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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 2024 CPU Buying Guide. And if you’re on the fence about which CPU maker to go with, our AMD vs. Intel article dives deep into the topic and comes up with a winner.
We recently reviewed the Core i5-14400, which is merely a refresh of the existing Core i5-13400. AMD’s competing Ryzen 5 7600X and Ryzen 5 7600 now sell for much less than before, and motherboard and memory pricing is also now more favorable. That hands the Ryzen lineup a win over the Core i5-14400. As you can see in the review, AMD’s new Ryzen 7 5700X3D also provides up to 30% more gaming performance than the 14400, making it a compelling option.
Intel launched its 14th-Gen Raptor Lake Refresh processors, with the Core i9-14900K, Core i7-14700K, and Core i5-14600K all based on the tried-and-true Raptor Lake architecture. The Core i9-14900K and the Core i5-14600K feature the same core counts as their predecessors but get minor clock rate increases that make them a lackluster upgrade option with low single-digit performance increases. Until prices normalize, you’re better served by selecting a previous-gen Raptor Lake processor for your build and saving some cash. We have those options listed below.
1. AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D – Overall Best CPU for Gaming
SPECIFICATIONS
Architecture: Zen 4
Socket: AM5
Cores/Threads: 8/16
Base Frequency: 4.2GHz
Top Boost Frequency: 5.0GHz
TDP: 120W
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is not only AMD’s fastest gaming chip, it is the fastest available on the market and easily beats more expensive competitors from both Intel and AMD’s own lineup. At an affordable $385, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is both the fastest gaming CPU on the market and a solid value in the high-performance category.
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D comes with eight cores and 16 threads that operate at a 4.2 GHz base and 5.0 GHz boost clock rate. The chip employs AMD’s Second-Gen 3D V-Cache tech that uses a 3D-stacked SRAM chiplet to deliver an incredible 96MB of L3 cache, and to great effect: The end result is a comparatively low-power chip that delivers incredible gaming performance.
You do have to be aware of the tradeoffs with this highly specialized chip — our gaming benchmarks show that the 3D V-Cache doesn’t boost performance in all games, though we found that it impacted nearly every title we tested. Additionally, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is optimized specifically for gaming, but it can’t keep pace with similarly-priced chips in productivity applications. If you’re looking for a more balanced chip that does well at both gaming and applications, our tests show that the $399 Core i7-13700K (listed below) is a better choice.
The previous-gen Ryzen 7 5800X3D uses the aging AM4 platform with less advanced interfaces, like PCIe 4.0 and DDR4 memory, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D snaps into AM5 motherboards that support the latest connectivity tech, like DDR5 and PCIe 5.0. AMD now allows both the auto-overclocking Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) and Curve Optimizer with the 7800X3D but still doesn’t allow direct frequency overclocking.
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D has much lower power consumption than the Intel competition, making it a far cooler processor that won’t require as expensive accommodations, like a beefy cooler, motherboard, and power supply. That means the 7800X3D delivers top-notch gaming performance along with a cooler, quieter, and less expensive system than you’ll get with a Core i9.
Intel Core i7-14700K – Overall Best CPU for Gaming — Alternate Pick
SPECIFICATIONS
Architecture: Alder Lake
Socket: LGA 1700
Cores/Threads: 20 (8P+12E) / 28
Base Frequency: 3.4 GHz
Top Boost Frequency: 5.6 GHz
Processor Base Power: 125W
Intel boosted the Core i7-14700K’s core count with the addition of four more e-cores and tweaked the boost clock rate but left its recommended pricing the same as the prior-gen model. At $399, the Core i7-14700K thoroughly beats the $399 Ryzen 7 7700X and even unseats the pricey $625 Ryzen 9 7950X, all while delivering essentially the same gaming performance as Intel’s own $534 flagship Core i9-14900K — but for significantly less. You can also discard the integrated graphics engine and get the otherwise identical Core i7-14700KF for $378.
As always, if you aren’t after top performance in heavy productivity tasks, the Core i7 model takes the shine off the Core i9. The Core i7-14700K is a great high-performance gaming chip at its price point, offering 97% of the flagship Core i9-14900K’s performance for $135 less. Better yet, you can overclock the chip and get basically identical performance to the stock Core i9-14900K.
