DTier D · Entry gaming · 1080p

Which CPU for the RTX 3060 12GB?

The GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB has 12 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 47 CPUs with average FPS, and the most common pairings.

NVIDIA
12 GB
2021
Resolution: 1080p
Gaming score: 47

Recommended CPUs for the RTX 3060 12GB (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).

Sensible minimum
Ryzen 5 5500
AM4 · DDR4 · 6 cores
loss 1080p
−4 %
Ideal pair
avg. FPS
119
esports
283
demanding games
51
in configurator €90
Build with this CPU

Every CPU with the RTX 3060 12GB: 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 RTX 3060 12GB: FPS and bottleneck
Processor	Tier	Platform	FPS 1080p	FPS 1440p	FPS 4K	Loss 1080p	Verdict
Ryzen 7 9850X3D	S	AM5 · DDR5	138	95	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 9800X3D	S	AM5 · DDR5	138	95	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 9 9950X3D	S	AM5 · DDR5	137	95	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 9 9900X3D	S	AM5 · DDR5	137	95	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 7800X3D	A	AM5 · DDR5	136	95	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core i9-14900K	A	Intel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR5	136	95	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 7600X3D	A	AM5 · DDR5	135	95	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 7500X3D	A	AM5 · DDR5	135	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 9 9950X	B	AM5 · DDR5	134	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core i7-14700K	B	Intel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR5	134	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 9700X	B	AM5 · DDR5	134	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core Ultra 9 285K	B	Intel LGA1851 · DDR5	134	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 9 9900X	B	AM5 · DDR5	133	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 9600X	B	AM5 · DDR5	133	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core i5-14600K	B	Intel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR5	133	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 7700	B	AM5 · DDR5	133	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core Ultra 7 265K	B	Intel LGA1851 · DDR5	133	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 7700X	B	AM5 · DDR5	133	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 7600X	B	AM5 · DDR5	132	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 5700X3D	B	AM4 · DDR4	132	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core Ultra 5 245K	B	Intel LGA1851 · DDR5	132	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 7600	C	AM5 · DDR5	131	93	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 7500F	C	AM5 · DDR5	131	93	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core i5-14400F	C	Intel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR5	130	93	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 5800XT	C	AM4 · DDR4	126	92	57	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 5600X	C	AM4 · DDR4	126	92	57	−1 %	Ideal pair
Core i5-12400F	C	Intel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR5	125	92	57	−1 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 5700X	C	AM4 · DDR4	125	92	57	−1 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 5600	C	AM4 · DDR4	125	92	57	−1 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 8400F	D	AM5 · DDR5	123	91	57	−2 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 5700	D	AM4 · DDR4	122	91	57	−3 %	Ideal pair
Core i3-12100F	D	Intel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR5	119	90	56	−4 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 5 5500pick	D	AM4 · DDR4	119	90	56	−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?
Processor	Tier	Platform	FPS 1080p	FPS 1440p	FPS 4K	Loss 1080p	Verdict
Core i9-13900K	A	Intel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR5	135	95	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 5800X3D	B	AM4 · DDR4	133	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core i5-13600K	B	Intel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR5	132	94	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core i5-12600K	C	Intel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR5	130	93	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core i5-13400F	C	Intel LGA1700 · DDR4/DDR5	129	93	58	−0 %	Ideal pair
Core i7-10700K	D	Intel LGA1200 · DDR4	121	91	57	−3 %	Ideal pair
Core i7-8700K	D	Intel LGA1151 · DDR4	116	89	56	−5 %	Ideal pair
Ryzen 7 3700X	D	AM4 · DDR4	116	89	56	−5 %	Ideal pair
Core i5-10400F	E	Intel LGA1200 · DDR4	114	88	55	−6 %	Good choice
Ryzen 5 3600	E	AM4 · DDR4	112	88	55	−6 %	Good choice
Core i7-7700K	E	Intel LGA1151 · DDR4	110	87	55	−7 %	Good choice
Core i5-9400F	E	Intel LGA1151 · DDR4	110	87	55	−7 %	Good choice
Core i7-4790K	E	Intel LGA1150 · DDR3	91	76	52	−15 %	CPU holds it back a bit
Ryzen 5 2600	E	AM4 · DDR4	97	80	52	−10 %	Good choice

Free upgrade quote

Most common pairings with the RTX 3060 12GB

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 7 9800X3D

Ideal pair

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 138 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 0 % (ideal pair).

