by Which CPU bottleneck the RTX 3060? Let’s find out
Updated: Jan 31, 2023 11:03 a.m.
The RTX 3060 was released with Nvidia’s second generation of RTX cards in 2021. It is based on the Ampere architecture and features an 8nm process. But which CPU bottleneck the RTX 3060?
Now read: best processor for RTX 3060
You will need a powerful CPU to keep up with the instruction demand of the GPU. Otherwise, you may encounter a bottleneck.
Let’s find out which CPUs make a good pairing with the RTX 3060 and which lead to a bottleneck.
01
Best CPU for RTX 3060
Ryzen 5 5600X
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
02
Finalist processor for RTX 3060
Core i3-13400F
Intel Core i5-13400F
RTX 3060 Specifications
First of all, let’s look at the specs of the RTX 3060.
- Base clock: 1320 MHz
- Boost clock: 1780 MHz
- CUDA Cores: 3,584
- Memory clock: 15000 MHz
- Memory size: 12 GB
- Memory type: GDDR6
- Bus width: 192 bits
- Maximum digital resolution: 7680 × 4320
- Power Consumption: 170W
- Recommended power supply: 550 W
The RTX 3060 was aimed at a mid-range market and retailed at a relatively affordable $329 at launch. It’s a good graphics card overall and one of the best options for budget gamers today.
Although the RTX 3060 lets you play at 4K, 60FPS with DLSS enabled and some minor tweaks to in-game visual settings, the card is primarily intended for use in 1440p and 1080p gaming.
Here is some additional information about the RTX 3060 in games.
What is a bottleneck?
In the context of a gaming PC, a bottleneck exists when one of your two microprocessors (the CPU and the GPU) is significantly more powerful than the other.
The slowest microprocessor would be the one that would dictate your computer’s overall performance – or, in other words, your frame rate – while gaming.
If you were to pair an RTX 3060 with too weak a CPU, the 3060 would sit idly by, waiting for the weaker CPU to send instructions so it could continue and generate the images you see on your screen.
The reverse is also true – pairing the RTX 3060 with a processor that’s too powerful for it would still be an inefficient use of resources.
It’s best to have a CPU and GPU that offer very similar performance, as this will minimize the bottleneck and allow both microprocessors to work in harmony.
What CPU bottleneck an RTX 3060?
The RTX 3060 is an excellent mid-range card. Being an RTX processor doesn’t automatically make it a high-end graphics card. It is greatly surpassed by the superior processors of the 3000 and 4000 series.
As I mentioned earlier, the RTX 3060 is designed for 1440p gaming. With that in mind, I recommend pairing it with a processor no weaker than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X.
The 5600X has 6 cores and 12 threads. While it’s far from the best we have today, it will pair perfectly with the RTX 3060 to allow you high-quality gaming at 1440p or 4K, with some settings tweaked.
If you’re on a 1080p monitor, you’ll need a slightly more powerful processor. The higher the resolution of your screen, the greater the load placed on your GPU. The load on your CPU, however, remains pretty much unchanged when changing resolutions.
For uncapped 1080p gaming at high frame rates, I recommend using a Ryzen 5 5700X or Intel i5-13400. Both of these processors have more threads than the 5600X, which will help avoid a bottleneck.
01
Best CPU for RTX 3060
Ryzen 5 5600X
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
02
Finalist processor for RTX 3060
Core i3-13400F
Intel Core i5-13400F
Let’s also talk about the opposite scenario – pairing a weak GPU with a strong CPU. The RTX 3060 is, again, a mid-range GPU from 2 years ago. Pairing it with a modern flagship will waste resources.
Therefore, I can’t recommend pairing the 3060 with anything more powerful than an i5-13600K if you’re looking to build an efficient PC with gaming as the only intention.
