1440p resolution being second-most popular in gaming is currently getting adapter by many PC gamers due to the CPU-GPU combos getting more affordable than ever before. By affordable I don’t mean that they are cheap but rather they are somewhat fair in prices than what high-end components used to be 5 years back.
As 2021 is here, we have a great start from AMD, Nvidia and Intel with the release of newer components. From Intel, we have the 11th gen processors while from AMD we have the Ryzen 5000 series processors from last year. Similarly, we have some outstanding graphics cards from both AMD and Nvidia with Intel soon coming into the game.
Right now to achieve 60+ fps at 1440p, you will need a solid CPU-GPU combo as these two are the major components that affect gaming performance and the following listed combos will ensure that you get the job done without breaking a sweat.
Summary
Ryzen 5 3600 was and still is among the top 3 gaming CPUs for under $200. One of the best CPUs to be released by AMD is a 6 core 12 thread chip that features a totally new architecture for providing fast single as well as multi-core performance.
The CPU doesn’t back down in either gaming or productivity and has successfully defeated many Intel rivals including the 8th and 9th gen in overall tests. Combining it with RX 5600 XT will yield a powerful 1440p gaming combo that can provide 60 fps on an average in most games.
The RX 5600 XT if you remember was the best release by AMD last year for less than $300 and gave equal competition to the more expensive Nvidia RTX 2060. This makes it a great value GPU and neither CPU nor GPU will bottleneck each other.
Summary
Being the best gaming CPU under $200, Intel Core i5 11400 is currently the top choice for any gaming PC and can sustain buttery smooth framerates on the stock clock speeds without any need for overclocking. It features 6 cores, 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.4GHz.
It is already around 5% faster than the Ryzen 3600 and gets 5-10% more boost if all limits are disabled from the Bios making the performance jump by a significant number. Using RTX 3060 with it that is 10% faster than RX 5600 XT on average will keep you ahead of the previous combo by at least 10%.
RTX 3060 is the latest 3000 series GPU which is very capable of handling intensive graphics settings and is capable of providing Ray Tracing, unlike the RX 5600 XT. It comes with 3584 Cuda Cores and 12GB of GDDR6 memory that is more than adequate to max out any graphical setting in any game.
Summary
Moving on, the combo of Ryzen 5600X and RTX 3060 Ti will give you a boost of at least 20% over the previous one. Ryzen 5 5600X features a new core design with a single CCX allowing the cores to access all the L3 cache memory for up to 19% increase in performance.
RTX 3060 Ti on the other hand, brings 1.35X more Cuda Cores than the 3060 and more memory interface width. Although it features 4GB less VRAM i.e., 8GB, it is still more capable than the RTX 3060 providing way over 60 fps at 1440p resolution.
This combo is ideal for those who want 100+ fps in most games and will be perfect for a high-refresh rate monitor.
Summary
RTX 3070 is the game changer and it is actually capable of playing games at 4K resolution. So, by default it will be perfectly ideal for high-refresh rate gameplay. It features a whopping 5888 Cuda Cores and 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM. With Ray-Tracing and DLSS On, you can expect some serious performance unlike the older RTX 2000 series GPUs.
Combining it with the new i5 11600K will provide you with the best value and fastest combo for 1440p gaming. i5 11600K is thankfully, cheaper than the Ryzen 5 5600X and beats the latter in some titles giving you better return on investment. Also, with the new B560 overclockable chipset, you don’t have to spend $200+ or $300+ on a Z590 motherboard.
Summing up
Considering all the available options available today, it is advisable to get the latest gen CPUs and graphics cards as they cost somewhere near to the previous ones while delivering significantly superior performance.
For 1440p gaming, these are the 4 CPU-GPU combos I suggest for enjoying a smooth gameplay. Let me know which combo are you going with?