Our benchmarks show the Core i7-14700K is also a much better all-rounder than Ryzen if you’re looking for performance in productivity work. The Core i7-14700K has eight P-cores (high-performance) and 12 E-cores (Efficiency), for a total of 28 threads. The P-cores run at a 3.4 / 5.6 GHz base/boost, while the E-cores weigh in at 2.5 / 4.3 GHz. In addition, the execution engine is fed by 33MB of L3 cache and 28MB of L2.
The 14700K also supports leading-edge connectivity with support DDR4-3200 or up to DDR5-5600 memory, along with 16 lanes of PCIe 5.0 and an additional four lanes of PCIe 4.0 from the chip for M.2 SSDs. The 14700K has a 125W PBP (base) and 253W MTP (peak) power rating.
You’ll need to buy a capable cooler for the chip, and you’ll also need a new 700-series or previous-gen 600-series motherboard. You can find a wide selection of high-end motherboards that support DDR5 memory, and although you’ll only find lower-end and mid-range DDR4 motherboards, there’s still plenty of selection available. Gamers will enjoy the lower price option of selecting DDR4, but it does come with 5 to 8% lower performance in gaming. You can step up to the more expensive DDR5 if you need access to more memory throughput.
2. AMD Ryzen 5 7600X – Value Best CPU for Gaming
SPECIFICATIONS
Architecture: Zen 4
Socket: AM5
Cores/Threads: 6/12
Base Frequency: 4.7
Top Boost Frequency: 5.3
TDP: 105W/142W
The $210 Ryzen 5 7600X competes with the $225 Core i5-14400, but the chip now sells much lower than launch pricing. Additionally, the arrival of more affordable B650 AM5 motherboards and receding DDR5 pricing have eased our previous pricing concerns and made this chip the best value CPU for gaming.
AMD also has the six-core 12-thread $199 Ryzen 5 7600, which is very similar to the X-series Ryzen 5 7600X but costs $20 less and delivers close to the same amount of performance, trailing its X-series counterpart by ~3% in gaming.
The Ryzen 5 7600X is 14% faster than the Core i5-14400 in 1080p gaming, and simple EXPO memory tuning adds another 5%. The 7600X is also impressive in our productivity benchmarks, beating the Core i5-14400 by 6% in single-threaded work and 3% in multi-threaded applications, making it a solid all-rounder if you prize performance in productivity workloads.
The 7600X pairs the Zen 4 architecture with the 5nm TSMC process to deliver a big gain in performance over the prior gen. However, the ability to fully overclock the CPU cores provides a decent increase in performance. In contrast, the Core i5-14400/F CPU cores aren’t overclockable.
The Ryzen 5 7600X’s six cores run at a 4.7 GHz base and 5.3 GHz boost and are fed by 32MB of L3 cache. The chip supports all the standards we expect from a modern processor, including DDR5, PCIe 5.0, and the latest USB connectivity standards. AMD has also added integrated graphics for a basic display output, which is a plus if you need to troubleshoot.
The Ryzen 5 7600X doesn’t come with a cooler, but a wide selection of affordable tower air coolers and AIOs can keep the chip comfortably cool. You’ll need a new AM5 motherboard, as the latest Zen 4 processors are not backward compatible. However, the AM5 platform provides forward compatibility with future Ryzen processors, a boon if you plan to upgrade down the road. This class of chip is best with a B-series board, but do your research before you pull the trigger — some bargain basement options don’t provide robust enough power circuitry to upgrade to higher-tier processors in the future.
Intel Core i5-13400 – Value Best CPU for Gaming – Alternate Pick
SPECIFICATIONS
Architecture: Raptor Lake Refresh
Socket: LGA 1700
Cores/Threads: 10 (6P + 4E) / 16
Base Frequency: 2.5
Top Boost Frequency: 4.6
TDP: 65W/148W
The 10-core 16-thread $199 Raptor Lake Core i5-13400 and the graphics-less $185 Core i5-13400F have long been the go-to value gaming chips, but AMD’s Ryzen 5 7600X has experienced sharp price reductions. Pricing for AMD’s motherboard options and DDR5 have also declined, taking some of the shine off of the Core i5-13400 and relegating it to an alternative.
