With the release of Unreal Engine 5, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles we have come out of the days when 1080p gaming was considered superior. However, 1440p is the least and most popular resolution for the majority. Since PC hardware costs quite a bit and the higher the resolution the more powerful and expensive the PC is going to be so, this is one of the reasons behind 1440p’s popularity as it provides the sweet spot between fidelity and performance, also this is why we’re going to discuss which is the best CPU for 1440p gaming.
Intel and AMD both are competing with each other to become the most loved and profitable company of CPU manufacturing with the highest shares in the market. And this competition has been a lifesaver for the consumers which got them a lot of great value CPU options to choose from.
With each passing generation, both Intel and AMD try to do something unprecedented which would attract more and more consumers toward them. But the question remains about the best cpu for 1440p. Many things need to be taken into account and the most important is the budget, Intel’s Alder Lake and Raptor Lake processors, as well as the Zen 4-based AMD chips, are a little expensive but they ensure that you’re investing for convenience in the future.
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Best Overall Processor Ryzen 5 5600 Read More | See On Amazon |
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Best Integrated Graphics Processor Ryzen 7 5700G Read More | See On Amazon |
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Best Gaming Processor Intel Core i7 12700K Read More | See On Amazon |
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Best Budget Gaming Processor Intel Core i5 13400F Read More | See On Amazon |
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Best High-End Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D Read More | See On Amazon |
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Best Mid-Range Processor AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Read More | See On Amazon |
Needless to say, the older Ryzen 5000 series chips are still the most popular and in-demand chips due to their overall low platform cost and excellent processing performance which gives them quite a lot of headroom before going obsolete. Those chips can are great for gaming at 1440p resolution if paired with the right graphics card.
Not just that, some of them like the Ryzen 7 5800X3D can even provide an unrestrained 4K gaming experience for many years to come, which shows that you do not necessarily need the highest level component to be in the game. And in this article, we are going to discuss the best value-for-money chips that you could grab according to your budget and needs for a resolution like 2560x1440.
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Best CPU for 1440p Gaming Reviews
Two years after the release of Zen 3-based Ryzen CPUs, AMD quietly released an interesting chip with an even more exciting price tag. This time it is the Ryzen 5 5600 non-X variant. This could be confusing as to why AMD would do such a thing. But it was a great move in times of chip shortage, this non-X variant does exactly what the X-variant does.
Like the 5600X, this one also comes with the same number of cores and threads - 6 cores and 12 threads. This combination is the new standard for modern-day gaming at a higher resolution like 1440P or more. Since we all know that games tend to become GPU-dependent on resolutions like 2K and higher, this will be more than enough for all your needs and could be paired with even a mid-range graphics card to become the combo of best CPU and GPU for 1440p gaming.
The processor has the same size L3 cache as the R5 5600x, which is 32MB. However, unlike the R5 5600x, this has a little reduction in its base and boost clock speeds - which are 3.5 and 4.4GHz respectively instead of the 3.7 and 4.6GHz. Fortunately, even with a reduction in speed, the processor performs identically - making it a more tempting purchase for the guys of the new builders.
The price tag is the cherry on top, coming at around 140$ nowadays as compared to the 160-170$ of the X-variant. This makes this product a great value for money. Needless to say, this CPU also comes with the same wraith stealth cooler as the R5 5600x, which is enough to keep this 65W chip cool at no additional cost. But a better cooler would allow you to overclock this CPU and get an additional bump in performance.
Ryzen 7 5700G is from AMD’s APU lineup which comes with great performance right out of the box due to the Zen 3 architecture. This APU came into the wild one year after the release of Zen 3-based CPUs. This APU along with the Ryzen 5 5600G changed the perspective about APUs and small form factor gaming PC builds. However, it still is a processor at the very core which means by pairing it with a powerful graphics card we can game at decent frame rates and without any major problem whatsoever.
In terms of the specs, the APU comes with an L3 cache of 16MB - which is quite new for APUs but technology is advancing pretty fast so it was inevitable anyway. Like the other Ryzen 7 CPUs, this APU also comes in an 8 cores 16 threads format and could help out big time in multitasking or work related to rendering or animation where extra cores and threads come into play. As for power, this APU is really efficient having a TDP of 65W even with a graphics unit baked into it whose performance-wise matches the likes of a GT 1030 as it has Radeon Vega 8 graphics. This doesn’t seem like a lot of power but this much performance at no additional cost is pretty great.
