Introduction
Before starting this topic, I would like to know what was the first game you ever played in your PC??? As for me, it was Recoil, and I played that game in Windows 98 PC which was having a Pentium based processor along with 128MB of RAM.
However, standing at the end of 2019, we had witnessed the revolutionary growth in the gaming industry as well as the rising requirement of Computer Hardware due to the demanding nature of modern-day games. In this particular topic, we are going to discuss about CPU’s that are well suited for CPU intensive games.
There are a few games that really require huge CPU performance and no matter how much powerful your GPU might be, it won’t be able to satisfy the needs of such games. As a result, you might not be able to get optimal performance out of your system. Few games like Civilization V, Total Warhammer 2, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Far Cry 5, Counter-Strike Global Offensive, PUBG, etc. and we will try to narrow down certain processor which will be able to handle the requirement of these games easily.
Further, we will try to break our selection accordingly to budget, best performer and the ultimate one. We are keeping the rest configuration as 16 gigs of RAM for each along with 1660ti GPU for the Budget category, 2060 Super for the Performer category and in case of our Ultimate Choice category, we will be using 2080 Super. All the GPUs used for this testing are the reference card from Nvidia.
Best CPU for 1080p Gaming
In this category, we have one processor from Intel and another one from AMD. These CPUs are affordable and are also capable of delivering incredible performance at that particular price point. Thus in the Budget Segment, our selections are Intel’s Core i5 9400F and AMD’s Ryzen 5 2600x. However, this particular range is targeted for 1080p gaming.
Intel Core i5 9400f
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Intel Core i5 9400F is the latest sibling in the i5 processor series which was launched back in the Q1 of the present year. The i5 9400f is having 6 cores along with 6 threads and offers max turbo frequency of 4.2Ghz. It can be coined as the best value for the money processor in the 1080p.
AMD Ryzen 5 2600x
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AMD’s Ryzen 2600X is undoubtedly the best mid-end Gaming processors that cost below $200 and perform almost similar to that of its counterpart i.e. Intel Core i5 9400f. Ryzen 5 2600X features 6 cores and 12 threads and is especially a deal-breaker as it features a high clock speed of 3.6Ghz and a boost clock of 4.2Ghz on all cores without increasing the power consumption above 95watts.
Civilization VI: The Core i5 9400f along with 16gigs of RAM and 1660ti can easily run Civilization VI in ultra graphics more at 1080p resolution and you will be having an average FPS of 100 in this setting. However, this configuration is also capable of delivering an average FPS of 70 in 1440p resolution.
In the case with Ryzen 2600x, it will be able to run Civilization VI easily. It will be able to produce an average FPS of 100 at 1080p.
Counter-Strike Global Offensive: In CS-Go both the processor along with 16gigs of RAM and 1660ti GPU will be able to run the game easily with 200+ FPS in 1080p resolution with high graphics settings.
GTA V: In the case of Grand Theft Auto V, the Core i5 9400f will be able to run it quite well producing an average FPS of 85 in 1080p. While the Ryzen 2600x it will be able to produce an average FPS of 90 in 1080p.
Assassins Creed: Odyssey: In this particular game both the processor will be able to perform almost similar, however, Ryzen 2600x will be able to run this title more smoothly due to the presence of 12 threads.
Total War Warhammer II: In this game both the processor are capable of delivering 100+ FPS when played in 1080p.
Verdict: Both the processor will perform almost similar in these games, however, there’s a catch here. The Ryzen 2600x will be able to provide smoother FPS compared to Intel core i5 9400F due to the fact that Ryzen 2600x comes with 12 threads which allow it to allocate more threads per core. Further Ryzen 2600x is overclockable and also comes with a stock CPU cooler. On the downside, the Ryzen 2600x cost more than that of its counterpart.
Best CPU for 1440p Gaming
We are having two processors like in our previous scenario, one from Intel which is Core i7 8700K and the other from AMD, Ryzen 7 3700X. Both these processors are capable of running most of the games smoothly in 1440p.
Intel Core i7 8700K
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The Core i7 8700K was launched back in late 2017 and to this day it can be considered as a game killer. The 8700K comes with 6 cores along with 12 threads along with a base frequency of 3.7Ghz and a turbo frequency of 4.7Ghz.
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
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Ryzen 7 3700X is the latest CPU from AMD which is able to outperform its predecessor. The Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core 3.6GHz is a high-end CPU based on AMD’s 7nm Zen 2 microarchitecture. It offers 8 physical cores (16 logical), initially clocked at 3.6GHz, which may go up to 4.4GHz using Precision Boost. It has an unlocked multiplier, therefore, it can be overclocked using traditional methods. As an AMD ‘X’ CPU, the Ryzen 5 3700X can use eXtended Frequency Range (XFR) for automated overclocking.
