Best Intel CPU for 980ti

[mrzaydab]

Looking for a CPU (preferably Intel) under $200 that can handle a NVIDIA 980ti.

 

[kanewolf]

A CPU assumes a motherboard. And a motherboard assumes RAM. There are limitations. What do you already have?

 

[Calvin7]

Core i5-8400 Coffee Lake 6-Core 2.8 GHz
Intel Core i5-7400 Kaby Lake Quad-Core 3.0 GHz
AMD RYZEN 5 2600 6-Core 3.4 GHz
AMD RYZEN 5 1600 6-Core 3.2 GHz

A few current models are listed above. There are many others that are both current and older models.

 

[geofelt]

Presumably, you are interested in gaming with the GTX980ti.

I can think of two options, depending on what types of games you play.
Probably the best all around would be the i5-8400 with 6 cores and priced around $180.

If your games are the mmo, strategy or sims type, you want a few fast cores.
The i3-8350K has 4 cores and will oc to 5.0 it costs about the same.
But, you will need a cooler, about $35 and a z370 based motherboard which you may want anyway for a future upgrade.
i3-8350K does not seem to get the love it deserves in these forums which are obsessed with ryzen and many threads.
Here is an older youtube comparison:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkV-1cjcGYo
spoiler... they are very comparable.

 

[mrzaydab]

A CPU assumes a motherboard. And a motherboard assumes RAM. There are limitations. What do you already have?

At the moment, nothing. I am planning to build a gaming pc and basing it off a 980ti. Not sure what motherboard to use but I’m planning on using 8GB of RAM. As you can tell I’m very new to this.

 

[kanewolf]

A CPU assumes a motherboard. And a motherboard assumes RAM. There are limitations. What do you already have?

At the moment, nothing. I am planning to build a gaming pc and basing it off a 980ti. Not sure what motherboard to use but I’m planning on using 8GB of RAM. As you can tell I’m very new to this.

Even "8GB of RAM" isn't enough info. DDR3 or DDR4... All new CPUs require DDR4 memory. Most work best with two matched DIMMs. The best entry level Intel CPU is probably the i3-8xxx. A $200 CPU means another $100 for motherboard and $100 for RAM.

 

[geofelt]

I5-8400 is a good and appropriate all around gamer.
You can buy any lga11151-300 series motherboard.
Buy a 2 x 4gb DDR4 ram kit. Speed is not that important.
Your GTX980ti will need a 6 and a 8 pin aux pcie power connector.
Typically found on a 600w psu.
Look for good quality; here is a list:
https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/631048-psu-tier-list-updated/
Seasonic focus is very good, 550w is ok for them.

Put together a list of what you have and a tentative parts ordering list.