For the clocks, this APU has a base clock of 3.8GHz which boosts to a whopping 4.6GHz on its own. Like the other Ryzen processors, this one is also overclockable if given a great-performing CPU cooler as the included wraith stealth cooler would struggle to keep it cool at higher clocks than the stock ones. This whole package nowadays can be bought for around 180$ new boxed pack - making it a worth-picking product of the bunch for gaming at 1440P resolution.
Intel revolutionized the way we see a processor and opted for a hybrid approach by baking two different kinds of cores into one chip. Intel also increased the core/thread count of all of its processor lineup to give an edge to its competitor. This 12th gen CPU is based on Intel’s Alder Lake architecture and 10nm fabrication process. The processor packs huge chunks of power and competes with the likes of Ryzen 9 5900x from its competitor company.
The 12700K has a total core count of 12 and in those 12 cores, there are 8 performance cores having a base speed of 3.6GHz that goes all the way up to 4.9GHz. However, the 4 efficient cores are rather weak in this regard to stay as much efficient as possible with the base and boost clock of 2.7GHz and 3.8GHz. The performance cores are present to help out in intensive situations while the efficient cores are for normal usage where not much power is needed and both can boost 5.0GHz combined. As for the threads, the processor packs a total of 20 threads instead of 16 like the 11th generation.
The processor could be titled as the best CPU for 1440p gaming because of the amount of power that it holds within itself and can also do 4k if you plan on upgrading your graphics card. But there’s a catch, and that is the lack of a stock cooler which kind of makes sense because it’s a 125W chip and requires a capable CPU cooler.
Choosing this processor gives you an upgrade path to look forward to and provides more value to the consumer as it costs around 170-180$ nowadays. And not to mention, this processor also comes with Intel UHD 770 integrated graphics for light gaming and troubleshooting.
Intel makes some quite big changes yet again with the 13th generation by increasing the specs of its CPUs, and this time they also did it with the i5 13400F. Which is a locked chip from Intel for budget PC builders that provides an unhindered user experience and value.
This time around, Intel upped the L3 cache as well as base and boost frequencies in comparison with the i5 12400F. Intel made this processor using the 7nm fabrication process and they call it the Raptor Lake architecture. The processor has 6x performance and 4x efficient cores, which makes it 12 in total and turns the total threads into 16, instead of 12. The performance cores come with a base clock of 2.5GHz and boost to around 4.6GHz. On the other hand, the efficient cores come with a meager base and boost of 1.8 and 3.3GHz. However, the processor itself can boost to a staggering 4.6GHz when needed.
The fact that this processor works on the same LGA1700 socket, implies that like the previous generation of processors, this one also is compatible with DDR5 and DDR4 memory depending on the type of motherboard that you would pick. Also, we can call this a 1440p gaming cpu as it has the potential to handle mid-range to high-end graphics cards.
Additionally, like all other Intel’s F series processors, this one also lacks an integrated GPU which helps in lowering the price of the CPU for those who don’t need an iGPU for their work or use case. Last but not least, the i5 13400F also comes bundled with a stock cooler which performs and looks significantly better than Intel’s old stock coolers.
Ryzen 7 5800X3D is another chip from AMD that they released 2 years after the launch of the 5000 series Zen 3-based Ryzen processors. This processor is the last nail in the coffin from AMD for the Ryzen 5000 series of processors and this is a powerful one. AMD first time released a Ryzen chip that can’t be overclocked and is completely locked like Intel’s non-K series processors.
The processor like its non-3D iteration has the same number of cores and threads which are 8 cores and 16 threads without any kind of hybrid approach like Intel’s 12th and 13th gen CPUs. However, this time AMD has used 3D V-cache technology which in layman’s terms means a substantial boost in performance. What AMD has done here is they stacked up cache layers vertically on the CPU die to increase its cache capacity to 96MB and overall performance which also made it look 3D-like hence the name 5800X3D. Doing this isn’t cheap and this is the reason why Ryzen 7 5800X3D costs a lot more than the standard Ryzen 7 5000 chips.
