Best CPUs for RX 5700 XT in 2025 – our top picks
The best CPUs to pair with your RX 5700 XT
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We reviewed the RX 5700 XT some time ago now, but it’s still one of AMD’s best and most efficient 1080p GPUs. This GPU was purpose-built to bring you the best performance for as little money as possible, and it’s not terrible for 1440p either. While the Radeon 6000 or 7000 series may be preferred by now, anyone still rocking a 5700 XT will want to know what CPU is best to pair with it when upgrading. And with so many newer options available from both AMD and Intel, it makes sense to spend time figuring out the best one based on your needs and requirements.
Since this GPU is almost 5 years old now, you might assume that a 6-core CPU would get the job done. While this approach works for most people looking for a balanced rig, those seeking a more future-proof option or a processor for better productivity might benefit from considering newer options. That said, we at WePC have curated a list of some of the best CPUs for the RX 5700 XT to provide a multi-faceted approach to finding a processor that covers all the angles of your ideal gaming or productivity rig. So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at what we’ve picked.
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Products at a Glance
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Best Overall CPU for RX 5700 XT
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
- Speed: 3.7GHz/ 4.6GHz
- Core (Threads): 6/12
- Socket: AM4
- TDP: 65W
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Best gaming CPU for RX 5700 XT
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- Cores:: 8
- Thread: : 16
- Boost speed: : 5.0GHz
- Cache:: 96MB
- TDP: : 120W
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Best Intel Productivity CPU for RX 5700 XTIntel Core Ultra 7 265K
- Core configuration: 20 (8+12)
- Threads: 20
- P-Core Speed: 5.4 GHz (boost) 3.9 GHz (base)
- E-Core Speed: 4.6 GHz (boost) 3.3 GHz (base)
- DDR5 support: DDR5 @ 6400 MT/s
- TDP / PL1 / PL2 / PL2 (extreme): 125W / 250W / 250W / 250W
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Best budget CPU for RX 5700 XTAMD Ryzen 5 9600X
- Core configuration: 6
- Threads: 12
- Base core speed: 3.9 GHz
- Boost core speed: 5.4 GHz
- DDR5 support: Yes @ 5600 MT/s
- TDP / PPT: 65W (105 boosted) / 88W (142W boosted)
How we picked
Now that you’ve seen our top selections, let’s talk about why we’ve chosen them. All of the processors we’ve picked pair well with the RX 5700 XT and can comfortably support a GPU rendering at 1080p, which is a fairly easy task these days. Another factor we considered was offering something for everyone, so we’ve included a few good future-proof options to help you avoid heavy upgrades down the line.
To ensure our picks deliver the best performance in their respective gaming or productivity categories, we put all of them through our in-house testing to get a complete picture of their capabilities. That said, we only recommend products that have been tested by us or reviewed by trusted and reputable third-party sources that highlight both the positives and negatives. If you’re interested in learning more about our testing process, check out our dedicated page on how we test CPUs.
- Speed: 3.7GHz/ 4.6GHz
- Core (Threads): 6/12
- Socket: AM4
- TDP: 65W
- Unlocked?: Yes
- PCIe Version: PCIe 4.0
- Total L2 Cache: 3MB
- Total L3 Cache: 32MB
- CMOS: TSMC 7nm FinFET
- Max Temps: 95°C
- Excellent value for money
- 6 cores / 12 threads good for gaming and average workloads
- Highly efficient and runs cool
- Comes with stock cooler
- Not on latest AM5 platform
The 5600X pairs wonderfully with the RX 5700 XT, as this CPU is a perfect match for the GPU. This combination ensures 100% utilization of both the CPU and GPU at 1080p resolution, which is exactly what the RX 5700 XT was designed for. The Ryzen 5 5600X is up for any challenge, with 6 cores and 12 threads at its disposal. It can handle not only demanding gaming workloads but also light multicore and workstation tasks.
Its 4.6GHz core speed ensures impressive gaming performance, as evident from the five games we tested in our review. In first-person shooter games like Battlefield V and CS:GO, the 5600X achieved average FPS of 175 and 322, respectively. For open-world story-driven titles like Cyberpunk 2077, GTA V, and Elden Ring, the chip delivered average FPS of 147, 186, and 143, respectively. As for synthetic performance, in Cinebench, the 5600X scored 1,527 points in the single-core test and 10,981 points in the multi-core test, performing on par with the 12400F, which is technically a generation newer. If you’re looking for balanced performance, there’s no reason not to choose this chip.
