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Best CPU for Nightingale – our top AMD and Intel processor picks

Wanting the best performance for the game, the best CPU for Nightingale is what you need

Updated: Feb 15, 2024 3:46 pm
Best CPU for Nightingale – our top AMD and Intel processor picks

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Combining an interesting look and interesting gameplay, you might just be interested in getting the best CPU for Nightingale. Make sure you get the best experience out of gaming performance throughout the game so you can enjoy it to its fullest.

Nightingale is released into early access on the 20th of Feb 2024, after plenty of time of teasers and development. Mixing in a bit of fantasy to a Victorian-looking exploration game there are plenty of realms to adventure in. But for that, you’re going to want to have the best CPU for the job. Then you can enjoy the graphics and great processing of all the game has to offer be it with your friends or alone.

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Best CPU for Nightingale

Below you can find the range of our recommended CPUs for Nightingale. Be it from AMD or Intel, there is a good range of choices depending on which you favor or the rest of your needs, especially as you may want to play many other games or do other work on the side with your gaming PC.

Best overall CPU for Nightingale

Outstanding

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Cores:

8

Thread:

16

Boost speed:

5.0GHz

Cache:

96MB

TDP:

120W

Pros
  • Up to 7% faster than 13900K
  • Insane gaming performance for the money
  • Large cahce
  • Dual CCD
Cons
  • One CCD limited by V-cache

There’s no doubt that one of the leading options on the market right now is the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. AMD’s X3D technology has certainly boosted the ability of its processors across the board. As Gamers Nexus tests show it leads in plenty of gaming benchmarks as well as production but that does come at some power consumption and not being the most efficient choice it’s not awful.

In general, the 7800X3D comes with 8 cores and 16 threads, it hits the sweet spot of getting a good amount of processors, especially for any multitasking possibilities. It comes with a 512KB L1 cache, 8MB L2 cache, with a huge 96MB L3 cache. All of that comes in a bit more powerful 120W TDP power requirement. The clock rate is a bit slower though due to the cache as it has a base clock of 4.2GHz and a boost up to 5.0GHz.

The one drawback of this choice is of course the new platform it is based on. It requires a new AM5 motherboard as the processors move to the LGA design instead. That can quickly increase the costs over the AM4 platform that’s been around for many years and has gotten a lot better value. Whilst AM5 needs the newer DDR5 RAM as well.

Best Intel CPU for Nightingale

Intel Core i7-14700K

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Cores:

20 (8+12)

Threads

28

Base Clock

3.4 GHz

Boost Clock

5.6 GHz

TDP:

125W

Pros
  • 4 extra cores over 13700K
  • Same TDP as last generation
Cons
  • more expensive

As for looking at a Team Blue CPU, then the i7-14700K is a good choice to go for in the middle of the lineup in the 14th gen of processors. It does provide a strong contender but is a bit below what the 7800X3D has to offer. But it does struggle with power consumption in general, all of that performance requires quite a lot of power to run and plenty of cooling to consider for it.

For what the 14700K specs are like, you get 20 total cores, with the 28 threads split between 8 performance and 12 efficient options. This is where Intel has its special feature instead of the 3D cache in AMD, which should help in power draw in other usages. In comparison, the cache here is a 28MB L2 and a 33MB rated Intel “smart cache” whatever that may be. However, the base power here starts at 125W as the max turbo jumps to a 253W rating.

But the platform Intel has is also not too expensive. Considering the processor stays on the LGA 1700 platform, there are a lot cheaper options for it as it doesn’t stick you down to either RAM specification and you can suit it to your budget.

Best CPU upgrade for Nightingale

Outstanding

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

5800x3d

Cores

8

Threads

16

Max boost speed

4.5GHz

L3 Cache

96MB (64MB 3D V-cache)

TDP

105W

Pros
  • Inexpensive
  • Incredible performance
  • 3D V-cache
Cons
  • No cooler
  • No native overclocking support

As for the older generation choices and those maybe looking for a good upgrade on the AM4 platform then the 5800X3D is the obvious choice to go for. It was the first introduction of the 3D cache and showed what it had to offer. Plus with the lifespan of the AM4 platform, for those that got on it early now have a great boost option for a cheaper upgrade as we see deals for it come out occasionally. Plus we see it still holds up its performance even on the ended platform.

The CPU comes with 8 cores and 16 threads as well as the Ryzen 7 name provides it with. For the cache, its L3 also jumps up to 96MB as the L2 sits at 4MB and L1 at 512KB. These are clocked in at a 3.4GHz base clock and a 4.5GHz boost, so missing out slightly on the new gen. But it also saves a bit on the power with a 105W TDP.

It also comes with great value now considering the age of the platform it is on. Still on DDR4 and with motherboards seeing lower prices it does provide a powerful budget build as well overall if you’re after more than an upgrade.


What CPU do you need for Nightingale?

The system requirements for nightingale are on the more modern higher side, but the CPU still falls behind on what the needs. The minimum required is an Intel core i5-4430, which is equivalent to a Ryzen 5 1600. The recommended processor is an i5-8600, which is equivalent to the Ryzen 7 2700. However, that may vary as they don’t provide an AMD option as it’s an Intel-sponsored game so benchmarks may vary.

Can my PC run Nightingale?

To know if your PC can run Nightingale you have to compare your PC specs to the requirements of the game. Check your computer specs against what the game suggests, using tools like TechPowerUp to see how your options compare to them.

For the minimum choice, you need to have:

  • OS: Windows 10 64-Bit (see additional notes)
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-4430
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, Radeon RX 580 or Intel Arc A580
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 70 GB SSD

Whilst the recommended choice is:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10 64-Bit (see additional notes)
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-8600
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GeForce RTX 2060 Super / Radeon RX 5700XT
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 70 GB SSD

Final word

There you have a selection of the best CPUs for Nightingale. They should offer you a great performance for the game as long as you have the rest of the specs to match it as well and the whole system needs to work well together to function at its best. You want to make sure you have a bottleneck at the right place to get the top performance.


With a background in engineering and PC gaming, Seb is a staff writer with a focus on GPU, storage, and power supplies. Also one of tech supports in the office he likes helping and solving problems.

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