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If you’re looking for the best CPU for Destiny 2: Lightfall, then we’ve got you covered right here.
Destiny 2 is an incredibly popular game that has recently got a brand new free expansion pack called LIghtfall. It focuses on the Cabal emperor Calus, who has been exiled and gives players access to the completely new open world of Neptune. If you’re thinking about upgrading your gaming PC or perhaps building a new one from scratch, it’s a good idea to choose your components based on the games you want to play.
This means you’ll want to pick one of the best GPUs for Destiny 2. In any good gaming PC, all the components will work well with each other, meaning that there is no power being bottled-necked. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of our picks for the best CPU for the game.
With these chips, you’ll be to play the game at the higher frame rates that can bring you a competitive advantage, as well as being able to use the best graphics settings.
We’ve got a detailed description of each one too, giving you all the information you need to make your decision. Let’s get into our picks.
Best CPU for Destiny 2: Lightfall at a glance
Intel Core i5 13600K
Cores
14
Threads
20
Base speed
P-cores 3.5 GHz / E-cores 2.6 GHz
Boost speed
P-cores 5.1 GHz / E-cores 3.9 GHz
Cache
20MB
TDP
125 W / 181 W boost
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores
6
Threads
12
Base speed
3.6GHz
Boost speed
4.6GHz
Cache
32
TDP
95W
Intel Core i9-10900K
Cores
10
Threads
20
Base speed
3.7GHz
Boost speed
5.3GHz
Cache
20MB
TDP
125 W
Choosing the right CPU can take some time as there are so many options. What we have done to make it easier, is separate the top choices into different categories. If you are prioritising affordability then we’d recommend checking out the best budget CPUs.
Whether you are wanting to update your set-up or have a full revamp, we’ve got you covered with all the best gadgets. Check out the best gaming laptop for Destiny 2, the best monitor, or even the best PC.
Best Overall CPU for Destiny 2 – Intel Core i5 13600K
Intel Core i5 13600K
Cores
14
Threads
20
Base speed
P-cores 3.5 GHz / E-cores 2.6 GHz
Boost speed
P-cores 5.1 GHz / E-cores 3.9 GHz
Cache
20MB
TDP
125 W / 181 W boost
- Brilliant performance
- High boost speeds
- Needs a lot of power
If equipping your gaming rig with the latest and greatest components available is paramount for you, the i5-13600K is our number one pick for Destiny 2 players. Not only does it provide the horsepower to tear through any AAA title on the market, it will also keep up with new releases for some time to come.
Being one of the new releases in the Raptor Lake lineup, the 13600K boasts a rather ridiculous 14 cores, which – thanks to Inte’s Hyper-Threading technology – can perform as if it had 20 of them. This is all at a base clock speed of 3.5 GHz, which can turbo up to 5.1 GHz when processing becomes a little intense.
What’s even more insane is that this chip comes with an unlocked multiplier, so you can really push it with overclocking (please only do this if you know what you’re doing, and have adequate cooling, though!).
Read More: Best CPU for Sons of the Forest
Memory-wise, and depending on the motherboard you pick to go with it, the i5-13600K can handle up to 128GB of the latest DDR5 ram. Needless to say, if you were to equip your gaming PC with that much memory, you’d likely go a long time before it could actually be fully utilised.
Speaking of memory, this CPU is compatible with ECC ram, which will help to avoid any volatility or unexpected gaming crashes. It also has the AVX2 standard, too, meaning you’ll also be able to enjoy newer cutting-edge titles like Star Citizen and Yuzu (the Switch emulator).
Needless to say, the i5-13600K is an absolute behemoth of a processor. If you have the budget to afford such a chip, we’d definitely recommend it, as it will provide one of the best gaming experiences possible (especially if paired with a decent GPU).
Best Value CPU for Destiny 2 – AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores
6
Threads
12
Base speed
3.6GHz
Boost speed
4.6GHz
Cache
32
TDP
95W
- Great value
- Large cache
- Lower Core count
As always, we like to provide an option for those of you who have a more strict budget, but who would also like to get the smoothest performance out of titles like Destiny 2. At its current price point, we feel that the Ryzen 5 5600X has the perfect price to performance ratio.
Even though it’s slightly older than the 15-13600K, this is still a pretty fantastic processor which absolutely dwarves the game’s recommended R5 1600X chip. It has a base clock frequency of 3.7 GHz – which is faster than the 13600K – though has a more modest boost speed of 4.6 GHz.
The 5600X does have Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT), though, so you can essentially have 12 cores to play with for the price of 6. It also has a pretty beefy L3 cache of 32MB, which makes it easier for the cores to access data quickly, helping to keep frametimes up.
Read More: Can Destiny 2 run on Mac?
In terms of the standards supported, the slightly older age is a factor here, and will limit you to using DDR4 memory and PCIe 4.0 graphics cards. However, this will still be more than enough to slice through demanding AAA titles for several years to come.
In fact, even titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 will run exceptionally well with this CPU, provided you pair it with a decent GPU. And, if you want to get really crazy, the 5600X has an unlocked multiplier, too, meaning you can overclock it to your heart’s content!
We really think that the Ryzen 5 5600X is a sensible purchase; not only is it reasonably priced, it’s also still enough of a powerhouse to tear through modern titles and give you the kind of smooth gaming sessions you really want after a long day.
Best Premium CPU for Destiny 2 – Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
Cores
10
Threads
20
Base speed
3.7GHz
Boost speed
5.3GHz
Cache
20MB
TDP
125 W
- Good Boost Clock
- Generous Core Count
- Cache could be larger considering price
For our last pick, we’ve decided to select the Core i9-10900K as our favourite premium candidate. This is a great option for those of you with absolutely no budget concerns, and who are willing to spend extra just for the novelty of playing with the extra power provided.
The 10900K has a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz, but during intense gaming sessions that can boost up to 5.3 GHz. Combining this kind of performance with 10 cores is crazy enough, but Inte’s Hyper-Threading technology means you can effectively utilise the power of 20 cores at any one time.
Read More: Is Destiny 2 CPU or GPU intensive?
In terms of its other specs, it also has 20MB of L3 cache, which will make it easy to rapidly access data and keep frame rates very high, and it has full support for AVX2, meaning newer calculation-heavy titles (like the above-mentioned Star Citizen) can be enjoyed.
For hardware standard compatibility, the 10900K is limited to using the slightly slower PCI-E 3.0 technology, however it can still be combined with a PCI-E 4.0 GPU (as they’re backwards compatible). This means you could still combine it with a fairly beastly graphics card, such as the RTX 3070 Ti.
Plus, this chip can be combined with up to 128GB of DDR4 dual-channel memory, too, so you’ll still be able to plough through titles like Destiny 2, Modern Warfare 2, and Halo Infinite with absolutely no lag (provided you’ve got a decent-enough GPU).
With all that said, we really feel that the i9-10900K is a fantastic choice for anyone out there who has a decent budget and just wants to put together a killer gaming PC that’s going to easily handle AAA titles for the next few years.
Frequently asked questions
What are Destiny 2 CPU system requirements?
The system requirements for Destiny 2 list the Intel Core i3-3250 3.5 GHz as the least powerful CPU that can still run the game. We’d recommend going above this minimum, however, as all the picks on this list do.
Is Destiny 2: Lightfall CPU or GPU intensive?
Destiny 2: Lightfall is a demanding game, that requires good performance from both your CPU and GPU. However, overall it is more GPU intensive.
