Ghost of Tsushimahas finally made its way to PC after four long years and a lot of gamers have another chance to experience the game in all its new-found glory. The PC version brings a few improvements as well, including higher resolution textures, foliage improvements, ultrawide support, higher FPS support, and more. So, if you are looking to upgrade your PC or build a new gaming rig witha brand-new CPU, you’re in the right place.
Ghost of Tsushimahas been ported over to PC by Nixxes, and it is generally an optimized port that runs well on most hardware. It is also not very CPU intensive, so you may get away with a mid-tier CPU to get the best performance out of it. Of course, your combination of CPU and GPU will dictate how well the game runs, but it’s great to know that you don’t need apremium, expensive Intelor AMD CPU to run the game well.
Intel Core i5 14600KF 14-Core, 20-Thread CPU
Intel Core i7-13700K Gaming Desktop Processor
Sucker Punch, the developer ofGhost of Tsushima, has shared the minimum and recommended requirements to run the game on PC, and they are as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i3-7100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
Memory: 8GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT
Storage: 75GB available space
CPU: Intel Core i5-8600 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Memory: 16GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
Game Rant’s Picks for the Best CPUs to Play Ghost of Tsushima
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is AMD’s latest and greatest CPU when it comes to gaming. With an excellent and highly efficient gaming performance that tops the charts currently, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is here to stay and has a crown to claim thanks to its 3D V-Cache-enabled prowess when it comes to gaming on a PC.The octa-core CPU currently happens to be the fastest in the business for gaming even as it leads efficiency charts at the top, making it a very sought-after gaming upgrade.
When it comes to gaming, one CPU stands above the crowd because of the value it offers, and that is the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Here as well withGhost of TsushimaPC, the AMD CPU takes the crown as the best CPU overall. Even though it is an older CPU and comes with 8 cores and 16 threads, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is more than capable of running modern AAA games with ease. It has a base clock of 4.2 GHz and a boost clock speed of up to 5 GHz.
What contributes to the high performance of the 7800X3D is the amount of cache that AMD has managed to fit inside thanks to the 3D V-Cache technology. It carries 8 MB of level 2 cache and 96 MB of level 3 cache. On top of that, it has a default Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 120W, which is fairly low compared to the competition.Paired with a solid GPU, you can expect excellent gaming performance even at 4K.
The CPU supports Precision Boost 2 and other AMD technologies, as well as overclocking. It is based on the AM5 platform, so if you are already using an X/B/A 600/800 series motherboard, you’re good with just buying the new CPU. You may need to upgrade your cooling solution if you are using a stock out of the box AMD cooler that ships with many of its CPUs.
Intel Core i7 14700KF 20-Core, 28-Thread CPU
The Intel Core i7 14700KF is the iGPU-less version of the unlocked Intel Core i7 14700K CPU, offering four additional efficiency cores and a lower price thanks to it skipping the integrated Intel UHD 770 that the latter offers. It requires a discrete graphics card for display and adequate cooling for one of the most power-hungry CPUs.
If you, for whatever reason, prefer going with Intel CPUs rather than AMD ones, the Core i7-14700KF is a great performer, especially forGhost of Tsushima. Coming in at around the same price as the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the 14700KF can deliver an immersive gaming experience and provide all the processing power that the game needs.
It features an impressive combination of eight P-cores and 12 E-cores for a total of 20 cores and 28 threads. Not just a high core count, the processor can boost up to 5.6 GHz paired with 33 MB of Intel Smart cache. It is also a fairly power-hungry chip at the same time, demanding as high as 253W from the PSU. Though in real-world performance, the Intel Core i7-14700KF can deliver performance not exactly at the level of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, even though it costs a bit more, but fairly close to it.
As the name suggests, there is no iGPU present here, but it is an overclockable chip, which means some tinkering should unleash more performance, bringing it closer to the AMD chip. Alternatively, if you don’t care about overclocking, theCore i7-14700Fwill allow you to save a bit more money for the same out of the box performance.