Intel recently released the newer $230 Core i5-14400, built on the same silicon. However, it delivers slim to non-existent real-world performance increases over the Core i5-13400—and it comes with a $30 higher price tag. Thus, the slightly older 13400 is still the best Core i5 option.
The Core i5-13400 has six P-cores that support hyper-threading and operate at a 2.5 GHz base and 4.6 GHz boost clock. The four e-cores for threaded tasks run up to 3.3 GHz. The 13400 supports solid connectivity with support for DDR4-3200 or up to DDR5-4800 memory, along with 16 lanes of PCIe 5.0 and an additional four lanes of PCIe 4.0 from the chip for M.2 SSDs.
The Core i5-13400 comes with a capable cooler that can handle its 65W/148W base/peak power rating, and you can use a newer 700-series motherboard or an older 600-series model if the BIOS supports the chip. Most gamers will enjoy the lower price and comparable performance of DDR4, but you can upgrade to the slightly more expensive DDR5 if you need access to more memory throughput.
Intel’s partners have B- and H-series motherboards available, and a B660/B760 motherboard plus Core i5-13400 CPU makes a solid value gaming combo.
3. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D – Highest Performance Best CPU for Gaming
SPECIFICATIONS
Architecture: Zen 4
Socket: AM5
Cores/Threads: 16/32
Base Frequency: 4.2 GHz
Top Boost Frequency: 5.7 GHz
TDP: 120W
AMD’s $600 Ryzen 9 7950X3D is geared specifically for gamers looking to blast through CPU-limited games while still having the threaded heft of 16 cores that can handle the heaviest of productivity workloads. The new chip comes packing sixteen Zen 4 cores and the company’s second-gen 3D V-Cache tech that unlocks 128MB of L3 cache, a combo that delivers the fastest gaming performance available from a flagship chip. In our tests, the 7950X3D beats Intel’s fastest chip, the $690 6.2 GHz Core i9-14900KS, by 10% on average and up to 40%+ in some games.
The 7950X3D uses AMD’s cutting-edge 3D chip-stacking technology, called 3D V-Cache, to enable an incredible 128MB of L3 cache. Like AMD’s inaugural X3D chip, the Zen 3 Ryzen 7 5800X3D, the extra L3 cache comes courtesy of a 3D-stacked SRAM chiplet fused atop the processor with hybrid bonding, which accelerates gaming to new heights in many titles. AMD also has a new thread-targeting technique designed to help apply the gains more evenly across a broad range of games.
However, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D does lag its direct competition in some productivity apps due to the tradeoffs associated with the 3D chip-stacking tech, and it doesn’t accelerate all games equally. As such, you’ll need to study the pros and cons of the chip before pulling the trigger. However, one thing is certain — it’s the fastest flagship gaming chip on the planet.
The Ryzen 9 7950X3D brings all of the amenities we would expect from a modern processor, including support for DDR5, PCIe 5.0, and the latest USB connectivity standards. AMD has also added integrated graphics for a basic display out for the first time, which is a plus if you need to troubleshoot.
AMD’s new Ryzen 7000 series chips do require a bulky cooler, so plan for a 240mm-280mm or better AIO for the best performance. You’ll also need a new AM5 motherboard, as the latest Zen processors are not backward compatible, and DDR5 memory is the only option. If you’re looking to build the absolutely fastest gaming system, regardless of cost, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is undoubtedly the fastest gaming chip currently available.
Intel Core i9-13900K – Highest Performance Best CPU for Gaming – Alternate Pick
SPECIFICATIONS
Architecture: Alder Lake
Socket: LGA 1700
Cores/Threads: 16 (8P+16E) / 32
Base Frequency: 3.0
Top Boost Frequency: 5.8
Processor Base Power: 125W
The $449 Core i9-13900K is among Intel’s fastest gaming processors, but Intel has released a newer refresh model, the $537 Core i9-14900K, that offers a mere 3% performance advantage in gaming. That means the 13900K’s much lower price tag cements it as the better option.
