AMD’s budget GPU catalog has a few GPUs that offer a decent gaming experience without spending hundreds of dollars. The Radeon RX 6400 is currently the slowest yet the best AMD has to offer for $150. The RX 6400 is one of the top entry-level GPUs as of now that is aimed toward providing a smooth gaming experience on medium settings.
However, gaming does not entirely depend on the GPU. Even if you are using a budget GPU like the RX 6400, you need to choose your CPU carefully in order to avoid bottlenecks. Fortunately, we have a lot of great options in the CPU lineup from which I have listed the best ones you can choose for the RX 6400.
AMD Radeon RX 6400 Overview
AMD Radeon RX 6400 is the slowest GPU in the RX 6000 series and is based on the RDNA 2 architecture. It features 768 Stream Processors and a 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM on a 64-bit memory bus that results in a memory bandwidth of 128GB/s. The card features 2.0-2.3GHz clock speeds on the reference design and a TDP of only 53W.
RX 6400 is aimed at providing 40-60 fps on medium settings at 1080p in modern titles while it is best for those who are looking for high settings and 60 fps in esports games such as CSGO, Valorant, Rocket League, and Fortnite. Also being a very power-efficient card, it is a much more feasible option for gamers who don’t own a big wattage PSU.
What CPU will be the best for RX 6400?
As obvious from various benchmarks and the specs of the GPU, the RX 6400 will be perfectly fine with any 4 to 6-core budget CPU from one of the latest generations from AMD and Intel. This means you can use an Intel Core i3, Core i5, or an AMD Ryzen 3/5 processor with at least 4 cores to gain maximum performance out of the card.
The objective here is to load the RX 6400 at 100% while gaming and still have the CPU at least below 80% usage. As modern titles require at least 4 cores on a CPU, we are going to drop the idea of getting a dual-core CPU totally. That said, here are the top processors I recommend going with for the Radeon RX 6400.
Best CPUs for AMD Radeon RX 6400
Intel Core i3 10100F
- 10th Generation Intel Core i3 Processor
- 4 Cores; 8 Threads
- 4.30 GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 3.60 GHz Processor...
- 6 MB Intel Smart Cache
The first on the list is the Core i3 10100F which belongs to Intel’s 10th-generation Comet Lake. The processor is still going great despite being replaced by the newest Core i3 processors. The reason is the low price while having great specs.
The 10100F features 4 cores and 8 threads and currently costs less than $90. It features a core clock speed of 3.6 to 4.3GHz with the help of Turbo Boost Technology. This leads to a boost in performance when the PC is executing intensive tasks.
The i3 10100F is also power efficient with only 65W of TDP and doesn’t require any overclockable chipset motherboard resulting in a reduction of the overall PC build cost. For the RX 6400, it is the cheapest and best option that can’t be beaten by any other AMD or Intel CPU for this price.
AMD Ryzen 5 4500
- Item Package Dimension: 5.43L x 5.23W x 2.87H...
- Item Package Weight - 0.95 Pounds
- Item Package Quantity - 1
- Product Type - COMPUTER PROCESSOR
Ryzen 5 4500 was released after the launch of the Ryzen 5000 family but is based on the Zen 2 architecture. It is made on the 7nm process node and offers 6 cores and 12 threads for under $130. The processor isn’t the fastest when it comes to single-core performance but offers decent gaming performance due to having so many cores at such a cheap price.
It has a base/boost clock speed of 3.6/4.1GHz and can be overclocked, therefore, the free performance is definitely what you would want. For RX 6400 or even for faster GPUs, the Ryzen 4500 will be an ideal choice if you have 130 bucks and you want a lot of cores without breaking the bank.
Intel Core i3 12100F
- Intel Core i3-12100F Desktop Processor 4 (4P-0E)...
- Item Package Dimension: 10.469L x 10.30W x 6.72H...
- Item Package Weight - 1.49 Pounds
- Item Package Quantity - 1
Currently, the fastest 4-core CPU is the 12th gen Intel Core i3 12100F processor from the Alder Lake family. Not only it is faster than the Ryzen 4500 in single-core performance but it is also cheaper by around $15-$20. This processor will provide the highest fps when combined with the RX 6400 compared to all the processors on the list but as it features 4-cores, some users wouldn’t like to settle for it especially when they need 6-cores for content creation or multitasking.
However, if you are looking for a CPU for only gaming purposes, the i3 12100F is the most perfect choice and features 12MB of L3 cache which is the highest among all the Core i3 processors released till now. Also, as it is a locked chip, you won’t need an overclockable chipset motherboard which will eventually save you a good amount of money for your PC build.
AMD Ryzen 5 5500
- Item Package Dimension: 5.43L x 5.27W x 2.86H...
- Item Package Weight - 0.97 Pounds
- Item Package Quantity - 1
- Product Type - COMPUTER PROCESSOR
Last but definitely not least, the Ryzen 5 5500 is one of the best choices for RX 6400 if you don’t have any issue with spending a little more than $130. While i3 12100F wins overall when it comes to average fps, the 5500 isn’t far behind. The Zen 3 architecture helps the processor to gain significant improvement in gaming and non-gaming performance and makes it drastically faster than the Ryzen 4500.
It features 6 cores and 12 threads with an L3 cache of 16MB which is double than that of the 4500. All the specs collectively make it faster in gaming and being an overclockable chip, you can match the performance of the i3 12100F or even beat it in some games.
Final Words
There are some more processors I could have added to the list like the Ryzen 3300X, Ryzen 4100, or even the Core i5s of 10th and 12th gen. The reason for not doing so is because of their poor pricing, availability, and price-to-performance ratio compared to the 4 processors listed above.
Let me know what processor you are going to get for the Radeon RX 6400. If you have any queries or if you want any help regarding the processor selection or related to PC building, use the comments section below.
for low end i5 processors id say i5 4570 – 4590+
Those are too old for now except if you can get one for less than $40. I believe getting an i3 10th gen will be perfect these days because the price is always between $70-$80 and the performance gain over an i5 4th gen will be significant.