League of Legends is one of the most accessible games due to being free and easy to run. However, if you want to push League to its limits, you’re going to want the perfect CPU for the job.

1. Intel i9-13900K

Cores	Threads	Base Speed	Overclock Speed
24	32	5.8 GHz	5.8 GHz

Pros

• More than capable of running League of Legends on any settings and resolution
• Great single and multicore performance so it’s good for gaming and other tasks
• Pricing isn’t extreme for the performance
• One of the best, most powerful CPUs to date so it’s the best option if you’re building as powerful of a PC as possible
• Supports DDR5 RAM
• Supports 600-series motherboards and DDR4 RAM

Cons

• Way overkill if League of Legends is the most demanding game you play
• Can get hot under load
• Can get away with cheaper CPU because this isn’t much better than previous gen

The Intel i9-13900K is an extremely powerful CPU with more than enough power for League of Legends. With a CPU like this, you’ll almost certainly want an insanely powerful GPU to pair it with (30 or 40 series RTX, for example).

However, for League of Legends, it just wouldn’t be necessary. Overall, this CPU easily runs League on Very High settings and will net you hundreds of frames per second without even trying.

Even if your GPU is a mid-range GPU, this CPU will be able to carry it when playing League.

You should keep in mind that this CPU is almost too powerful for League. If you’re price-conscious, you can get away with a lot less than this.

If you want a monster PC that you can brag to all of your friends about, then this CPU is perfect, otherwise you’re getting diminishing returns on the money you spend.

League isn’t very hard to run, even on max settings, so you don’t really need a CPU this powerful.

With that being said, this CPU also has a few quality of life features that help land it in the #1 spot, like its support for DDR4 and DDR5 RAM and its versatile motherboard compatibility.

2. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X

Cores	Threads	Base Speed	Overclock Speed
16	32	4.5 GHz	5.7 GHz

Pros

• League of Legends can be run on far less powerful CPUs
• Fantastic overall CPU performance
• Integrated graphics are convenient when they’re necessary
• 16 cores and 32 threads is fantastic in a CPU
• Low retail price compared to predecessors
• Supports DDR5 RAM

Cons

• Only supports DDR5 RAM / doesn’t support DDR4 RAM
• Consumes a lot of power
• Requires an AM5 motherboard
• Runs hot
• Overkill for League of Legends unless you just want a top-of-the-line build

This CPU falls into the same category as the i9-13900K. It’s super powerful but honestly too powerful to buy just for League of Legends. If you want bragging rights, then by all means go for it!

AMD makes great CPUs, and this is one of their most powerful processors to date, so you won’t be disappointed.

You’ll easily get 300+ FPS in League of Legends on any settings, unless you have a very poor GPU, so it leaves nothing on the table as far as performance goes.

The reason this comes in at #2 instead of #1 basically comes down to some quality of life failing points. This CPU requires DDR5 RAM, which adds to the cost and frankly isn’t as good as DDR4 RAM quite yet (lots of bugs and issues).

League doesn’t require very fast or high-capacity RAM, so forcing DDR5 is a bit of an annoyance.

However, if you don’t mind picking up the RAM and already have (or don’t mind purchasing) an AM5 motherboard, then this CPU will treat you right and be more than capable of running League at max settings.

3. AMD Ryzen 9 5950X

Cores	Threads	Base Speed	Overclock Speed
16	32	3.4 GHz	4.9 GHz

Pros

• Blows League of Legends out of the water in terms of performance
• Really good for gaming, especially on high refresh rate monitors
• Huge overclock headroom
• Retains socket compatibility
• Supports PCIe 4.0

Cons

• Base speed pretty low
• Very expensive – costs more than Ryzen 9 7950X
• Only supports DDR4 RAM
• Still overkill for League of Legends

If you want something that will easily run League of Legends like butter, but isn’t quite as overkill as an i9-13900K, this may be the best option for you.

The Ryzen 9 5950 X and Intel Core i9-12900K (coming up next) both made a ton of waves when they were first released.

They’re absolutely fantastic CPUs for gaming and are honestly priced quite well for the amount of performance you get.

If you play any other games that aren’t League of Legends, then I highly recommend picking up one of these two CPUs, depending on your mobo.

