NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4080 SUPER remain popular graphics cards (GPU) for PC gamers, designers, and creators despite the launch of RTX 50-series cards.
These high-performance GPUs should be paired with a powerful processor to avoid bottlenecks that unnecessarily drop FPS.
My top pick is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which is usually found for about $519 at Newegg. It offers the best gaming performance of any CPU on the market today.
We've spent hundreds of hours testing all of the latest Intel and AMD CPUs, and I've included five other top picks for a range of budgets and uses.
Recent updates
May 13, 2025: I've reorganized our top picks following a collection of new reviews from the Windows Central team. If you want a CPU for the RTX 4080 or 4080 SUPER, these are your best options. — Cale Hunt
Best CPUs for your NVIDIA RTX 4080 in 2025
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Best overall
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D features AMD's proprietary 3D V-Cache that significantly boosts performance when gaming. It's not the best for productivity work, but there's really no other option if you want the best CPU for PC gaming in 2025. It's the chip I have in my PC, and I have no regrets whatsoever.
👉 Read our AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D review
Also great
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the predecessor to the 9800X3D, and it's almost as good for PC gaming as the Zen 5 successor. It also features AMD's 3D V-Cache that specifically boosts performance in games, and it's usually available for less money than the 9800X3D. Check out my Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs. 7800X3D comparison for more info.
👉 Read our AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D review
Best for creators
The Ryzen 9950X3D delivers roughly the same gaming performance as the Ryzen 7 9800X3D thanks to the inclusion of AMD's 3D V-Cache. However, it has twice as many cores and threads, significantly boosting performance in creative and development tasks. This is the perfect CPU if you want to do more than game with your RTX 4080.
👉 Read our AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D review
Best Intel
Gaming performance hasn't changed much since Intel switched to its Core Ultra AI chips, and the Core i7-14700K remains a great chip for gaming with the RTX 4080 or 4080 SUPER. It won't match the performance of the Ryzen chips above, but it's significantly more affordable at about $325.
👉 Read our Intel Core i7-14700K review
Intel productivity
Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K includes a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for local AI tasks, and overall, it's geared towards excellent productivity performance. It'll also handle a life of PC gaming, though I still recommend AMD's Ryzen X3D chips if you're focusing primarily on having fun.
👉 Read our Intel Core Ultra 9 285K review
Affordable AMD
The Ryzen 5 9600X is a "masterclass of performance-per-watt efficiency," according to our review, and while it's on the low end of CPU power you'll want to pair with an RTX 4080, it'll get the job done with minimal bottlenecking. Best part: it's usually available for about $209 at Newegg.
👉 Read our AMD Ryzen 5 9600X review
I've been building custom PCs for more than two decades, and with more than 9 years of reviews and testing for Windows Central, I can confidently recommend these CPUs to pair with your RTX 4080 or RTX 4080 SUPER.
Honorable Mentions
Don't see the right CPU in the collection above to pair up with your RTX 4080? Some of these honorable mentions might pique your interest.
- Intel Core Ultra 5 245K: Like the Ryzen 5 9600X, the Core Ultra 5 245K is on the low end of what I recommend pairing with the RTX 4080 or 4080 SUPER. Nevertheless, it brings excellent productivity performance and an NPU for AI tasks. 👉 Read our full Core Ultra 5 245K review
- AMD Ryzen 7 9700X: The Ryzen 7 9700X is one of AMD's latest Zen 5 chips. It lacks the 3D V-Cache that makes my top two picks so great for gaming, but it also costs quite a bit less for those who blew their budget on the NVIDIA RTX 4080 or 4080 SUPER. 👉 Read our full Ryzen 7 9700X review
How to choose the best CPU for your NVIDIA RTX 4080 or 4080 SUPER
AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D is an easy top recommendation to pair with NVIDIA's RTX 4080 or RTX 4080 SUPER.
It's the most powerful CPU you can buy if PC gaming is your main focus, all thanks to AMD's unique 3D V-Cache that expands and stacks the cache. Pick it up for about $519 at Newegg.
Windows Central Senior Editor reviewed the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, remarking:
"AMD continues the theme with its second generation of 3D V-Cache to deliver unparalleled gaming performance and middling productivity. Thankfully, most gamers do not care about the benchmark-breaking number crunching as long as they get their framerate boosts, and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivers that sweet extra FPS."
Considering the 9800X3D's immense popularity, you might have better luck finding the Ryzen 7 7800X3D predecessor for sale.
It's more affordable, it offers nearly the same level of gaming performance thanks to its own 3D V-Cache, and it's rarely sold out. You can usually find it for about $386.
Ben Wilson also reviewed the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, stating:
"Given how much outrageous raw gaming performance is on offer from this processor, it's not an unreasonable request for an upgrade. You'll benefit from the opposition if you rely on productivity apps, but AMD isn't pretending to appeal to that crowd."
If you are, indeed, aiming for huge productivity performance, I again turn to AMD with its Ryzen 9 9950X3D.
It has the 3D V-Cache that benefits gaming, but compared to the 9800X3D, it doubles the core and thread count.
Windows Central Editor Harish Jonnalagadda reviewed the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, saying:
"On the productivity and creative side, AMD is crushing benchmarks and dominating the scene entirely, so this multi-function chip has its place, but it's an expensive place to be. Nevertheless, if you can harness all this chip has to offer, there is nothing better to recommend."
The 9950X3D is the most expensive chip on this list at about $895, so I only recommend it if you plan on doing some heavy creative and design tasks with your PC.
Best CPUs for NVIDIA's RTX 4080: FAQ
Here are some answers to the pressing questions surrounding the RTX 4080 GPU.
Are these CPUs also suitable for the NVIDIA RTX 4080 SUPER?
Absolutely. The RTX 4080 SUPER boosts the standard 4080's performance, but the CPUs I've included here — especially the AMD Ryzen X3D versions — won't have any issues keeping up.
Are these CPUs also suitable for the RTX 5080?
The RTX 5080 from NVIDIA's latest RTX 5000 lineup pushes performance beyond the RTX 4080 and 4080 SUPER, but not nearly enough to make these CPUs irrelevant. Stick with AMD's Ryzen X3D options for best results.
