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If you want a competitive edge in the latest FPS game, you’ll want the best CPU for XDefiant.
There’s a new free-to-play first-person shooter in town, and it’s already proving popular. The last thing you’ll want after loading it up is to find your CPU bottlenecking the other crucial components in your gaming rig. Having a chip that is up to scratch is the only way you can be guaranteed to avoid this.
Fortunately for us, XDefiant’s system requirements are fairly modest. This means that, if you’re lucky, you could entirely avoid having to upgrade your CPU at all. However, like many Ubisoft games, XDefiant is more CPU intensive than GPU intensive, meaning it’s the better bit of tech to target for upgrade if you want to run the game as smoothly as possible. If you do end up having to get a new CPU, you’ve come to the right place to find which is best to go for. Let’s get into it.
Best CPU for XDefiant
As is all too common in the gaming tech world, there isn’t really one singular ‘best’ CPU that will be perfect for everyone looking to play XDefiant. Which is best for you will depend on a multitude of factors. These include the price, maximum resolution of your display, and other components in your gaming rig. To try and make this list as useful for as many people as possible, we have selected a range of picks in different categories. Rest assured that each will excel at XDefiant.
1. Best overall GPU for XDefiant – 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.
- High core count
- Multitasking potential
- Can handle 4K
- Fairly high energy cost
The Intel Core i5-13600K is our top pick for the XDefiant thanks to its balance of price and performance. It hits that sweet spot, offering you maximum performance at a minimum price.
Thanks to Intel’s Turbo Boost technology this chip can hit top clock speeds of 5.1GHz. This is enough to avoid bottlenecking and gives your chip the juice it needs to keep XDefiant running smoothly. It utilises Intel’s classic mix of Performance Cores and Efficiency Cores, to make your CPU work smart not hard. This places it right up there with the best CPUs for 4K gaming. On top of that, there are 20 threads, making it excellent at multitasking. This will come in handy when playing XDefiant with background applications running. As a result, you can stream music, video call and record your gameplay all without impacting your in-game performance.
Pair this chip with the right technology around it and you can guarantee smooth and consistent gameplay in XDefiant. This is especially important in a competitive online shooter, where it’s not just enjoyment which can take a hit when lagging kicks in, but your actual ability to play to a competitive level too.
2. Best budget CPU for XDefiant – AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores
6
Threads
12
Base speed
4.7GHz
Boost speed
5.3GHz
Cache
32MB
TDP
105W
- Relatively low energy cost
- Extremely budget pricing
- Decent performance
- Low core count
The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is a brilliant mid-range choice that will keep the cogs of XDefiant turning while leaving you an extra bit of cash in the wallet. Seeing as it’s our budget choice, let’s start with the price tag. Coming in under $200 is certainly a good start, but what bang are you getting for this buck?
There is a core count of 6. This might seem on the low side but when you factor in the blistering clock speeds, things start to make more sense. With a base clock of up to 4.7GHz and a boost of 5.3GHz, the Ryzen 5 7600X gets a load of performance out of its limited core count. Match this up with an impressive 32MB of L3 cache and you can see why this chip shines. Cache is a feature that matters particularly on gaming CPUs. It’s a kind of temporary internal memory, allowing the CPU to access specific bits of information at a far greater speed. This improves overall performance and allows for smooth gameplay.
You should note that this is AM5 CPU which means it will need to be paired with DDR5 RAM. However, this is no great sacrifice as DDR5 RAM is at the cutting edge, performance-wise. All in all, this is a powerful and affordable chip that will keep things running smoothly in XDefiant.
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Core Count
8
Thread Count
16
CPU Speed
4.5 GHz
TDP
105W
- Plenty of cache
- Excellent gaming performance
- Affordable platform
- X3D variants are not the best at productivity tasks
The Ryzen 7 5800X3D introduced the world to 3D V-Cache technology. This was a groundbreaking technology, specifically designed around the needs of a modern gaming CPU. The result was a fast, premium chip with a staggering 96MB of L3 cache. On top of that you can add a 4.5GHz clock speed, 8 cores, an AM4 platform and 105W TDP. No wonder it is one of the best CPUs for gaming.
It should be noted that this chip does approach being overkill for XDefiant, and if you are looking to minimise costs and are only concerned with gameplay within XDefiant or similarly CPU demanding games, you are better off going with one of the other options on this list. However, though it is the most expensive chip on this list, it’s not that far ahead, and will only set you back around $320. In return, you are getting a future-proofed chip that will not only excel at XDefiant but other more demanding games too. Just pair it with one of the best motherboards for Ryzen 5 7600X and you’ll be safe as houses.
Frequently asked questions
As is to be expected with a new release, there are a few questions that keep popping up about XDefiant. We’ve answered a smattering of them here.
How big is XDefiant on PC?
XDefiant is a pretty sizable PC game, taking up 35GB of storage. Make sure you have plenty of space or upgrade your SSD or HDD before downloading it.
Where to play XDefiant on PC?
To download and play XDefiant you’ll need to go to Ubisoft’s official website, click on the ‘Free Play Now’ button then select XDefiant.
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