In this video, I break down the best CPU options to pair with the upcoming RTX 5090, because with a GPU this powerful, the wrong processor choice can leave performance on the table. NVIDIA has already shared a lot about the RTX 50-series at CES, and with DLSS 4 and multi-frame generation pushing even more frames, I want to make sure you’re building around the 5090 properly—whether your focus is 4K gaming, AI workloads, or heavy creative work. I start with my top gaming pick: the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. It’s hands down the best gaming CPU I tested, delivering up to a 21% uplift over the previous gen thanks to second-gen 3D V-Cache, and it’s a great-value option at MSRP—especially if you’re already on AM5. If you need more balanced gaming + productivity, I recommend the Ryzen 9 9950X with 16 cores / 32 threads and up to 5.7GHz boost. On the Intel side, I cover the Core Ultra 9 285K (Arrow Lake). It launched a bit shaky for gaming, but microcode updates have improved performance and stability, making it a solid multi-core pick—just not as strong as AMD’s X3D chips for pure gaming. I also include the i9-14900K as a strong all-rounder with up to 6GHz boost and good multi-core performance, plus a look ahead at the Ryzen 9 9950X3D as the future top pairing once it lands.