Which processor for an RX 580 8GB

[optimistictwat]

I'm having a hard time figuring out which processor would be best for a relatively inexpensive gaming PC with an RX 580. I have seen some people recommending the I3 8100 or the I5 8400. So, which processor would be best for the RX 580 8GB?

 

[Eximo]

i5-8400 if you had to pick between those two. An argument could easily be made for the Ryzen 2600. A good compromise between core performance and thread count, also a little cheaper than the i5.

 

[optimistictwat]

Hmm, I hadn't really thought of getting a Ryzen processor but what I've seen from a few benchmarks it definitely seem like a good option for me. As for the I3 8100, do you think it can handle the RX 580? The price is definitely attractive but I don't want to buy something that I'll have to replace less than a year later.

 

[Eximo]

I would take the Ryzen 2600 over the i3-8100. A decent quad core, but that is about the minimum I would consider buying today.

Even the Ryzen R5-1400 would be a quad core with SMT, so 8 threads vs 4.

Any of them can 'handle' an RX580, I think you'll find the GPU still a limiting factor in anything that can stress it. You'll only be CPU bound on titles you want to run at very high FPS.