If you like experimenting and plan to play with DDR5 RAM, then this isn’t an option because it doesn’t support DDR5 at all.

However, I highly recommend just sticking with DDR4 for the time being anyways because it’s just more reliable at the moment.

DDR5 will get better in the future, but even then DDR4 will be a viable option for the next 5 years at least so you don’t need to think about future proofing your PC just yet.

If you don’t mind overclocking your CPU to hit the 4.9 GHz speeds, then this CPU is one of the best, most affordable high-end options.

If you’re not a huge fan of overclocking (or just want an Intel CPU), then the i9-12900K is the better option.

4. Intel Core i9-12900K

Cores	Threads	Base Speed	Overclock Speed
16	24	5.5GHz	7.45GHz

Pros

• 300+ FPS in League of Legends on any settings (as long as GPU doesn’t bottleneck)
• Multi-core performance is game changing
• One of the best gaming CPUs to date since its release
• Much cheaper than more powerful options without sacrificing any League of Legends quality

Cons

• Still quite expensive
• Cheaper, less powerful options can deliver 200+ FPS in League of Legends
• Power hungry
• Not as compatible with Windows 10 as it is Windows 11

The i9-12900K is one of my favorite CPUs ever, especially when it comes to gaming.

It’s still a little expensive, and a little too overpowered for League of Legends specifically, but if you play any other games then I can’t recommend it enough.

It’s hundreds of dollars cheaper than the i9-13900K processor and still runs games like League just as well. Overall, this is a very high quality CPU and perfect for high-end builds that are still a little budget conscious.

Most of the cons for this CPU are based around it being just a little too powerful for League of Legends still. However, this isn’t comedically overpowered like some of the options above.

This CPU is powerful enough to run League on any settings, while still being well-worth the price. It does have some problems with Windows 10 reportedly, but I haven’t experienced them and they’re really not common.

You can go more powerful if you really want a newer CPU, and you can go less powerful if you want to save money. This CPU is the best of both worlds in terms of price and power.

5. AMD Ryzen 7 5800X

Cores	Threads	Base Speed	Overclock Speed
8	16	3.8 GHz	4.7 GHz

Pros

• Will deliver over 300 FPS on average in League of Legends when paired with decent GPU
• Fantastic single-core performance: great for gaming and League
• Compatible with AM4 socket
• PCIe 4.0 support
• One of the more affordable CPUs while still being more than powerful enough for League

Cons

• Only supports DDR4
• Just a little overkill for League of Legends
• Not the best for 4k gaming

If you want a high-end CPU but are also price-conscious, then this might be the perfect CPU for you. It’s more than powerful enough to run League on any settings and also run pretty much any modern game.

It’s very close to the 12900K in performance, except it’s much cheaper, likely due to some of the missing quality of life features. For example, this doesn’t support DDR5 RAM, only DDR4.

With that being said, you don’t really need DDR5 RAM, especially if you only play League. I’ve played everything from League of Legends to Escape from Tarkov with DDR4 RAM and haven’t had any issues.

While DDR4 will eventually be phased out, that won’t be for many years, so I wouldn’t base your CPU decisions around what RAM is supported unless you really want the newest of the new in your build.

You can go a little weaker on your CPU and save a couple hundred bucks. If you play any games that are more demanding than League, though, then this CPU quickly becomes well worth the price.

Even if you only play League, it’s nice to know that your processor will be able to run it no matter what settings you play on.

6. Intel Core i5-13600K

Cores	Threads	Base Speed	Overclock Speed
14 Cores	20	3.5 GHz	5.1 GHz

Pros

• Powerful enough for running League of Legends on any settings
• Great gaming performance, especially for an i5
• One of the best CPUs for a budget build
• Supports PCIe 5.0

Cons

• Overclocking doesn’t add much performance boosts
• Almost as power hungry as an i7
• Runs hotter than 12600K

When it comes to CPUs / processors, you can’t judge based on the name alone. This processor may be an i5, but it can compete quite well with many i7s and even a couple of i9s.

The CPU is very powerful and modern, and more than suitable for playing League of Legends. If you’re looking to build a mid-range to lower-high end PC, then this is the perfect CPU.

It’s not crazy expensive and it’s powerful, which gives you the best of both worlds.