Intel Core i9 14900KS 24-Core, 32-Thread CPU
The Intel Core i9 14900KS 24-core, 32-thread CPU is Intel’s special edition CPU take on its flagship 14th generation CPU, the Core i9 14900K.It is essentially a cherry-picked 14900K SKU that can push higher clocks with up to a minimum of 6.2 GHz on its P-Cores, making it effectively the highest-clocked CPU out of the box to date when it comes to boost clocks from Intel.It trades at a significant premium as a result and is expected, as a limited-run chip, to be a collectible SKU with high demand from enthusiasts and overclockers in 2024.
The Core i9-14900KS is a high-end CPU that can deliver the best possible performance, but that comes at the cost of power consumption and a high price. This Intel CPU is capable of extreme performance and heavy overclocks, making it not just a gaming beast but also a productivity powerhouse. It features 24 cores out of which 8 are performance cores (P-cores) and 16 are efficiency cores (E-cores) and these are accompanied by 32 threads.
The base frequency that the Core i9-14900KS can operate at is 2.4 GHz, and it can boost all the way up to 6.2 GHz, which is the highest out-of-the-box clock speed for any mainstream CPU. It has 36 MB of Intel Smart Cache, which is relatively low compared to some of the high-end AMD offerings but the sheer performance that this chip is capable of makes it devour any game thrown at it.
It is more than enough horsepower to runGhost of Tsushimaat high resolution and high FPS, given that it ispaired with a high-performing GPU. Considering how the game utilizes the GPU more than the CPU, you would still want to have an Nvidia RTX 4070 equivalent GPU to hit a playable FPS at 4K resolution.
Alternatively, you can save a few bucks on your new CPU by going with theCore i9-14900K, which comes with slightly lower clock speeds and should be able to deliver similar performance as the 14900KS.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
Gamers interested in upgrading to a newer CPU from Team Red will find the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X to be of spectacular value thanks to its high single-core performance, efficient hexacore architecture, and compatibility with newer technology such as PCI-E 5.0 and DDR5 memory. It also abandons AMD’s AM4 design, going for a pin-less processor offering by moving them to the motherboard instead.
Those on a budget should find that the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU checks all the right boxes. At around $200 (even lower if you’re lucky), this CPU can deliver excellent performance, especially in a game likeGhost of Tsushimathat is not CPU intensive. There are six cores and 12 threads, which, from modern standards, may seem low, but the 5.3 GHz boost clock speed and the 32 MB L3 cache put it up there with much more expensive CPUs.
The Ryzen 5 7600X has a default TDP of 105W, making it one of the most efficient processors on the market. When paired with a mid to high-end GPU, you can have a great gaming experience at 1080p or 1440p, especially if you make use of the various AI technologies implemented by eitherAMD or Nvidiainto their graphics cards. Furthermore, you can squeeze a bit more overall performance by combining an AMD CPU with an AMD GPU.
Even though it is a budget-friendly offering, the 7600X supports PCIe 5.0 interface, making it future-proof. It also has built-in AMD Radeon graphics, but you will not be able to game with it, though it is helpful for troubleshooting display issues and a good addition to have regardless. You get overclocking support as well, making this CPU even better value, if you are willing to tinker with it.
Another solid option for slightly less money is theAMD Ryzen 5 7600, but it comes with slightly lower performance as well.
The Intel Core i5 14600KF 14-Core, 20-Thread CPU is a powerful mid-range CPU that replaces the last generation Intel Core i5 13600KF with higher clocks on both its performance and efficiency cores.Like all its siblings, it does offer better performance out-of-the-box versus its predecessors but replaces them at the same price points they sold last year. Unlike the Intel Core i5 14600K, this model trades at a small discount thanks to it skipping out on integrated graphics.