The could be called the best cpu for 2k gaming because of its unique way of delivering performance into the wild and competing with the likes of the i9 12900K. All this was possible by giving this CPU a TDP of 105W and locking it to a 4.5GHz boost clock. Unlike, other Ryzen 7 processors this one comes without any thermal solution which is why a decent-performing cooler is much needed here. Currently, this beast of a processor can be bought for around 320-330$ which is an insane value in that price bracket.
AMD finally says goodbye to the AM4 socket with the release of the 7000 series Zen 4 architecture-based processors that require AM5 socket and DDR5 memory to work with. This also sets the roadmap for more exciting Ryzen technology to come in the future. AMD finally released the new non-X variants of the 7000 series processors which were much needed. This Ryzen 5 7600 comes at a tempting price of 230$ only and tries to compete with processors like the i5 13600K. This also makes it a great contender for the best cpu for 1440p gaming category.
Like the whole Ryzen lineup, this one also comes exclusively with the old traditional way of cores and threads and we do not see any kind of bump in that either which means we still get 6 CPU cores and 12 threads. The processor is based on the 5nm fabrication process and has a TDP of 65W only to be as efficient as possible. When it comes to the base and boost clock, we get some impressive figures there like 3.8GHz for the base and 5.1GHz for the boost clocks. Moving further, we also discover that this non-X chip also features an iGPU which helps in gaming at a minimal level until you get yourself a powerful graphics card or in times of troubleshooting.
Another good thing that AMD with this chip did was the inclusion of a stock cooler which is the good old Wraith Stealth from the past. The processor in conclusion is a great value and a decent investment towards future-proofing your platform. One thing to note here is that the investment is not going to be cheap as DDR5 is not cheap as well as the AM5 motherboards. However, it is still a much better choice rather than investing in a 13th gen platform if you have plans to settle down once and for all.
Conclusion
I chose these processors specifically as they cover all the major scenarios that one could have in mind before making his/her purchase. 1440p is the most popular resolution among the PC currently as the newer gen of consoles have also gone from 1080p to 1440p and 2160p gaming. However, by no means it is easy to run games at 1440p and requires quite a bit of demanding hardware to do so.
If you want to indulge in 1440p gaming with a minimal cost either because you have a tight budget or it’s all that you need, then you could yourself Ryzen 5 5600 or the Ryzen 7 5700G. Both are priced under 200$ and provide great value for their price. Being from the AM4 platform which utilizes DDR4 memory makes it easy to build your 1440p gaming machine on the lowest possible budget.
However, if you wish to build a little more future-proof build but don’t have much to spend then the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is your best bet as it is a complete powerhouse while being an inexpensive piece of hardware. Going forward, if you wish to build something with the latest DDR5 memories to make your future upgrades less bothersome. Then you can pick the core i5 13400F or the i7 12700K as they run on the same platform and could be selected based on the work you want to put on them.
In the same situation, if you want to stay on the team Red, then you can simply go for the newly launched Ryzen 5 7600 which costs significantly less and leaves more budget to spend on the graphics card. Do note though, that the likes of the 5800X3D and i7 12700K do require a beefy cooler to be coupled with in order to deliver maximum performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What CPU is best for 1440p gaming?
We can’t name a single CPU as the best one for 1440p as everyone has different needs and wants and would choose a CPU according to that. He will look for alternatives and will select the one which suits his requirements in the best way possible.
Does 1440p use more GPU or CPU?
Games tend to become more GPU-dependent as we push the resolution scale high. This is because of the need for more GPU processing power instead of the CPU. however, it doesn’t indicate that you can cheap out on the CPU as a powerful CPU is also needed to help out the graphics card into pushing things up.
What PC specs do I need for 1440p?
It depends on what you want and how you want to experience at 1440p resolution, if you’re good with medium settings, then you wouldn’t need to spend as much as the guy who wants to game at ultra. But still, you’re better off with something like the Ryzen 5 5600 or Intel 13400F with a decent graphics card like RX 6700 XT or RTX 3070.