Keep in mind, though, that all that power comes with a couple of downsides. This CPU runs a little hot, and you’ll really unlock its full potential with some overclocking. If you’re willing to overclock, though, which isn’t hard to do, you’ll end up with 5.1 GHz of pure processor power.

Overall, this is perfect for midrange builds. It’s more than capable of running League on any settings, especially if you play in 1080p.

If you play in 1440p, you shouldn’t have much trouble, but for 4k I’d probably go a little higher. Just because it’s an i5 doesn’t mean it’s something to scoff at.

If League of Legends is the most demanding game you play, you’ll be perfectly happy with this CPU.

7. Intel i5-12400

Cores	Threads	Base Speed	Overclock Speed
6	12	2.5 GHz	4.4 GHz

Pros

• Perfect for League of Legends without being overkill
• Extremely affordable especially compared to more expensive options
• Great for gaming
• Overall a very solid CPU with a great value

Cons

• Speeds are pretty low in general
• No overclocking supported

This is the weakest CPU on our list so far, but that doesn’t mean you should write it off. Not everyone needs a super powerful, monster CPU in their PC.

If League of Legends is the most demanding game you run, and you don’t mind maybe lowering the graphics a tad, then the Intel i5-12400 will be perfect for you.

You should be able to crack 144 FPS with this CPU as long as you pair it with a halfway decent GPU. Having more than 144 frames is nice, but it’s definitely not a necessity. At least not yet.

Now, the reason this processor really made the list is how cheap it is. This is the most affordable Intel CPU on this list, and doesn’t sacrifice much when it comes to League performance.

If you play other games like Cyberpunk, Red Dead, GTA, Apex, etc, it may be worth spending an extra $100 – 200 on something more powerful.

Otherwise, this will get the job done and let you stick to your budget! You can spend that extra cash on a better GPU and be good to go.

8. AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

Cores	Threads	Base Speed	Overclock Speed
6	12	3.9 GHz	4.4 GHz

Pros

• Stays above 144 FPS in League of Legends even on Very High settings
• Very affordable
• Great CPU for gaming in general
• Pretty much the perfect CPU if League is your main / most demanding game

Cons

• Some motherboard compatibility issues
• Not much overclocking headroom

The Ryzen 5 5600G is pretty much the equivalent to the Intel i5 above. It’s not overkill or crazy at all, but it’s powerful enough to get the job done and perfect for gamers on a budget.

If you play any games that are more demanding than League of Legends, it may be worth it to upgrade, but overall if you’re just looking for a good starter CPU then the Ryzen 5 will get the job done.

Not only is this CPU affordable, but it will deliver 144 FPS in League of Legends easily. You won’t even have to lower your settings!

So if you have an AMD motherboard and are looking for a budget-friendly CPU this is what you want, no question about it.

What CPU Is Required For League Of Legends?

League of Legends requires an Intel Core i3-530 or an AMD A6-3650 in order to run. These CPUs are very weak, however, and will likely result in stuttering. The recommended CPUs for League of Legends are either an Intel Core i5-3300 or an AMD Ryzen 3 1200. These CPUs are strong enough to play without lag.

I played League on an old laptop for four years during college. Before that I played on an old hand-me-down desktop PC.

I’m sure it goes without saying, but the processors in these computers were far from powerful and they were able to run League of Legends no problem.

Did I always get 60+ FPS? No, but I was always able to run the game! Granted, sometimes I had to close Spotify, Windows Explorer, and every other “extra” program in the background.

Basically, you can run League on any Intel or AMD processor, but if you want 60+ FPS you’re going to need an i5, Ryzen 3, or better.

Is League Of Legends CPU Or GPU Intensive?

League of Legends is more GPU intensive than CPU intensive. League of Legends can be run on integrated graphics, which are not very strong. That being said, League of Legends is very easy to run and not too heavy on either component.

I played League of Legends for 10 years before I ever actually bought myself a gaming PC with a proper CPU and GPU. That should tell you just how easy the game is to run. I was even getting 60+ FPS most of the time, at least until my laptop started dying on me.

With that being said, it’s pretty well known that League uses the CPU a bit more than it does the GPU, making it more CPU intensive. So, if you’re having framerate issues, that’s where I would start.