Best CPU for Stellaris in 2024 – our top picks
Here's our best CPU for the game
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Looking for the best CPU for Stellaris? Then you’re in luck, as we’ve got everything you need right here. Stellaris is a popular grand strategy game developed by Swedish developer Paradox. If you’re keen on giving it a go, it sees you build and manage a powerful interstellar empire; and it’s certainly a lot of fun. So, what’s the best CPU for Stellaris? Here’s everything you need to know.
Best CPU for Stellaris
Having an adequately powerful CPU is important since it allows you to experience games at their highest settings, at a high framerate, and without any immersion-breaking lag drops. Stellaris is no different. If you’re short on time, we would recommend the Ryzen 5 7600 as the first choice, or if you’re supporting Team Blue, the Intel i5-13600K. The latter will likely come down in price now the Intel 14th Gen is out. If you want a few more choices, check out our best CPUs for gaming in 2024.
What are the CPU requirements for Stellaris?
Developers Paradox recommend you equip yourself with an Intel Core i5-3570K or AMD Ryzen 5 2400G to experience Stellaris at its very best. To give you some more info about these processors, the Core i5-3570K is a basic quad-core with a maximum clock speed of 3.8GHz. It’s quite an old processor with the release year of 2012.
The Ryzen 5 2400G is also a quad-core CPU, but it features AMD’s multithreading technology, giving it 8 threads. The CPU has a maximum clock speed of 3.9GHz. Both processors are well below average compared to modern standards. Stellaris isn’t all that demanding of a game, so it makes sense why the developer recommendations are so low. Of course, what we’re suggesting is going to be much more recent but still affordable and price-efficient.
Best CPU for Stellaris – Ryzen 5 7600
We consider the best CPU for Stellaris to be the Ryzen 5 7600. Not to be confused with the more popular Ryzen 5 7600X. We’re talking about the non-X, standard edition version of the Ryzen 5 7600 processor here.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600 (Non-X)
Cores
6
Threads
12
Base speed
4.7GHz
Boost speed
5.3GHz
Cache
L3 32MB
Socket
AM5
This CPU was added to the Ryzen 5 lineup in AMD’s second bout of the Ryzen 7000 series. What makes the Ryzen 5 7600 the best CPU for Stellaris is its ideal combination of specs. The 7600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with an impressive maximum clock speed of 5.1GHz and a healthy 32MB L3 cache. Six cores and 12 threads are more than enough for the most computationally demanding Triple-A titles in 2024. A comparatively lighter game such as Stellaris will run without a problem, and with plenty of resources left in reserve, you’ll be able to multitask and do things in the background without a problem.
The 5.1GHz boost clock featured by this processor is what really shines here, though. At a below $250 price point, no other processor comes close to offering the single-core performance offered by the Ryzen 5 7600. And as you may already know, performance in gaming usually comes down to a CPU’s single-core performance. And in that, the 7600 dominates its price bracket, even against the very competitive Core i5 options from Intel.
The Ryzen 5 7600 has a modest 65-watt TDP and includes a capable AMD Wraith Stealth stock cooler in the box, which provides plenty of cooling for this chip.
How does the 7600 compare to the 7600X?
Just in case you’re wondering why we haven’t gone for the 7600X – it is indeed true that the 7600X offers slightly higher performance than the standard 7600 while retailing at a very similar price point. But the thing is, the 7600X consumes much more power and runs hotter due to its 105-watt TDP. It also doesn’t come with a stock cooler, so you’d have to purchase an aftermarket cooler to be able to use it. The difference in performance is hardly noticeable, so the 7600 ends up being the better option between the two.
