Best CPU for the RTX 2060
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 has a 1440p performance index of 19/100. To keep it busy a processor needs a gaming index of roughly 51 at 1440p and 57 at 1080p; anything above that is headroom, anything far above is money better spent on the graphics card. Below: the processors that hit the sweet spot, then the cheapest safe pick on each socket.
Sweet-spot processors (1440p)
| # | CPU | Socket | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryzen 7 3700X | AM4 | CPU 8% | GPU 1% | GPU 24% |
| 2 | Ryzen 5 5500 | AM4 | CPU 8% | GPU 1% | GPU 24% |
| 3 | Core i5-10400F | LGA1200 | CPU 12% | CPU 3% | GPU 21% |
| 4 | Ryzen 5 3600 | AM4 | CPU 15% | CPU 7% | GPU 18% |
| 5 | Core i5-11400F | LGA1200 | CPU 1% | GPU 8% | GPU 29% |
| 6 | Core i3-12100F | LGA1700 | GPU 2% | GPU 11% | GPU 32% |
| 7 | Core i7-10700K | LGA1200 | GPU 2% | GPU 11% | GPU 32% |
| 8 | Core i3-13100F | LGA1700 | GPU 5% | GPU 14% | GPU 34% |
| 9 | Ryzen 5 5600 | AM4 | GPU 5% | GPU 14% | GPU 34% |
| 10 | Ryzen 5 5600X | AM4 | GPU 7% | GPU 16% | GPU 35% |
Cheapest processor that avoids a bottleneck, per socket
- AM4: Ryzen 5 3600 (gaming index 48, 6 cores)
- LGA1200: Core i5-10400F (gaming index 50, 6 cores)
- LGA1700: Core i3-12100F (gaming index 58, 4 cores)
- AM5: Ryzen 5 8600G (gaming index 64, 6 cores)
- LGA1851: Core Ultra 5 245K (gaming index 76, 14 cores)
If you already own a motherboard, start from its socket. AM4 and LGA1700 are end-of-line but cheap; AM5 and LGA1851 leave an upgrade path for the next GPU.
Processors to avoid with this card
Every processor in our database can drive this card at 1440p without a meaningful bottleneck.