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ETier E · Older & esports · 1080p medium

Which CPU for the GTX 1080?

The GeForce GTX 1080 has 8 GB of VRAM and handles maximum settings at 1080p. We pick its CPU at 1080p, where the processor matters most. Below: our recommendation, a table of 48 CPUs with average FPS, and the most common pairings.

  • NVIDIA
  • 8 GB
  • 2016
  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Gaming score: 39

Recommended CPUs for the GTX 1080 (1080p)

From the processors in our configurator. Loss = how much lower the FPS is than with the strongest CPU in our range (the worse of demanding games at Ultra and esports at medium settings).

Every CPU with the GTX 1080: FPS and bottleneck

Average of 17 games without upscaling (demanding games at Ultra, esports at medium). Verdict by loss at 1080p; at higher resolutions the CPU matters less.

Every CPU with the GTX 1080: FPS and bottleneck
ProcessorTierPlatformFPS 1080pFPS 1440pFPS 4KLoss 1080pVerdict
Ryzen 7 9850X3DSAM5 · DDR51137847−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 9800X3DSAM5 · DDR51137747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 9 9950X3DSAM5 · DDR51137747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 9 9900X3DSAM5 · DDR51137747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 7800X3DAAM5 · DDR51137747−0 %Ideal pair
Core i9-14900KAIntel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR51137747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 7600X3DAAM5 · DDR51137747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 7500X3DAAM5 · DDR51127747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 9 9950XBAM5 · DDR51127747−0 %Ideal pair
Core i7-14700KBIntel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR51127747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 9700XBAM5 · DDR51127747−0 %Ideal pair
Core Ultra 9 285KBIntel LGA1851 · DDR51127747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 9 9900XBAM5 · DDR51127747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 9600XBAM5 · DDR51127747−0 %Ideal pair
Core i5-14600KBIntel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR51117747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 5800X3DFastest AM4 – an upgrade for a DDR4 board. For a new PC pick AM5 instead: the Ryzen 5 9600X does the same in games for less.BAM4 · DDR41117747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 7700BAM5 · DDR51117747−0 %Ideal pair
Core Ultra 7 265KBIntel LGA1851 · DDR51117747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 7700XBAM5 · DDR51117747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 7600XBAM5 · DDR51117747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 5700X3DBAM4 · DDR41117747−0 %Ideal pair
Core Ultra 5 245KBIntel LGA1851 · DDR51117747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 7500FpickCAM5 · DDR51107747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 7600CAM5 · DDR51107747−0 %Ideal pair
Core i5-14400FCIntel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR51107747−0 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 5800XTCAM4 · DDR41087647−1 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 5600XCAM4 · DDR41087647−1 %Ideal pair
Core i5-12400FCIntel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR51077647−1 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 5700XCAM4 · DDR41077647−1 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 5600pickCAM4 · DDR41077647−2 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 8400FDAM5 · DDR51067647−2 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 8700FDAM5 · DDR51067647−2 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 5700DAM4 · DDR41057647−3 %Ideal pair
Core i3-12100FDIntel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR51037547−4 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 5500pickDAM4 · DDR41037547−4 %Ideal pair

Have an older CPU?

We no longer sell older processors, but they belong in the table: they show whether a GPU swap is enough or the whole platform needs replacing. Send us your configuration for a free upgrade quote; old hardware counts as a trade-in.

Have an older CPU?
ProcessorTierPlatformFPS 1080pFPS 1440pFPS 4KLoss 1080pVerdict
Core i9-13900KAIntel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR51137747−0 %Ideal pair
Core i5-13600KBIntel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR51117747−0 %Ideal pair
Core i5-12600KCIntel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR51107747−0 %Ideal pair
Core i5-13400FCIntel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR51097747−0 %Ideal pair
Core i7-10700KDIntel LGA1200 · DDR41057647−3 %Ideal pair
Core i7-8700KDIntel LGA1151 · DDR41017546−5 %Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 3700XDAM4 · DDR41017446−5 %Good choice
Core i5-10400FEIntel LGA1200 · DDR41007446−6 %Good choice
Ryzen 5 3600EAM4 · DDR4997446−6 %Good choice
Core i7-7700KEIntel LGA1151 · DDR4977346−7 %Good choice
Core i5-9400FEIntel LGA1151 · DDR4977346−7 %Good choice
Core i7-4790KEIntel LGA1150 · DDR3836744−16 %CPU holds it back a bit
Ryzen 5 2600EAM4 · DDR4886944−11 %Good choice
Free upgrade quote

Most common pairings with the GTX 1080

GTX 1080 + Ryzen 5 7500F

Ideal pair

GTX 1080 + Ryzen 5 7500F: 110 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 0 % (ideal pair).

