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01Best overall CPU for Sons of the ForestBest overall CPU for Sons of the Forest
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03Best premium CPU for Sons of the Forest
We’re here to help you find the best CPU for Sons of the Forest – so let’s go!
Sons of the Forest was released on February 23rd 2023 as a sequel to the much-loved 2014 original “The Forest”. It follows the protagonist’s story on a cannibal-infested island and is a game of survival. Since its release, many gamers have been wondering whether it’s more GPU or CPU intensive, and many will be grateful to learn that the game is not particularly intensive.
The recommended CPU requirements are an Intel Core i7-8700K and an AMD Ryzen 5 3600X. These are slightly more powerful CPUs than the minimum recommendations, though realistically they’re quite old and don’t have the highest specs. We’ve selected the next tier-up of CPUs to ensure your PC set-up is fortified for more intensive gaming sessions.
You might be looking for a new CPU to ensure your graphics card can reach its full potential. Or else, you’re looking to up the performance of your gaming set-up for more demanding games like Hogwarts Legacy. Whatever it is, we’ve got you covered with great value and premium options from Intel and AMD.
So let’s jump to it, here are the best CPUs for Sons of the Forest.
Best Overall CPU for Sons of the Forest – Ryzen 5 7600X
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores
6
Threads
12
Base speed
4.7GHz
Boost speed
5.3GHz
Cache
32MB
TDP
105W
- Great value
- Impressive Max Clock Speed
- Does not come with a stock cooler
It’s also a fantastic option for anyone who’s not willing to make compromises in their Sons of the Forest experience, with specifications that dwarf the recommended specs provided by the game’s developers.
Speaking of specs, let’s break it down: the Ryzen 5 7600X has 6 cores which, at first glance, might sound a bit modest. However, equipped with AMD’s new Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) technology, each core can process two instructions at any one time.
This effectively means you’ll be working with the power of 12 cores (as each core can send one instruction to a thread and, while waiting for that to finish, begin processing another instruction), which will make a huge difference in an open-world game like Sons of the Forest.
Read More: Ryzen 5 7600 vs Ryzen 5 7600X – which CPU should you pick?
The 7600X also supports some of the newest standards in PC components, including DDR5 memory (ECC is also supported, which minimizes the chance of memory errors during gameplay), and the fifth-generation of PCI-express, which can support memory transfers of up to 3940MB/s.
If you’re looking into investing in this chip, you’ll need to buy a suitable AM5 motherboard, which – although not cheap – will allow you to future-proof your system for some years to come.
Also, as you might have expected, the 7600X uses a good deal of juice, so adequate cooling will be required.
Sprawling open-world games like Sons of the Forest are not known for their efficient use of system resources, especially those built with the Unity engine. With that said, the 7600X will allow you to avoid any of those concerns, and you’ll be able to get the best experience possible from this truly terrifying game!
Runner-Up CPU for Sons of the Forest – 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
- Good Boost Clock
- Generous Core Count
- Runs hotter than Core i5-12600K
Now, for those of you who have saved a decent amount to build your new gaming PC – but who would also like to continue paying for boring things like mortgage payments and putting warm food on the table – the I5-13600K is worthy of any serious gamer’s consideration.
While it might be a more affordable option than the 7600X, you shouldn’t be fooled. To begin with, it has 14 cores which – with the help of hyperthreading – can utilize 20 threads simultaneously, meaning that today’s most demanding titles will run without bottlenecking.
Read More: Ryzen 9 vs Intel i9 (Zen 4 vs Raptor Lake) – Which CPU should you go for?
The default clock speed of this chip is 3.5 GHz but can boost up to 5.1 GHz. It also has support for AVX and AVX2, too. Even though Sons of the Forest doesn’t rely on AVX, cutting-edge titles (such as Star Citizen) are starting too, making the i5-13600K a very practical consideration for your next CPU.
When it comes to compatibility, this CPU has full support for both DDR5 and the more budget-friendly DDR4, as well as PCIe 5.0. It’s also equipped with the UHD 770 graphics chipset, which is adequate for basic tasks like light gaming and general PC use.
At its current price point, the 13600K is not just a worthwhile option, it’s an extremely competent one. For a game like Sons of the Forest (which only recommends an i7-8700K), you’re going to have absolutely no performance issues at all, provided you’ve paired it with a decent GPU, which we’ve already covered.
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Cores
8
Threads
16
Base speed
3.4GHz
Boost speed
4.5GHz
Cache
96MB
Boost TDP
105W
- 3D V-Cache technology
- Decent Value
- Slightly More Expensive
If you can spare an additional $100, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is definitely our recommendation.
There’s still some serious power here thanks to its 3D V-Cache technology which allows Ryzen to vertically stack the cache of its CPUs on top of the processor. Cache is a faster and more accessible kind of memory that stores frequently used data which is ideal for gaming.
The 5800X3D has a clock frequency of 3.4GHz, which can boost all the way up to 4.5GHz. And, like the 7600X, it comes with simultaneous multithreading, meaning that the 8 cores essentially have the capabilities of a CPU with 16 of them.
Read More: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D
In terms of compatibility, the standards it supports are undeniably a little older; it’s an AM4 chip (which will actually allow you to look at more affordable motherboard options), and it supports dual-channel DDR4 memory running at a maximum of 3200 MHz.
However, if you know what you’re doing, you might be able to get beyond the frequency limit with a little overclocking. It’s also worth noting that the 5800X3D supports ECC memory, too, ensuring that you’ll have access to very stable performance during intense gaming sessions.
Another area where it’s slightly more limited than its competitors is that it only has fourth-generation PCIe support, but you’d still be able to easily pair it with a more-than-capable GPU such as the RTX 3070.
With all that said, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is an absolutely fantastic processor for anyone wishing to have a smooth experience with Sons of the Forest, and (paired with a good GPU) it will allow you to continue playing some of the best upcoming AAA games for a few years to come.
Frequently asked questions
What CPU do I need for Sons of the Forest?
You’ll need at least Intel Core i5-8400 CPU to run Sons of the Forest. However, the developers recommend a CPU greater or equal to an Intel Core i7-8700K to play the game.
