Optimal Gaming Performance with Mid-Range Processors: Why Top-Tier Options Aren’t Necessary

Key Takeaways

• Mid-range CPUs like the Ryzen 5 7600X can handle any GPU you throw at it without bottlenecking it.
• Saving money on a mid-range CPU allows you to invest in a higher-end GPU, more storage, a better case, and more.
• Pairing a high-end GPU with a high-end CPU makes sense when budget and usage scenarios align, like in professional workstations.

The gaming CPU market is better than it has ever been, with modern midrange CPUs packing enough punch to rein in any GPU you throw at them. If you’re a gamer, you don’t need anything more than a midrange CPU; here’s why.

A Modern Mid-Range CPU Is Enough for Any Graphics Card

When I bought the CPU powering my current gaming rig, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X , in late 2020, I originally planned to pair it with an RTX 3080. But then the chip shortage happened, and the RTX 3080 price skyrocketed, so I had to temper my expectations and settle for an RTX 3070.

charnsitr/Shutterstock.com

But other people did marry their 5600Xs with RTX 3080s, even 3090s, and the little 65W midrange CPU powerhouse didn’t end up being a bottleneck in either case. Four years later, the 5600X’s descendant, the Ryzen 5 7600X , and its less power-hungry cousin, the Ryzen 5 7600 , are equally capable of providing enough power for any GPU you pair them with.

If you throw a quick glance at TechPowerUp’s review of the Core i9-14900KS , which includes gaming performance charts of almost every modern CPU worth mentioning, you’ll see that the differences in gaming performance between Intel’s halo product and AMD’s mid-range option are pretty slim. Even at 1080p , the 7600X reaches almost 90% of the performance delivered by the 14900KS.

Flip the page to the 1440p performance charts, the resolution most mid-range PC gamers are targeting nowadays, and the difference is smaller still. Intel’s Core i5-14600K , another mid-range gaming CPU, is even closer, managing to trail behind by less than 10%. That’s with the RTX 4090 , by far the fastest and most expensive gaming GPU on the market.

What I’m trying to say is that if you’re building a gaming PC, a mid-range CPU is all you need. If you really want the best gaming performance money can buy to pair with your RTX 4090, just get a Ryzen 7 7800X3D , the best gaming CPU out there as of this writing. A CPU you can often find on sale for less than $400.

Just skip Intel’s 13th and 14th gen CPUs since they are having a bad year with all the issues users are reporting left and right. At least until Intel releases a microcode update that should provide a remedy many Intel CPU owners are waiting for.

You Can Invest the Cash You’ve Saved In a Faster Graphics Card, More Storage, Better Case, and More

By giving up on a flagship or high-end CPU in favor of a mid-ranger, you’ll save a nice chunk of change. You can invest those savings in a faster GPU.

For example, buying a Ryzen 7600X instead of something like a Ryzen 7700X will net you about $100, enough to upgrade from an AMD RX 7700XT to an AMD RX 7900 GRE , one of the best GPUs on the market, which will give you an impressive 34% performance bump over the RX 7700XT!

Alternatively, you can spend said $100 on a higher capacity SSD, a better PC case with higher airflow or more fans, more RAM , or anything else you might find lacking in your component list. Personally, I’d get the faster GPU, but you do you.

Sometimes, Pairing a High-End GPU With a High-End CPU Makes Sense

With all that said, you shouldn’t blindly follow my advice and settle for a mid-range CPU in every scenario. If you’ve got the budget for both a high-end GPU and CPU, and your CPU choice doesn’t entail downgrading to a slower GPU than you originally planned to get, go for it.

Similarly, if you plan to use your PC for more than gaming, especially for CPU-heavy workloads such as video editing, getting a high-end CPU is justified. My only advice here is to think twice about whether that flagship CPU you’re eyeing gives you enough of a performance bump to justify its price compared to allocating that budget to another component.

Lastly, if you’re a professional who wants to build a capable workstation you’ll use both for business and fun, a high-end CPU—or even a flagship CPU if your work depends on it—makes perfect sense.

Also read: