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With the best CPU for Dragon’s Dogma 2, you’re giving your PC the best chance of handling the new game.
Capcom’s new open-world adventure game has launched and we can say with confidence that it is extremely fun. The storytelling is engaging and the gameplay feels fresh and enjoyable. This has led many people to get their hands on the game.
It’s not all blue skies and smiling daisies, however. There have also been almost countless accounts of the game crashing as well as low FPS and stuttering. The main culprit of many of these is an overwhelmed CPU, especially in the busy city and town settings where the behaviour of multiple NPCs seems to be enough to overwhelm gaming CPUs which are usually up to task for even demanding games.
We’ve got a list here of CPUs that have proven their ability in Dragon’s Dogma 2. This is not to say that you will have a faultless performance with these cards, but they put you in the best position to reach consistently high frame rates all the way up to 4K.
Best CPU for Dragon’s Dogma 2
If you’re encountering performance issues in Drgaon’s Dogma, it is most likely your CPU that is capping out. Though, arguably, this is not your fault. The extent to which these performance issues have been encountered, and the fact they seem prevalent on even powerful gaming PCs hints that the game could be better optimised. We’re hoping that an update is on its way. Regardless upgrading your CPU is always a good idea, and can future-proof you against the next round of CPU-intensive, but ultimately very fun games. Let’s get into the list.
1. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D – best AMD CPU for Dragon’s Dogma 2
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Cores:
16
Thread:
32
Boost speed:
5.7 GHz
Cache:
144 MB
TDP:
120W
- High boost clocks
- Tons of L3 Cache
- Lower TDP
- On the pricier end of things
The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D has a strong case for being the best CPU for gaming on the market right now. Thanks in no small part to its 5.7GHz boost speed and an astounding 144MB of L3 cache. This frankly unheard of cache size is thanks to the processor’s stacked 3D V-Cache technology. This boost in cache size has proved especially useful in Dragon’s Dogma 2 and helps to elevate the performance drops other CPUs experience when entering towns or cities.
In fact, at the time of writing this chip is officially the fastest gaming CPU available, which gives your PC the best chance of performing well in Dragon’s Dogma 2 even on high settings and 4K.
Overall this is truly a gamer’s CPU, boasting both the performance and price tag to prove it. There is no denying that this is a prohibitively expensive chip. However, if it is within your budget it is equally undeniable that it will improve your PC’s performance, especially in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
2. Intel Core i9-14900K – best Intel CPU for Dragon’s Dogma 2
Intel Core i9-14900K
Cores
24 (8P + 16E)
Threads
32
L3 Cache
36MB
Base clock
3.2 GHz ( P-core) ; 2.4 GHz (E-core)
Boost clock
5.6 GHz (P-core) ; 4.4 GHz (E-core)
Socket
LGA 1700
- Very strong multi core performance
- No prince increase from previous gen
- Can reach overclock speed of 6GHz
- Not worth the upgrade from 13th gen
The Intel i9-14900K is another CPU that has proven itself to be able to handle Dragon’s Dogma 2 at high frame rates. This is Intel’s latest flagship offering and it’s got the specs to prove it. There are a whopping 24 cores in this thing, of which 16 are E-cores, intended for efficiency, and a further 8 are P-Cores for performance.
The ability to switch seamlessly between these allows the i9-14900K to reach a boost speed clock speed of 5.6GHz while conserving energy when under less demanding workloads. We can guarantee that Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be putting it through its paces so you can expect those P-cores to be working hard.
Another bonus with this chip is its LGA 1700 socket type which means that most people won’t need an upgrade to get their hands on the best motherboard for Core i9 14900K. On top of that, there is the Thermal Velocity Boost feature, which is exclusive to i9 processors and unlocks a clock speed all the way up to 6GHz.
3. AMD Ryzen 7 5700X – best budget friendly CPU for Dragon’s Dogma 2
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
Cores
8
Threads
16
Base Clock
3.4GHz
Boost Clock
4.6GHz
Cache
32MB
TDP
65W
- Extremely affordable
- High boost clock
- Competitive performance
- Limited to AM4
The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is our pick for the best CPU to go for when the purse strings have tightened. This is a high-performance CPU that boasts a decent-sized cache, high thread count and impressively fast boost clock. Crucially, it offers this for under $170.
This chip actually featured among our picks for the best CPU for the RTX 4080 this is not only a testament to its impressive performance but also its incredibly low TDP. At just 65W the Ryzen 7 5700X has a low enough power draw that you can actually incorporate something as power-hungry as the RTX 4080 without having to fork out another fortune on a top PSU.
This lower price does not come without its compromises, however. While performance in Dragon Dogma 2 is good, it’s not unlikely you will still run into occasional stutters or frame rate drops. We’re hoping some of these will be fixed by optimization updates. This seems feasible, considering how widespread the performance issues have proved to be.
How do you optimize performance in Dragon’s Dogma 2?
If you’re encountering poor performance in Dragon’s Dogma 2 we’d recommend lowering your graphic settings. However, even at their lowest, these are still pretty demanding so upgrading your CPU could be your best bet.
Does Dragon’s Dogma 2 have performance mode?
No, there is no performance mode in Dragon’s Dogma, though there are a range of graphic options you can decrease.
Can my CPU run Dragon’s Dogma 2?
With so many CPUs running into performance issues and our own experience showing that the Dragon’s Dogma 2 system requirements paint an incomplete picture, we thought we’d bring you a list of CPUs that are capable of running the Game.
| Can | Not |
|---|---|
| AMD 7800X3DIntel i3-12100F | Intel i3-12100F |
| Intel i9-14900K | AMD 5600X |
| Intel i7-14700K | AMD 2600X |
| AMD 7700X | Intel i5 12400 |
| Intel i5-14600K | Ryzen 5 3600X |
| AMD 5800X | Intel i5-12600K |
| AMD 5800X3D |
Under the ‘Not’ tab you’ll see a list of CPUs that, in our opinion, essentially make Dragon’s Dogma 2 unplayable. Included on this list is the Ryzen 5 3600X. This is normally a very capable chip but our experience of playing Dragon’s Dogma 2 with it alongside the RTX 3090 shows it wasn’t up to scratch. We ran into consistent stuttering and an inability to properly handle DLSS or FSR. When using the optimised graphics settings we average 60 fps at 1080p. A rig of that power should be reaching 90-120 fps consistently.
