Best CPU for RTX 3060 Ti
What's the best CPU for the 3060 Ti?
WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
So, what is the best CPU for the RTX 3060 Ti? The RTX 3060 Ti was created to give a little more power to the 3060, closing a gap in the market that only AMD served at the time. The 3060 Ti is still considered a more budget card, but that in no way means it’s slow.
Top CPUs available now:
- Intel Core i7-12900K – Save 39% off @ Amazon
- Intel Core i7-19700KF @ Amazon
- Intel Core i7-12600KF – Save 26% @ Amazon
Although the 3060 is designed for budget gaming, it still needs a pretty powerful CPU to keep up with it, so to avoid causing a bottleneck, it’s imperative that we find a CPU that does more than “just works”. We find the best CPU in terms of pairing, whilst eliminating as much bottleneck as possible.
Best CPU for RTX 3060 Ti
The best CPU for the RTX 3060 Ti is the i7-12700K by far.
Core i7-12700K
Intel Core i7-12700K
Boost clock speed (single core)
4.9 GHz
Total Cores / Threads
12/20
P-cores
8
E-cores
4
Socket
LGA 1700
Overclockable
Yes
The Core i7-12700K is one of the greatest high/mid-level processors available. Not only does it have a blistering core boost speed, but it also has LITTLE.big on its side.
LITTLE.big is Intel’s adaptation of the ARM technologies concept that a CPU has two core types within it, efficiency cores and performance cores, both being responsible for different things. The idea is to improve efficiency, not use the fast performance cores for tasks that don’t need a lot of power.
The core boost speed on the 12700K is one to be reckoned with, a blistering 4.9GHz can be had out of each of the 12700K’s CPU performance cores. A speed that is extremely capable of pushing high frame rates in games.
the 12700K may be a little more pricy than some of the lower-end CPUs, but almost none compare to the performance at this level, plus, there’s only a 5% bottleneck with the 3060 Ti. That score is considered very good. With the 5700X for example, you’re looking at closer to 10%.
Now Read: Best CPU for RTX 3060
Best budget CPU for RTX 3060 Ti.
The best budget CPU for the RTX 3060 Ti is the Ryzen 5 5600X.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Speed
3.7GHz/ 4.6GHz
Core (Threads)
6/12
Socket
AM4
TDP
65W
Although the bottleneck is larger (at around 12%) the price is much lower, especially if you can find this CPU on sale thanks to the release of the 5000 series CPUs.
The 5600X will still serve you well with its fairly fast core speeds, but it will limit the GPU at lower resolutions. So, counterintuitive, it’s recommended you try 1440p with this CPU and GPU combo.
Final word
Both of the CPUs on the list today will serve you well paired with the 3060 Ti. The 12700K is the better choice but is obviously a little more pricy. Make sure that whatever you pick, you ensure compatibility between the motherboard, memory, and CPU.
