Every year, something beautiful and somewhat strange is happening: the number of people who game increase and that also means that the number of people looking for a CPU for GTX 1060 increases.
Why?
Simply put, it is one of the most powerful pieces of technology on the market and you need to have the equipment to keep up with it.
You need to have a good motherboard, you need to have multiple graphics cards, and you need a monitor that you love. However, you also need to find a great CPU to support everything else that you need.
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card is one of the best cards to ever be released, if you can bring out the best in it. You need to find a CPU compatible with GTX 1060, of course, but you also need to find one that will bring out the best in it. Not all CPUs that are compatible with GTX 1060 will be a good choice.
As the price of the GTX continues to drop thanks to newer models (though they may not live up to the standard that was created) more people will be able to get it. Thus, there needs to be a range of CPUs available.
Contents
- Comparison Table
- What Is The Best Processor For GTX 1060? Our Choices
- 1. AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler
- 2. Intel Core i3-8100 Desktop Processor 4 Cores up to 3.6 GHz Turbo Unlocked LGA1151 300 Series 95W
- 3. Intel Core i5-8400 Desktop Processor 6 Cores up to 4.0 GHz LGA 1151 300 Series 65W
- 4. Intel Pentium Gold G5400 Desktop Processor 2 Core 3.7GHz LGA1151 300 Series 54W/58W BX80684G5400
- Our Final Thoughts
Comparison Table
| Product | Key Specifications |
| AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Processor |
|
| Intel Core i3-8100 Desktop Processor |
|
| Intel Core i5-8400 Desktop Processor |
|
| Intel Pentium Gold G5400 Desktop Processor |
|
What Is The Best Processor For GTX 1060? Our Choices
There are some CPUs that will work just fine with the graphics card, and then there are CPUs that are so perfectly aligned that they will provide the best performance. We decided to break some of those options down and put them up against each other to see what will be the best processor for GTX 1060.
Take a look at what we found:
1. AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler
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Get The Most Bang For Your Buck:
– Overview:
Pros
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Processor with Wraith Stealth Coole is an extremely powerful processor that has some great integrated graphics. It is affordable and what you get provides you with more value for your dollar than any other choice on the list.
It comes with an unlocked CPU multiplier standard, solid gaming performance, and an excellent CPU cooler standard. For those looking for slim builds, this will fit right in (but it isn’t the smallest) and it has a good warranty.
Cons
There are some drawbacks, however. The PCI-E lanes are somewhat limited, only coming in at the x8 level. In general, the performance can seem a bit lackadaisical.
– Specifications:
| Number Of Cores | Quad-Core |
| Processor Number | 2400G |
| Compatible Processor Socket | Socket AM4 |
| Clock Speed | 3.6 GHz |
| Form Factor | AMD Ryzen 5 2400G |
| Cache Memory | L2 – 2 MB |
| Threads | Eight threads |
| Thermal Specification | 105 °C |
| Service Included | Replacement |
| Warranty | Three-year warranty |
| Product Type | Processor |
| Accessories | AMD Wraith Stealth Cooler |
– Long Review:
If you want something that is going to give you the most for your dollar, then the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G should be your first choice. It is affordable within its range and many think it to be the best CPU to have been produced to support GTX 1060. It comes equipped with an enhanced chip (something you’d have to pay for with more other CPUs) and delivers when it needs to.
For traditional game players, this CPU comes with a good chip for both GPU and CPU already built into it. If you are going above and beyond and you plan to use a 5 2400G alongside this card, you will get the performance you are looking for and then some. When you combine these two, beautiful things happen.
Even amongst newer models, this CPU will stand out. Many saw it as the gold standard for GPUs when it was released and it truly hasn’t had much competition within the mid-price range. If you are willing to spend double, you may be able to find something better. Even so, it outperforms many more expensive pieces. It will offer about 10% more performance than its competitors.
Buyers will have to think about what they are getting for what they are paying because you shouldn’t wait around for sales. They aren’t all that common because of how powerful this CPU is.
– It is overclockable?
Yes – the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G is equipped with a boost/base clock of 3.6 GHz/3.9 GHz which you can overclock up to 4.0 GHz with some additional cooling systems in place.
2. Intel Core i3-8100 Desktop Processor 4 Cores up to 3.6 GHz Turbo Unlocked LGA1151 300 Series 95W
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Best For Those Looking For A Low Price
– Overview:
Pros
The Intel Core i3-8100 comes with four cores so it will give you good performance in both applications and in gaming. It comes at a nice low price and comes with a decent stock cooling system.
Cons
There are a few things missing from this CPU, namely hyper-threading and no B-series motherboards. It also has a locked multiplier, which could cause some issues for some buyers.
– Specifications:
| Number Of Cores | Quad-Core |
| Processor Number | i3-8100 |
| Compatible Processor Socket | LGA1151 Socket |
| Clock Speed | 3.6 GHz |
| Form Factor | Intel Core i3 8100 (8th Gen) |
| Cache Memory | 6 MB |
| Threads | 4 threads |
| Thermal Specification | 100 °C |
| Service Included | Replacement |
| Warranty | Three-year warranty |
| Product Type | Processor |
| Accessories | Cooler |
– Long review:
If you are looking for a bargain price for the best CPU for GTX 1060, you should stop your search at the Intel i3 8100. It is a fantastic processor within its price range and it will also fit the Nvidia GTX 1060, making it a win-win situation. It will support almost every type of game, so you won’t have to go searching for something new.
