Best processor for gaming pc

All numbers in the text are updated to reflect pricing at the time of writing. Numbers in graphs reflect MSRP.

If you're looking for the best CPU for gaming, your horizons have never been broader. Thanks to AMD and Intel sticking with their respective motherboard sockets for more than one generation, there is currently a multitude of current-gen processors that are DDR5 compatible and will serve you brilliantly for playing modern games. For consumers on either side of the red and blue battle that's great news, because it means more affordable chips and plenty of choice. More generations of processors that are compatible with current motherboard architecture is a great thing, not least because a lot of people still need to be convinced to upgrade to DDR5 RAM. The architecture of these chips has come a long way, so much so that "mid-range" isn't what it used to be on the Intel or AMD side. But, if you want something that will keep up with the very best gaming PCs , you don't need to look far. The chips on the list below will do you just fine, and shouldn't present any bottlenecks with even the best graphics cards.

Best processor for gaming pc

Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more. The processor is one of the most important components for a gaming PC to maintain a high performance and avoid bottlenecks. But what is the best gaming CPU you can buy for your money? In order to help answer that question, our team of experts have made sure to review all of the latest processors from the likes of AMD and Intel. We use the same PC to benchmark every processor in each round of testing. This ensures a fair test, so you know exactly how much of a difference each processor is making to the overall performance. We always review multiple CPUs at once to compare data, using consistent components for fair testing where possible. We use a mix of both synthetic and in-game benchmarks to gauge performance, while also considering additional features and pricing. We also measure the likes of power consumption and peak temperature under stress to get an idea of performance efficiency. In testing, we found that the Zen 4 chip offers fantastic gaming performance, similar to the much more powerful and expensive Ryzen 9 X. Intriguingly, the X also managed to best the X in Borderlands 3, even if it was only by a single frame per second. The point stands that for the price, the X is an incredible gaming CPU. As well as offering an excellent performance, the X is also future-proofed for the foreseeable future, with support for PCIe 5.

None of the games that we used for benchmarking showed any evidence of a performance boost, although this is a relatively small sample size. Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster review.

Best overall 2. Best budget 3. Best gaming CPU 4. Best Intel high-end 5. Best AMD high-end 6.

Our picks below will show you the best CPU for gaming. Of course, when shopping for the best CPU for gaming, you'll want to balance performance and features with your budget. You can also see how all of these processors stack up in our CPU benchmarks hierarchy, and for detailed help on picking the best processor, you can check out our CPU Buying Guide. Intel article dives deep into the topic and comes up with a winner. The Ryzen 7 G and Ryzen 5 G are impressive chips indeed, but the Ryzen 7 G is simply overpriced for what it offers. That's a win for folks building systems that won't use a discrete GPU, so we've added it to our list.

Best processor for gaming pc

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader.

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AMD Ryzen , and series processors drop to seriously low prices at Newegg. While modern CPUs are significantly faster in terms of clock speeds and core counts, that is not the only thing that drives their performance while gaming. Intel Core iK. Especially when on a limited budget, it's problematic to decide whether to invest more in a CPU or other vital gaming components like a graphics card. As the CPU is compatible with the AM4 platform, it further helps in choosing a cheaper motherboard due to a plethora of available options with different chipsets. It'll likely start to get cheaper now there's a new wave or Intel chips, and the performance it nets you is no short of ridiculous. Existing AMD owners with a series motherboard will breathe a sigh of relief as the X drops right into existing , , and series motherboards. But as far as AM4's last-generation chipsets from the company go, it's very hard to beat in terms of price. It doesn't have any efficient cores, which also limits its multitasking and other CPU-specific capabilities, but thankfully, hyperthreading is available to distribute the load for faster operation. That makes it a solid alternative if you're planning a DDR5 build, but you'll pay higher upfront platform pricing. This is significantly better than the Ryzen G and G, which failed to reach 5. Or an i9 monster, for that matter. Curated by.

Modern CPUs are all so good that we're the winner here, not the hardware. No matter what budget you have, you'll easily find a processor that will suit you just fine.

L3 Cache: 24MB. While these are significantly better for gaming than most of the competition, they somewhat limit productivity-related workloads thanks to the limited amount of power under the hood. Learn more about how we test CPUs We always review multiple CPUs at once to compare data, using consistent components for fair testing where possible. But the pricing between these two chips isn't as close as it appears, primarily because of Ryzen's requirement for DDR5 and high pricing for AMD's B-series motherboards, both of which increase the cost of your build significantly. More generations of processors that are compatible with current motherboard architecture is a great thing, not least because a lot of people still need to be convinced to upgrade to DDR5 RAM. The Ryzen 7 X3D is no jack of all trades, but it is certainly a master of one, and that's gaming. The has 16 PCIe 5. For consumers on either side of the red and blue battle that's great news, because it means more affordable chips and plenty of choice. Intel's Core i9 K is spectacularly good at what it does, and what it does is pretty much everything. See at Amazon. In most circumstances, gamers are better off purchasing a budget discrete graphics card they can afford. Reasons to avoid - PCIe 3. Even here, upgrading to a more powerful graphics card will increase frame rates more than any processor will. However, we don't feel this will have an impact on this class of system. Best overall 2.