  • CS2 1080p: 242 FPS
  • Fortnite 1080p: 41 FPS
  • Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 53 FPS
  • Battlefield 6 1080p: 38 FPS
  • Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 50 FPS

GTX 1080 + Core i5-12400F

Ideal pair

GTX 1080 + Core i5-12400F: 107 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 1 % (ideal pair).

  • CS2 1080p: 241 FPS
  • Fortnite 1080p: 41 FPS
  • Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 53 FPS
  • Battlefield 6 1080p: 38 FPS
  • Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 50 FPS

GTX 1080 + Ryzen 5 5600

Ideal pair

GTX 1080 + Ryzen 5 5600: 107 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 2 % (ideal pair).

  • CS2 1080p: 241 FPS
  • Fortnite 1080p: 41 FPS
  • Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 53 FPS
  • Battlefield 6 1080p: 38 FPS
  • Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 50 FPS

GTX 1080 + Ryzen 5 5500

Ideal pair

GTX 1080 + Ryzen 5 5500: 103 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 4 % (ideal pair).

  • CS2 1080p: 240 FPS
  • Fortnite 1080p: 41 FPS
  • Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 53 FPS
  • Battlefield 6 1080p: 38 FPS
  • Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 50 FPS

GTX 1080 + Core i3-12100F

Ideal pair

GTX 1080 + Core i3-12100F: 103 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 4 % (ideal pair).

  • CS2 1080p: 240 FPS
  • Fortnite 1080p: 41 FPS
  • Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 53 FPS
  • Battlefield 6 1080p: 38 FPS
  • Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 50 FPS

GTX 1080 + Core i7-8700K

Ideal pair

GTX 1080 + Core i7-8700K: 101 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 5 % (ideal pair).

  • CS2 1080p: 239 FPS
  • Fortnite 1080p: 41 FPS
  • Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 53 FPS
  • Battlefield 6 1080p: 38 FPS
  • Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 50 FPS

GTX 1080 + Core i5-10400F

Good choice

GTX 1080 + Core i5-10400F: 100 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 6 % (good choice).

  • CS2 1080p: 238 FPS
  • Fortnite 1080p: 41 FPS
  • Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 53 FPS
  • Battlefield 6 1080p: 38 FPS
  • Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 50 FPS

GTX 1080 + Ryzen 5 3600

Good choice

GTX 1080 + Ryzen 5 3600: 99 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 6 % (good choice).

  • CS2 1080p: 237 FPS
  • Fortnite 1080p: 41 FPS
  • Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 53 FPS
  • Battlefield 6 1080p: 38 FPS
  • Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 50 FPS

GTX 1080 + Core i7-4790K

CPU holds it back a bit

GTX 1080 + Core i7-4790K: 83 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 16 % (cpu holds it back a bit).

  • CS2 1080p: 115 FPS
  • Fortnite 1080p: 40 FPS
  • Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 51 FPS
  • Battlefield 6 1080p: 38 FPS
  • Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 49 FPS

PCs in stock with the GTX 1080

All PCs with the GTX 1080

Other tier E graphics cards

Frequently asked questions

Which CPU is best for the GTX 1080?
From our range we recommend the Ryzen 5 5600 (2 % loss at 1080p, 107 FPS on average). A sensible minimum is Ryzen 5 5500 (4 % loss at 1080p, 103 FPS on average). All of them are in our configurator and we build the PC for you.
Is a Ryzen 5 5600 enough for the GTX 1080?
At 1080p the Ryzen 5 5600 averages 107 FPS with the GTX 1080, 2 % less than the strongest CPU (ideal pair). At 1080p the gap is 2 %. In esports at medium settings (CS2, Valorant, Dota 2) the CPU matters more: 260 FPS on average versus 283 FPS with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D.
What resolution is the GTX 1080 good for?
With maximum settings and no upscaling the GeForce GTX 1080 is a 1080p card: with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D it averages 43 FPS in demanding games (Cyberpunk 2077, Kingdom Come 2, Battlefield 6…) and 283 FPS in esports. With DLSS/FSR you can go one resolution higher.
How many FPS does the GTX 1080 get with the Ryzen 5 5600?
Without upscaling (demanding games at Ultra, esports at medium): CS2 1080p: 241 FPS, Fortnite 1080p: 41 FPS, Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 53 FPS, Battlefield 6 1080p: 38 FPS, Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 50 FPS. These are the same numbers the “How many FPS?” calculator shows on every PC.
Does an older CPU like the Ryzen 5 3600 bottleneck the GTX 1080?
Yes, noticeably: at 1080p the Ryzen 5 3600 gives 6 % lower FPS than the strongest CPU (99 FPS on average; in esports at medium settings 6 %). Playable, but a newer CPU unlocks more – send us your configuration and we will quote the upgrade; the old parts count as a trade-in.

Decided? We will build it.

Every recommended CPU and GPU is in our configurator. We build in Olomouc, stress-test and deliver with a 36-month warranty. Your old PC or graphics card counts as a trade-in.

Build a PC in the configuratorPCs in stockTrade-in & buyback