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is still incredibly viable today, it performs well in a lot of modern titles, and the platform as a whole, AM4, still has a lot to offer.
WePC
Additionally, the Ryzen 5 5600X likely offers the best price-to-performance ratio on the market. It’s hard to find another CPU that competes in terms of value. Regarding compatibility, the 5600X uses the AM4 socket, which is another reason we recommend it. There’s a wide availability of AM4 hardware, making second-hand parts affordable. You can even find great deals on AM4 motherboards, like the X570, which provides USB 3.0 connectivity, full PCIe 4.0 bandwidth, and robust power delivery systems.
- Cores:: 8
- Thread: : 16
- Boost speed: : 5.0GHz
- Cache:: 96MB
- TDP: : 120W
- Top-tier gaming performance with stacked V-Cache
- Solid value for money
- 8 cores / 16 threads
- Built for latest AM5 motherboards – future proof
- Runs hotter than 5600X
The 7800X3D is our number-one pick for those who want excellent gaming performance and a future-proof option that will last a good number of years. Dubbed the best gaming processor fro AMD’s 7000 series, this 8-core, 16-thread CPU can chew through any demanding AAA title and offers a significant boost over the first iteration of AMD’s game-changing X3D technology. While it’s been overshadowed by the recently launched 9800X3D, it still delivers unparalleled gaming performance, and it will be a long time before a title comes out that this chip can’t handle.
One of the standout features of this processor is the 3D Cache, which provides more space for quickly storing and accessing information. This is a valuable asset for tasks like gaming, which is why we consider it the best choice for gamers. It’s also a future-proof option, as AMD is committed to supporting AM5 until at least 2027. In our review of the 7800X3D, we gave it a 4.5-star rating thanks to its strong gaming performance, solid efficiency, and overall excellence for gaming enthusiasts. Whether we tested it with Days Gone or Horizon Forbidden West, the results were impressive, with scores of 258.4 and 207.8, respectively.
The 7800X3D is one of the best CPUs that AMD has ever made, it is leaps and bounds ahead of the first X3D CPU, the 5800X3D.
WePC
That said, it’s hard to find a better CPU for gaming unless you opt for the Ryzen 9 X3D CPUs, which would be overkill for a 1080p card like the 5700 XT. However, this processor does have its drawbacks, with the most talked-about being its poor synthetic performance, which makes it a less obvious choice for those who also need productivity capabilities. But by now, you should know that AMD’s X3D chips are designed to excel in gaming specifically, and this trend continues with both the previous and current X3D chips. One more factor to consider is that upgrading to the 7000 series means you’ll need to switch to an AM5 motherboard, which adds to the cost. So, if you can’t handle the additional expense or prefer a more balanced processor, we suggest looking at other options.
- Core configuration: 20 (8+12)
- Threads: 20
- P-Core Speed: 5.4 GHz (boost) 3.9 GHz (base)
- E-Core Speed: 4.6 GHz (boost) 3.3 GHz (base)
- DDR5 support: DDR5 @ 6400 MT/s
- TDP / PL1 / PL2 / PL2 (extreme): 125W / 250W / 250W / 250W
- Strong multi-core performance
- Notable efficiency improvement over last-gen
- More cost-effective for multi-threaded workloads
- Poor gaming performance for its price point
- LGA 1851 motherboards are expensive
If you’re instead opting for the Blue team route and want an Intel processor to pair with your RX 5700 XT for solid synthetic performance, we have just the pick for you. The Core Ultra 265K, launched this year, might seem like an odd choice given the criticism it has received, but it’s a great option for those who want strong multi-core performance, which is why we’ve listed it as the best productivity CPU. The best part is you can currently grab this processor at a generous 6% discount, meaning you get solid productivity performance while saving a few bucks in the process.
This CPU offers more than the 14700K, and while it might not be the most powerful on paper, it still achieves impressive results, especially in multi-core tests. For example, it scored 15,387 in CPU-Z multi-core and 33,429 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, significantly outperforming the 9700X’s scores of 8,199 and 20,184 in the same tests. More cores (and threads) make multitasking easier, and while its single-core performance isn’t the best, it won’t run as hot as last-gen CPUs and provides the “efficiency” uplift they’ve been marketed for.
