Best CPU for Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti in 2023

If you’ve picked up this powerful Nvidia graphics card, you’re probably looking to maximise your gaming performance. If that’s the case, you’ll also want the best CPU for the RTX 4070 Ti.

The 4070 Ti came out back at the start of 2023 as part of Nvidia’s impressive line-up which includes the RTX 4090 & 4080. It”s not just been a good year for GPUs either with a whole host of powerful CPUs hitting the shelves. The RTX 4070 Ti is certainly good for gaming, especially at 1440p, and that’s according to Nvidia itself. This is something worth considering when choosing the best CPU because it means that you won’t need the most high-end CPU as mid-range and budget-friendly options will complement the graphics card well.

We’ll put our hands up and say the RTX 4070 Ti is deserving of a place in your PC, promising an impressive performance for gaming and graphics rendering. If you want your GPU to reach its full potential, it’ll need to be matched by a powerful CPU from either Intel or AMD, and arguably one of the best CPUs for gaming, period. You’ll also want the best PSU for RTX 4070 ti too, to get the most out of your card. But now, let’s dive right into our top picks, which we’re always updating with the latest and greatest CPUs on the market today!

Best CPU for RTX 4070 ti – Ryzen 7 7800X3D

If you’re one of the many gamers looking for the best performance out there, you’ll want to check out this CPU. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D boasts 8 cores and 16 threads, and this high-performance CPU is faster than some of its closest competitors, and other CPUs from AMD too.

Coming in at under $500, this CPU is actually quite reasonable for how much of a powerhouse it is, although you can bet that the surrounding components will end up on the more premium side, such as DDR5 RAM for instance.

With an impressive 5.2 GHz base clock, and built on AMD’s latest Zen 4 architecture, this CPU banks its place as one of the best CPUs for gaming on the market today, and we think it’s an excellent choice for the Nvidia RTX 4070 ti graphics card.

Best CPU for RTX 4070 Ti – Intel Core i9-13900K

The Intel Core i9-13900K is a beastly GPU boasting an impressive 24-core and 32-thread count. In simple terms, this destroys both single and multi-core workloads, making it worthy of the top dog position.

Though the price may be a premium one, if you’re a fan of games like Modern Warfare II, a powerful CPU like the Core i9-13900K does a brilliant job at handling all the information so that you can have an edge over your opponents.

The 13th-generation Raptor Lake CPUs have improved by 15% on single-core performance, and up to 41% on multi-core performance. This is no small feat. When you combined this with the convenience of its compatibility with the last generation’s motherboards, you’re singing.

Our CPU expert Jack, over on WePC has importantly highlighted a downside to a CPU as powerful as this one is the temperatures it could reach under stress. You’ll need to make sure your PC case is clean and consider investing in additional fans, or else run the risk of damaging your CPU and GPU.

Jack adds that ‘We don’t expect you’d ever reach the levels of usage and stress that we did in our test, but we managed to get the 13900K to throttle up to 13% using a 360mm AIO.’ In other words, overheating is always an issue to be aware of, even if the chances of dangerous overheating are less likely.

Read Now: RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3080

Best budget CPU for RTX 4070 Ti – AMD Ryzen 9 7900X

We’re fully aware that despite being one of the best budget CPUs, it still doesn’t come cheap. This is because it’s part of the new Zen 4 architecture, with the AM5 socket providing support for both DDR5 & PCIe Gen 5. If you’d like to understand PCIe 5 vs PCIe 4 in more depth, we’ve gathered everything you need here.

Read More: Ryzen 9 7950X vs 7950X3D – which CPU should you go for?

This CPU has a lower core and thread count than the Intel Core i9-13900K but is still capable of an impressive multi and single-core performance thanks to its sizeable 5.6 GHz boost clock speed. AMD is definitely hoping to challenge Intel hereby upping its overall performance.

The 7900X will do a fine job serving the 4070 Ti, albeit on a slightly tighter budget than Intel’s 13900K.

Read Now: RTX 4070 Ti vs RX 7900 XT

Best CPU for RTX 4070 Ti runner-up – Intel Core i7-13700K

Intel Core i7-13700K

Cores

16

Threads

24

Base speed

P-cores 3.4 GHz / E-cores 2.5 GHz

Boost speed

P-cores 5.4 GHz / E-cores 4.2 GHz

Cache

24MB

TDP

125 W / 253 W boost

How We Review

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Pros

• Great overclocked performance
• Under $500

Cons

• L3 cache could be larger

The Intel i7-13700K is the current high-end Raptor Lake CPU that will happily complement the RTX 4070 Ti. Thanks to its 16 cores, it’s a lot more powerful than previous-gen Alder Lake and ready to push RTX 4070 Ti with that high overclocking potential.

Read More: AMD Ryzen 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9 13900KS

This processor is a brilliant choice in terms of price-to-performance ratio. We highly rate that the chipset is backward compatible with older Z690 and alternative LGA 1700 motherboards which can save a pretty penny in the building process, too.

Simply put, if you want the best you can get for under $500, you’ll find it here.

So there you have it, our top CPU picks for the RTX 4070 ti. Now you may be here because you’ve bought a 4070 ti already, but if you’re on the fence, we’d recommend checking out our comparison on the RTX 4070ti and RTX 4080, and also our thoughts on the RTX 4070 ti vs RX 7900 too.

And don’t forget, with the new Ryzen 9 7950X vs 7950X3D

Read Now: RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 4080

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ryzen 9 7900X good for gaming?

Yes, the Ryzen 9 7900X is a high-end CPU specifically geared towards gaming performance. It has a good amount of L3 cache and a high boost speed both important factors for gaming performance.

Do I need to upgrade my CPU for RTX 4070 Ti?

You want to make sure your CPU isn’t bottlenecking the 4070 Ti. This is a powerful card so any old CPU won’t be able to keep up. Any of the picks on this list or chips that are similar will ensure your 4070 Ti can reach its full potential.