The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a great all-round performer that doesn’t break the bank. It sits in the lower to mid-range of Intel’s 14th generation CPU lineup and is the cheaper option within the Core i5 SKUs, due to the absence of an iGPU, hence the ‘KF’ name. This is the sweet spot as it saves additional cost by cutting out the iGPU but still allows users to overclock it. It features 14 cores and 20 threads, and the cores are divided into six P-cores and eight E-cores.
The P-cores can boost up to 5.3 GHz and with some clever overclocking, more juice can be squeezed out of it. At load, it can take up to 181W of power, which is fairly high but in line with the other 14th Gen Intel offerings. In terms of cache, you get 24 MB of Intel Smart Cache which, again, is to be expected from a mid-range CPU, but you can find AMD CPUs in the same price bracket with higher cache.
The Core i5-14600KF also supports PCIe 5.0 as well as various Intel technologies like Intel Deep Learning Boost, Speed Shift, Turbo Boost, and more. At under $300, this CPU offers great value and, at the same time, a great gaming experience withGhost of Tsushima. Depending on what GPU you pair with it, 1080p and 1440p gaming will be easy.
The Intel Core i7-13700K CPU is a true definition of power and efficiency, thanks to its innovative P-cores and E-cores architecture. It offers 16 cores (8 P-cores + 8 E-cores) and 24 threads, plus it is up to 5.4 GHz unlocked, making it the strongest option for both gamers and professionals.
Given the optimizations made withGhost of Tsushimato run well on PC, you don’t need the most powerful CPU on the market and can even go with an older generation model. This is where the Intel Core i7-13700K comes in, even though there exists a more powerful and more expensiveCore i9-13900K. With the Core i7 model, however, you get 16 cores that are equally split between P-cores and E-cores, along with 24 threads.
It is quite a power-hungry Intel CPU, and the 13th generation is not known for being power efficient, which was a significant driving factor for the AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs. The 13700K can draw up to 253W under load, but it can also boost up to 5.4 GHz, which is quite impressive even in 2024. It comes with 30 MB of Intel Smart Cache and supports PCIe 5.0, making it a very strong competitor among the current generation AMD and Intel CPUs.
You also get Intel UHD Graphics 770 which will not be capable enough to run games but comes in handy in a lot of use cases, including troubleshooting display issues. The Core i7-13700K also supports Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 which boosts the speed of a CPU’s fastest cores individually for up to 15% better single core performance. You get support for other Intel technologies as well, including Deep Learning Boost, Speed Shift, Turbo Boost Max, Gaussian & Neural Accelerator, and more.
How to Find the Best CPU to Play Ghost of Tsushima on PC
To be able to make an informed decision, here are some factors you should consider:
Brand: Intel and AMD being the only two mainstream CPU manufacturers, you’re able to find a CPU to fulfil your needs from either camp. Intel’s 14th Gen CPUs are the latest generation of processors that bring the company’s innovations and technologies to the market, just like AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series. At the time of writing,AMD has just announced its Ryzen 9000series of desktop processors.
Of course, when switching teams, you will have to invest in a new motherboard as well.
Core Count and Clock Speeds: Most modern CPUs come with at least 8 cores and generally, the higher the core count the better. Intel segregates its cores into Performance cores and Efficiency cores to more intelligently handle tasks. Clock speeds are peak frequencies at which each core and the chip as a whole can perform, and just like core count, the higher, the better.
Budget: What’s great about having so many options is that there is something in every budget. You can find impressive performance in CPUs that sit in the $200 range and, when paired with the right GPU, can deliver a solid gaming experience in not onlyGhost of Tsushimabut all other games. When building a gaming PC, you can generally budget higher for the GPU rather than the CPU.
FAQ
Q: What is the low end PC for Ghost of Tsushima?
The developer, Sucker Punch, recommends at least an Intel Core i3-7100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and at least an Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT GPU.
Q: Should a 14 year old play Ghost of Tsushima?
Ghost of Tsushima is officially rated M (17+) because it does contain scenes of violence involving blood, as well as some nudity.