The Core Ultra 265K is a strong choice for users focused on multi-core performance, making it a great fit for rendering, encoding, and other parallelized applications.
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While it’s an excellent choice for multi-threading workloads, it’s also not a bad option for lightweight gaming. Obviously, its gaming capabilities have been criticized—and for good reason. At $404, it should offer performance on par with the 7800X3D, but it falls short and struggles in most gaming benchmarks. However, this CPU and GPU combination should still handle occasional gaming sessions without major issues. As a future-proof option, this CPU is also worth considering as it uses Intel’s latest LGA 1850 socket, which currently only supports the Arrow Lake series. This means we can expect more options for this socket in the future.
- Core configuration: 6
- Threads: 12
- Base core speed: 3.9 GHz
- Boost core speed: 5.4 GHz
- DDR5 support: Yes @ 5600 MT/s
- TDP / PPT: 65W (105 boosted) / 88W (142W boosted)
The Ryzen 5 9600X is easily one of the best all-rounder CPUs on the market, excelling in both gaming and productivity. It strikes an impressive balance of performance, efficiency, and value, all while maintaining low power consumption thanks to its solid thermal management. We’ve dubbed this chip the best budget option, but if we were to add another title, it would be the best-balanced performance chip for this GPU.
In terms of specifications, the 9600X is built on AMD’s refined Zen 5 architecture, featuring 6 cores and 12 threads, a high boost clock of 5.4 GHz, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache, which makes it excellent for gaming and latency-sensitive tasks. Additionally, the Ryzen 9600X is notably power-efficient, with a base TDP of just 65W, which can be boosted to 105W via a patch for enhanced performance.
The Ryzen 5 9600X, priced at $246.99, is a solid contender in the mid-range CPU market. It offers a well-rounded mix of gaming and productivity performance at an affordable price.
WePC
In our review of the Ryzen 5 9600X, we compared it directly with Intel’s Core Ultra 5 245K CPU. The 9600X outperformed the 245K in three games: CS2, Days Gone, and Doom Eternal, scoring up to 100 more FPS in one benchmark. While both CPUs show distinct strengths in synthetic benchmarks, our tests revealed the 9600X excels in single-core performance, whereas Intel’s Core Ultra 5 245K shines in multi-core tasks. With this in mind, it’s clear that although the 245K offers superior raw multi-core performance, the Ryzen 5 9600X provides a more balanced experience that excels in gaming and remains a cost-effective choice.
Things to consider
- Resolution and target performance: The RX 5700 XT is best suited for 1080p gaming at high settings. To achieve optimal performance, pair it with a CPU that won’t bottleneck its performance at your desired resolution and FPS target.
- Compatibility: If you’re not planning a motherboard upgrade, ensure the CPU you choose is compatible with your motherboard’s socket type and chipset. For example, if you’re using an AM4 motherboard, a CPU like the Ryzen 5 5600X would be a good fit for compatibility.
- Core count and threading: For most gaming workloads, 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient. However, if you plan to use your system for productivity tasks as well, consider opting for a CPU with a higher core count to better handle those additional workloads.
- Future upgradability: To keep your build future-proof, choose a platform with a clear upgrade path. For instance, AM5 motherboards support the latest Ryzen processors and are expected to be supported until at least 2027. Similarly, Intel’s LGA 1850 platform offers promising upgrade opportunities.
- Budget considerations: Before selecting a CPU to pair with your GPU, establish a clear budget to help narrow down your options. Don’t forget to factor in additional costs, such as compatible motherboards and cooling solutions, to ensure your entire build stays within budget.
Final Word
We believe the Ryzen 5 5600X is one of the best CPUs for the money. Its efficiency and performance per dollar make it hard to beat. While we don’t recommend straying too far from the 5600X, if you want to future-proof your setup, you could consider upgrading to an AM5 CPU from our list or opting for the Core Ultra 7 265K if you prefer an Intel processor. That said, while we’ve provided in-depth knowledge about the top picks for pairing with the RX 5700 XT, the final choice depends on your specific needs. Not everyone is looking for a CPU for the same reasons. We recommend reviewing our “Things to consider” section and carefully noting the options that align with your requirements and budget. This approach will help you narrow down your choice to a processor that truly fits your needs.
