Best CPU for RX 6700 XT
What's the best CPU for the 6700 XT? Today we find out.
The RX 6700 XT is one of the mid-range 6000 series GPUs from AMD, promising efficiency over the RTX 3070 from Nvidia. However, as with every good GPU out there, we need a fantastic, well-rounded CPU supporting it. What is the best CPU for the RX 6700 XT?
Now Read: Best CPU for the 6600 XT
All GPUs need a good system behind them to perform at their best, that much is obvious. What isn’t however, is the choice of supporting components can have a detrimental effect on the performance of your GPU. there’s a name for this, it’s called bottlenecking. Your CPU and GPU pairing is very important.
Best CPU for RX 6700 XT
- 03Intel CPU for RX 6700 XT
So, without further delay, here’s the best CPU for the RX 6700 XT.
Best CPU for RX 6700 XT
The Best CPU for the RX 6700 XT again has to be the Ryzen 5 5600X.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Speed
3.7GHz/ 4.6GHz
Core (Threads)
6/12
Socket
AM4
TDP
65W
The Ryzen 5 5600X is an efficient CPU, giving even the best Intel CPUs in this category a run for their money. The 6-core and 12-thread die in the 5600X ensure it is capable of some light multitasking as well as multi-threaded workloads.
The 4.6GHz core speed ensures that the 5600X can handle gaming, as we know by now, CPU core speed is directly tied to gaming performance. The 5600X makes a great pairing with the 6700 XT as it causes a 4% bottleneck. Usually, we consider anything under 5% to be a good combination.
The 5600X is truly an efficient beast, the 5600X’s low power consumption makes it a viable choice for gamers concerned with power consumption. The TDP of the 5600X stands at 65W, almost 200W less than the Raptor Lake Intel flagship.
You don’t have to worry about the expensive upgrade to AM5 with the 5600X either, as the 5600X is firmly planted onto the AM4 socket standard. Even though AM5 has made AM4 obsolete, AM4 will remain supported for another few years yet.
Why is a CPU bottleneck bad?
A bottleneck on the CPU can negatively impact the performance of other components, such as the GPU, resulting in slow system performance, delays in load times, and poor frame rates in games. Also, a CPU bottleneck can also prevent the system from handling more challenging tasks or workloads. As you can see, it’s imperative that we find the correct CPU and GPU pairing, to keep the system working as efficiently as possible.
A CPU or GPU bottleneck is less than ideal, it’s basically the equivalent of burning money. So we have chosen a CPU to prevent that from happening.
How does this differ from a GPU bottleneck?
A GPU bottleneck occurs when the graphics card is forced to work at or near its maximum capacity, causing a slowdown in performance due to a bottleneck in the flow of data. This can happen when the GPU is unable to keep up with the demands of a game or application, leading to a reduction in frame rates and slow rendering times.
This can be caused by a number of factors, including a weak CPU, inadequate memory or storage, or insufficient power supply.
To avoid a GPU bottleneck, it is important to have powerful enough GPU and system components that can keep up with the demands of the game or application you are using.
Best Budget CPU for RX 6700 XT
We recommend the 5600X and we’re sticking to that. The reason we’re so adamant is the benefit that an all-AMD system has. With an all-AMD system, you have SAM, although SAM has recently come to Nvidia CPUs, it’s not quite as good. SAM boosts the performance of your GPU if you have a compatible AMD CPU. Further increasing the value of the 5600X.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Speed
3.7GHz/ 4.6GHz
Core (Threads)
6/12
Socket
AM4
TDP
65W
The 5600X is a well-balanced CPU capable of plenty on the AM4 platform. If you want to upgrade to AM5, we’d recommend the 7600X as the alternative.
If you want to shell out, you might want to consider the 5800X3D if you have your heart set on the AM4 platform. The 5800X3D sacrifices some multicore performance, but it more than makes up for it in gaming performance.
Final Word
The 5600X is the ideal COU for the 6700 XT, thanks to the low bottleneck, access to features like SAM, and the fact it’s so damn efficient. There really is no better CPU for the job. We support you could go for a less Ryzen CPU generation, like the 3600X if you’re on a tight budget. But you’ll cause a larger bottleneck and a less effective SAM integration.
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