It doesn’t include any hyperthreading and will support both 4 threads and 4 cores without having the heavy price tag.
One of the main reasons we suggest this CPU for the GTX 1060 graphics card is because you are able to get a high frame per second rate at 1080 ultra, which is helpful in some situations. You will be able to play 20% faster on many games than you would on the other model from Intel.
There is a good amount of cache memory loaded into it (6 MB) as well as a base clock of 3.6 GHz, which isn’t too bad either. It is capable of handling most games and you are able to overclock on it. If you are still worried about making the CPU easier to afford, you can use it with a single H310 chipset motherboard to help bring the cost down even more.
3. Intel Core i5-8400 Desktop Processor 6 Cores up to 4.0 GHz LGA 1151 300 Series 65W
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Best For Overall Performance
– Overview:
Pros
The Intel Core i5-8400 Desktop Processor is one of the best values that you can get with top-rated performance in many applications and games. It comes bundlded with a cooler, has six cored included, and is one of the better prices that we have seen.
Cons
The biggest detriment is that there aren’t any B-series motherboards and the ratio multiplier is locked. Other than that, there are some vauge complaints about usage but nothing universal.
– Specifications:
| Number of cores | 6-core |
| Processor number | i5-8400 |
| Compatible processor socket | LGA1151 Socket |
| Clock speed | 2.8 GHz |
| Form factor | Intel Core i5 8400 (8th Gen) |
| Cache memory | 9 MB |
| Threads | 6 threads |
| Thermal Specification | 100 °C |
| Service included | Replacement |
| Warranty | Three-year warranty |
| Product type | processor |
| Accessories | Cooler |
– Long Review:
If you are thinking about building your own PC for gaming, the Intel i5 8400 may just be your dream come true. It offers some unprecedented gaming experience with an affordable price tag that just a few years ago was unimaginable. The two-cores make gaming a breeze, no matter how heavy the software is.
There are plenty of features included standard here, including six cores with no hyperthreading, a good warranty, easy install, and good compatiblity with many parts, including the GTX 1060. It was intelligently designed to function extremely well and it is often on sale.
There are a few downsides, including a locked multiplier, but that can be worked around in most cases.
4. Intel Pentium Gold G5400 Desktop Processor 2 Core 3.7GHz LGA1151 300 Series 54W/58W BX80684G5400
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If You Don’t Plan To Overclock
– Overview:
Pros
If you are looking to hyperthread, this is one of the only good CPUs for GTX 1060 that allows two cores to function. It has a bundled cooler that works pretty well. Overall, there is some good performance here.
Cons
This isn’t a great option if you are going to overclock on a regular basis becuase of its average dual-core architecture.
– Specifications:
| Model | BX80684G5400 |
| Release Date | April 2018 |
| Series | Pentium Gold |
| Core Name | Coffee lake |
| Socket | LGA1151 |
| Integrated Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 610 |
| CPU Cores | Two |
| CPU Threads | Four |
| CPU Clock Rate | 3700MHz |
| Tdp | 58W |
| Manufacturing Process | 14 nm |
| Cache | 4.00MB |
| Maximum Supported Memory | 64GB |
– Overview:
If you are looking for something that will get the job done but you don’t need it to do anything over the top or extraordinary, try the Intel Pentium G5400. It is a great processor for those who are going to do what people traditionally do on a computer but you aren’t going to push it in the gaming category.
It is a beautiful CPU that fits in with just about any other pieces you will buy. If you are looking for aesthetic value, this is it.
It comes equipped with the 8th Gen Pentium Processor with 4 Threads and 2 Cores, which meanst hat you could compare it to the i3 7100. However, there have been some improvements here to make it just a little bit better. The bundled cooler is enticing for many people, as this cooler is pretty high quality as well.
Gamers will be disappointed in the FPS rate that you will get from this. It doesn’t lag or provide any performance issues, there are just some better options out there when it comes to FPS rates. It requires you to be careful about overclocking or not do it at all. The base clock comes in at 3.7 GHz, which is fine for handling almost any game.
In fact, “Fine,” is the word we’d used to describe this CPU for GTX 1060. You probably won’t have any complaints but if you look around, you will probably find something that is just a bit better. You won’t necessarily experience any bottlenecks, but you won’t be wowed by the power either.
Our Final Thoughts
There are plenty of great options out there if you are looking to find the best CPU for GTX 1060. The Core i5 8400 is very, very good when it comes gaming and traditional computer work. It is hard to overlook the six-core structure, the price, and the gaming performance. If you are willing to spend a little extra, it is well worth the investment.
However, you will need to do some research on your own to see which one will work the best for what you need. Take these points into consideration, look at the stats for yourself. All of the CPUs on this list will enhance your gaming experience and make your computer better. They are all all high-performance, filled with features, and are all pretty budget friendly.
Of course there are other models that offer more, but they tend to be extremely epxensive and not great choices for most people.
These CPUs are a great place to start your search for the ideal CPUs for GTX 1060.
