Best CPU to Pair with GTX 1080 Ti

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mcaloney29

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Nov 30, 2017
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I am purchasing a GTX 1080 ti for my first computer build (I've only gamed on laptops before) and I'm wondering..... a) what CPU would complement that card the best (keeping cost in mind, and the fact that i will be water cooling it) and..... b) Which gtx 1080 Ti should i get? I'm new to all this so i could use everyone's help. I am finally ditching the gaming laptop with it's unupgradability and overheating and underclocked cpus and gpus, they just seem to waste more than they are convenient. Anyways, your help is appreciated.
 
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bjornl
There is no doubt that the best gaming CPU is the i7-8700k, with the i5-8600k being a reasonably close 2nd place.

However at certain resolutions it is possible to hide this by running at settings which make the game performance limited by the GPU (aka GPU bound). For example, running at 4k with ultra settings in most games will demand enough of the video card that it won't be able to quite keep up. If you plan on buying a new CPU everytime you upgrade your video card, then it does not really matter what CPU you buy now if 4k/ultra is your goal. If on the other hand you plan on keeping the CPU for 1-2 GPU upgrades than at some point you will not be GPU bound and the CPU will matter again.

The other way to look at it is. What else...
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bjornl

bjornl

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There is no doubt that the best gaming CPU is the i7-8700k, with the i5-8600k being a reasonably close 2nd place.

However at certain resolutions it is possible to hide this by running at settings which make the game performance limited by the GPU (aka GPU bound). For example, running at 4k with ultra settings in most games will demand enough of the video card that it won't be able to quite keep up. If you plan on buying a new CPU everytime you upgrade your video card, then it does not really matter what CPU you buy now if 4k/ultra is your goal. If on the other hand you plan on keeping the CPU for 1-2 GPU upgrades than at some point you will not be GPU bound and the CPU will matter again.

The other way to look at it is. What else do you want to do with your PC? Is the 8700k going to be the best overall choice for every activity? No. It won't suck at any of them, but for some a x299 platform or ryzen/threadripper would be a better fit. In some cases it comes down to money. The Ryzen line up has cheaper motherboards available and some of the CPUs are a very good value as well.
 
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jankerson

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All depends on the budget really.

The new 8th Gen I7's are EXPENSIVE compared to what you can get a 7th Gen i7 7700K for now and not they aren't out of date. They are still one of the best gaming CPU's on the market now. There is really not much if any difference in gaming between the I7 7700K and I7 8700K in MOST games.

So it comes down to budget for a 7th Gen I7 7700K and Z270 MB or 8th Gen i7 8700K and Z370 MB.

Either one will handle a GTX 1080Ti in any game at any resolution etc.

 
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