Civilization VI: In this game both the processor will be able to deliver an average FPS of 130+ @1440p resolution while the AMD 3700X will be producing smoother gaming experience.
Counter-Strike Global Offensive: In this game at 1440p resolution with max graphics setting, the Intel Core i7 8700K will be able to produce more FPS (average 300+) compared to Ryzen 3700X which will be able to produce an average FPS of 250+.
GTA V: In this game, the Ryzen 3700X will be able to produce an average FPS of 90+ in 1440p resolution with ultra graphics setting. While on the other hand, the Core i7 8700K will be able to produce an average FPS of 85. Thus there won’t be any noticeable difference in this title.
Assassins Creed: Odyssey: In the following title, of you are having Intel Core i7 8700K, then the system will be able to produce an average FPS of 70 while at max graphics and playing at 1440p resolution. On the other hand, if you are having Ryzen 3700X, you will get an average FPS of 70 at 1440 in max graphics setting, however, the gameplay will be smoother.
Total War Warhammer II: Ryzen 3700X will be able to produce 140 FPS with ultra settings in 1440p resolution while the i7 8700K will almost provide identical FPS, but the FPS graph will be smoother in the case with Ryzen 3700X.
Verdict: AMD’s Ryzen 3700X and Intel’s Core i7 8700K are almost similar in terms of gaming performance, however, there might be some exceptional cases where we might see both of them overlapping each other. Their prices are also quite similar. But with Ryzen 3700X, one would experience much smoother gameplay in comparison with that of Core i7 8700K.
Best CPU for 4k Gaming
Now, this segment is aimed at enthusiast users. On one hand, we are having Intel Core i9 9900K and on another hand, we are having Ryzen 9 3900X. Considering both the systems are having 16gigs of RAM each along with 2080 Super as a GPU. Now let us see how these systems perform when it comes to 4k gaming.
Intel Core i9 9900K
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Intel Core i9- 9900K is the top-most processor in the i9 segment. It has 8 cores and 16 threads and has a base frequency of 3.60Ghz with a max turbo frequency of 5.00Ghz. According to Intel, the Core i9 9900K is the best CPU for gaming which we are going to figure out soon. Intel Core i9-9900K uses the same 14nm architecture design which is already four years old.
The 9th Gen Intel Core CPUs also see the return of solder thermal interface materials (STIM) which means that Intel is ditching the thermal paste in favour of soldered metal for its manufacturing process. STIMs offer improved heat dissipation, helping to prevent shutdowns due to soaring temperatures. However, the i9-9900K produces more heat which the STIM can’t handle alone.
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
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Ryzen 9 3900X features 12-cores and 24-threads and comes with a base clock of 3.8Ghz and a max boost clock of 4.6Ghz. It was released in the month of July this year. It’s can be considered as the very first desktop chips to be released which are built using a 7nm process, which is a huge accomplishment since Intel’s 9th-gen alternatives are still using 14nm architecture.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is part of AMD’s family of 3rd-generation processors, all built on the new Zen 2 architecture and the main benefit of the new Zen 2 architecture is the 15% increase for instructions per cycle compared to the previous generation, improving the efficiency of the CPU’s core.
But how both these processors are able to handle games? We will find that out soon.
Civilization VI: In this game, the Intel Core i9-9900K will be able to produce an average FPS of 70 in 4K resolution with ultra graphics configuration. Whereas the Ryzen 3900X will be able to produce an average FPS of 50 with the same setting.
Counter-Strike Global Offensive: In this game at 4K resolution with max graphics setting, both the processor will be able to produce 200+ FPS but in this particular title the Ryzen 3900X will perform better due to the presence of more threads.
GTA V: In this game, the Core i9-9900K will be able to produce 125+ FPS with ultra graphics settings while the Ryzen 3900X will be able to produce an average FPS of 100.
Assassins Creed: Odyssey: In the following title, of you are having Intel Core i9-9900K, then the system will be able to produce an average FPS of 70 at high graphics and playing at 4K resolution. On the other hand, if you are having Ryzen 3700X, you will get an average FPS of 50 at 4K in a high graphics setting, however, the gameplay will be smoother due to the Frame Rate Spacing.
Total War Warhammer II: Ryzen 3700X will be able to produce an average of 90 FPS with ultra settings in 4K resolution while the i9-9900K will be able to provide an average FPS of 150.
Verdict: Here the picture is quite different when compared to that of the previous scenario except for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The extra core of Ryzen 3900X is not getting utilized in most of the cases. While here the Core i9-9900K is clearly the winner when it comes to gaming. But Ryzen 3900X is also quite a powerful processor itself and the best suitable use for this beast is in animation and rendering where it leaves the Core i9-9900K way behind.
Conclusion
We have tried to get a clear picture of certain CPU’s that are best suited for CPU intensive games. The results were gathered by doing R&D throughout the internet and also matching the result with Game-Debate website before publishing here.