CS2 1080p: 306 FPS
Fortnite 1080p: 49 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 64 FPS
Battlefield 6 1080p: 50 FPS
Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 60 FPS

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Ideal pair

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 7 7800X3D: 136 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 0 % (ideal pair).

CS2 1080p: 306 FPS
Fortnite 1080p: 49 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 63 FPS
Battlefield 6 1080p: 50 FPS
Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 60 FPS

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 7500X3D

Ideal pair

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 7500X3D: 135 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 0 % (ideal pair).

CS2 1080p: 305 FPS
Fortnite 1080p: 49 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 63 FPS
Battlefield 6 1080p: 50 FPS
Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 60 FPS

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 7500F

Ideal pair

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 7500F: 131 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 0 % (ideal pair).

CS2 1080p: 304 FPS
Fortnite 1080p: 49 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 63 FPS
Battlefield 6 1080p: 50 FPS
Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 60 FPS

RTX 3060 12GB + Core i5-12400F

Ideal pair

RTX 3060 12GB + Core i5-12400F: 125 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 1 % (ideal pair).

CS2 1080p: 302 FPS
Fortnite 1080p: 49 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 63 FPS
Battlefield 6 1080p: 50 FPS
Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 59 FPS

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 5600

Ideal pair

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 5600: 125 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 1 % (ideal pair).

CS2 1080p: 301 FPS
Fortnite 1080p: 49 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 63 FPS
Battlefield 6 1080p: 50 FPS
Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 59 FPS

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 5500

Ideal pair

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 5500: 119 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 4 % (ideal pair).

CS2 1080p: 296 FPS
Fortnite 1080p: 49 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 63 FPS
Battlefield 6 1080p: 50 FPS
Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 59 FPS

RTX 3060 12GB + Core i5-10400F

Good choice

RTX 3060 12GB + Core i5-10400F: 114 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 6 % (good choice).

CS2 1080p: 288 FPS
Fortnite 1080p: 49 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 62 FPS
Battlefield 6 1080p: 50 FPS
Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 59 FPS

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 3600

Good choice

RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 3600: 112 FPS on average at 1080p, the CPU costs 6 % (good choice).

CS2 1080p: 284 FPS
Fortnite 1080p: 49 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 62 FPS
Battlefield 6 1080p: 50 FPS
Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 59 FPS

PCs in stock with the RTX 3060 12GB

No ready-built PC with the RTX 3060 12GB in stock right now – we will build one to order in the configurator.

Open the configurator

Other tier D graphics cards

Frequently asked questions

Which CPU is best for the RTX 3060 12GB?

From our range we recommend the Ryzen 5 5500 (4 % loss at 1080p, 119 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 RTX 3060 12GB?

At 1080p the Ryzen 5 5600 averages 125 FPS with the RTX 3060 12GB, 1 % less than the strongest CPU (ideal pair). At 1080p the gap is 1 %. In esports at medium settings (CS2, Valorant, Dota 2) the CPU matters more: 300 FPS on average versus 345 FPS with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D.

What resolution is the RTX 3060 12GB good for?

With maximum settings and no upscaling the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB is a 1080p card: with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D it averages 52 FPS in demanding games (Cyberpunk 2077, Kingdom Come 2, Battlefield 6…) and 345 FPS in esports. With DLSS/FSR you can go one resolution higher.

How many FPS does the RTX 3060 12GB get with the Ryzen 5 5500?

Without upscaling (demanding games at Ultra, esports at medium): CS2 1080p: 296 FPS, Fortnite 1080p: 49 FPS, Cyberpunk 2077 1080p: 63 FPS, Battlefield 6 1080p: 50 FPS, Kingdom Come 2 1080p: 59 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 RTX 3060 12GB?

Yes, noticeably: at 1080p the Ryzen 5 3600 gives 6 % lower FPS than the strongest CPU (112 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 configurator PCs in stock Trade-in & buyback