing
- Low TDP
- Strong boost clock speed
Cons
- Threaded workload capability
- No bundled CPU cooler
2. AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
Next up is the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X. This is AMD’s budget option in the Ryzen 9000 range, but its performance is far better than what we’d consider “budget”. Much like the Ryzen 7 9700X, the main factor that makes this CPU stand out compared to the competition is its performance. The Ryzen 5 9600X also features an exceptionally low power budget, which means it doesn’t need to draw loads of power to sustain its strong boost clock speed of 5.4GHz.
The benefits of this are twofold. First is that the Ryzen 5 9600X offers low thermals. You can easily cool this CPU with an air tower cooler like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 or the AMD stock cooler if you’re looking to save some money. The second is that the Ryzen 5 9600X offers exceptional gaming performance in modern titles. The Ryzen 5 9600X is a highly powerful option when paired with the right graphics card.
| Key Specs | AMD Ryzen 5 9600X |
|---|---|
| Core Count | 6 |
| Thread Count | 12 |
| Base Clock Speed | 3.9GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 5.4GHz |
| Max Cache | 38MB |
| Default TDP | 65W |
| CPU Socket | AM5 |
| Overclockable | Yes |
In terms of pricing, the Ryzen 5 9600X is available for around $239.99 at the time of writing, which is a reasonably competitive price compared to an Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, which is priced at $299.99. The AM5 socket will likely be supported for the next 3-5 years, which opens upgrading options if the 9600X isn’t cutting the mustard in a few years.
Regarding the cons, for the Ryzen 5 9600X, the main factor to consider is that this is strictly a gaming CPU. The Ryzen 5 9600X only offers six cores and eight threads, limiting its capabilities within workstation tasks. If you plan on pushing your build with challenging threaded tasks, we recommend looking at a CPU with plenty of cores.
Pros
- 4K gaming performance
- Low power budget
- Excellent thermals
Cons
- Threaded performance
- Small core count
3. AMD Ryzen 5 7600
The last CPU we’re analysing in this buyer’s guide roundup is the AMD Ryzen 5 7600. We recommend this CPU for those building a budget RTX 5070 system. The Ryzen 5 7600 is an affordable processor geared towards those building a budget or mid-range PC. We’ve used the Ryzen 5 7600 in several high-performance PC builds prior to the release of Ryzen 9000 options.
The reason why this previous generation option is popping up in this roundup comes down to its pricing. On the performance front, the Ryzen 5 7600 sits close to the Ryzen 5 9600X, with the former capable of handling 4K and 1440p in modern AAA titles. This comes down to its low power budget and high clock speed. However, the Ryzen 5 7600 is priced below the $200 mark at the time of writing, making it an excellent pickup for price-conscious builders.
| Key Specs | AMD Ryzen 5 7600 |
|---|---|
| Core Count | 6 |
| Thread Count | 12 |
| Base Clock Speed | 3.8GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 5.1GHz |
| Max Cache | 38MB |
| Default TDP | 65W |
| CPU Socket | AM5 |
| Overclockable | No |
Regarding the specs, the Ryzen 5 7600 and Ryzen 5 9600X are similar on paper. It has six cores, twelve threads, a boost clock speed of 5.1GHz and a default TDP of 65W. The major difference between them is that the Ryzen 5 7600 is not overclockable, as denoted by the ‘X’ at the end of the Ryzen 5 9600X. However, I feel most builders picking up this CPU won’t be worried about overclocking.
On the weaknesses front, I think the Ryzen 5 7600 is a bit too close to the Ryzen 5 9600X regarding pricing. If you’re willing to pay about $40 more than the Ryzen 5 7600, you can leverage a more modern CPU, offering better performance and newer features. This isn’t a tremendous amount of money to spend on a reasonably hefty upgrade that I feel many prospective buyers will want to consider.
Pros
- Solid gaming performance
- Ideal for budget gamers
- Low power budget
Cons
- Similar to Ryzen 5 9600X
- Not much cheaper than the 9600X
Performance
In this section, we’ll examine the performance of the CPUs we recommend in this buyer’s guide. Our in-house benchmarker, Harry Coleman, rigorously tests our data to ensure accuracy and fairness. The CPUs shown in the benchmarks below have been tested in a range of games and workstation-style applications to see how they handle single core and mulii-core tasks.
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)
In this benchmarking run, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X came out in front, with a score of 23393. The multi-core benchmark utilises all of the available cores, which for the Ryzen 7s are eight cores and sixteen threads, so it’s not a shock that they beat out the Ryzen 5 9600X. Compared to the rest of the market, all of the CPUs in this roundup aren’t multi-core titans, but the Ryzen 7 offers much better performance than the Ryzen 5 9600X, which is primarily built for single-core processes. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 sits towards the bottom of the graph in this run, but as this CPU isn’t aimed at multi-core tasks, we’re not entirely surprised.
Cinebench R23 (Single Thread)
In our single-thread benchmark, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X soars towards the top of the graph with an impressive score of 2180, compared to the 2144 from the Ryzen 7 9700X and 1868 that the Ryzen 5 7600 was able to output. While the Ryzen 5 7600 is a strong competitor in games, its raw single-core performance can’t quite beat out the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Overclocking Important?
With CPU boost clock speeds constantly increasing every new generation, overclocking isn’t that important. All of the CPUs in this buyer’s guide offer excellent performance without the need for overclocking.
Do I Need to Upgrade My Motherboard?
If you’ve already got an X670, X870, B650, or B850 motherboard, you won’t need to upgrade, but any other socket will not work with these processors.
Can I Use DDR4 With These CPUs?
Unfortunately not. All Ryzen 7000 and 9000 CPUs are DDR5-only.
