Best CPU for GeForce GTX 970 in 2026
Every processor that pairs with the GeForce GTX 970 without either part wasting the other, computed at 1080p, 1440p and 4K with the frame rate you can expect from each.
Ryzen 5 4500
The cheapest current processor that never becomes the limit for a GeForce GTX 970, including at 1080p where the card leans hardest on the CPU. It also still holds up if you replace the GeForce GTX 970 with a Arc A580 later, so you buy the processor once.
Check current priceon AmazonWhat the numbers say about the GeForce GTX 970
Every one of the 83 processors we track keeps a GeForce GTX 970 fed at 1080p and above, which is what a card at 13.0 on our index looks like: the pairing question here is about price and platform rather than about whether the chip can keep up.
The Ryzen 5 4500 is both the cheapest processor that works with a GeForce GTX 970 and the one that survives replacing the card, so for this pairing there is no trade between the two.
That upgrade test uses the Arc A580, roughly two tiers above the GeForce GTX 970 at 25.0 on our index against 13.0, and a processor that is still not the limit at that level is one you buy once.
Paired with the Ryzen 5 4500, a GeForce GTX 970 returns about 16 fps at 1080p and 11 fps at 1440p on High, and if 16 fps is already more than your monitor can show then the card rather than the processor is the part to change.
The pick at each resolution
| Resolution | Recommended | Estimated fps | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (1920 x 1080) | Ryzen 5 4500 | 16 fps | GPU limited |
| 1440p (2560 x 1440) | Ryzen 5 4500 | 11 fps | GPU limited |
| 4K (3840 x 2160) | Ryzen 5 4500 | 6 fps | GPU limited |
Every processor that works with the GeForce GTX 970 at 1080p
83 of the 83 processors we track keep the GeForce GTX 970 fed at 1080p, and the 18 cheapest of those still on a current platform are below, least expensive first, because once a chip stops limiting a GeForce GTX 970 the rest of the budget belongs on the card.
| Processor | Estimated fps | Result |
|---|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen 5 4500 | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5500 | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5600 | 16 fps | GPU |
| Intel Core i3-12100F | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 7 5700X | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT | 16 fps | GPU |
| Intel Core i5-12400F | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 5 7500F | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D | 16 fps | GPU |
| Intel Core i5-14400F | 16 fps | GPU |
| Intel Core i5-13400F | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 5 7600 | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900 | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7700 | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 5 7600X | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7700X | 16 fps | GPU |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X | 16 fps | GPU |
Check another combination with the GeForce GTX 970
Every figure on this page is modelled for the GeForce GTX 970 from published benchmark data rather than measured on a test bench, and recommendations alongside it are limited to parts from 2022 onward. How we calculate this