While the Core i9-13900K isn’t quite as fast as AMD’s Ryzen 9 5900X3D, it has a more balanced performance profile and is faster than the other chips in the Ryzen 7000 family. At $449, it even outperforms AMD’s $620 Ryzen 9 7950X in our gaming testing and most heavily-threaded content creation tasks, making it an exceptional value for high-end game streaming, too. It’s also a leader in x86 single-threaded performance.
The 13900K also supports leading-edge connectivity with support DDR4-3200 or up to DDR5-5600 memory, along with 16 lanes of PCIe 5.0 and an additional four lanes of PCIe 4.0 from the chip for M.2 SSDs.
The chip comes with eight P-cores that support hyper-threading, and 16 single-threaded E-cores for a total of 24 threads. The P-cores have a 3.0 GHz base, and peak frequencies reach an amazing 5.8 GHz with Turbo Boost Max 3.0 (this feature is only active on P-cores). Meanwhile, the E-cores have a 2.2 GHz base and stretch up to 4.3 GHz via the standard Turbo Boost 2.0 algorithms. The chip is also equipped with 36MB of L3 cache and 32MB of L2.
This 13900K has a 125W PBP (base) and 253W MTP (peak) power rating, but we recorded considerably lower power consumption than its prior-gen counterpart. You get exceptional performance in exchange.
You’ll need to buy a capable cooler for the chip, and you’ll also need either a new 700-series or a previous-gen 600-series motherboard. You can find a wide selection of high-end motherboards that support DDR5 memory, and although you’ll only find lower-end and mid-range DDR4 motherboards, there’s still plenty of selection available. Some gamers might be enticed by the lower price of DDR4, but you’ll lose anywhere from 5 to 8% of gaming performance with higher-end Intel chips. You can step up to the slightly more expensive DDR5 if you need access to more memory throughput and, thus, every bit of performance possible.
4. Intel Core i3-13100F – Best $85-$100 Budget CPU Pick
SPECIFICATIONS
Architecture: Raptor Lake
Socket: LGA 1700
Cores/Threads: 4 (4P + 0E) / 8
Base Frequency: 3.4
Top Boost Frequency: 4.5
TDP: 60W / 89W
The $117 Core i3-13100F comes to market using the same winning formula that propelled the previous-gen Core i3-12100F to the top of our recommendations for budget systems, making it a shoo-in for the best budget CPU in its price class. This chip delivers exceptional gaming performance along with good enough performance in productivity applications, given its price point. Notably, you can often find the previous-gen Core i3-12100F at similar or lower pricing, and given that the two chips offer essentially the same level of performance, we recommend that you simply select whichever model costs less at the time.
The Core i3-13100 has six p-cores and 12 threads operating at a 3.4 GHz base and 4.5 GHz boost clock rate. However, unlike the Core i5 models, it doesn’t have e-cores for background tasks. It also has 12 MB of L3 cache.
The 13100 has 16 PCIe 5.0 lanes and four PCIe 4.0 lanes and supports up to DDR4-3200 and DDR5-4800 MT/s (caveats apply to DDR5 support). Intel’s non-K models don’t allow overclocking of the CPU cores, but they do support memory overclocking.
The Core i3-13100F also comes with Intel’s new improved cooler, saving you some cash. Like the non-F model, it has a 60W PBP (base) and 89W MTP (peak) power rating, so it’s easy to cool with the included cooler.
Intel’s Raptor Lake drops into Socket 1700 motherboards from the 600-series or 700-series, including the Z-, H- and, B-series boards (B- and H-series boards are the best fit). The Core i3-12100 is a locked chip, meaning it isn’t overclockable. However, Intel supports memory overclocking on Z-, B-, and H-series motherboards (Z-Series doesn’t make sense for this class of chip, though).
AMD Ryzen 5 5600 – Budget Best CPU for Gaming – Alternative
SPECIFICATIONS
Architecture: Zen 3
Socket: AM4
Cores/Threads: 6 / 12
Base Frequency: 3.7GHz
Top Boost Frequency: 4.6GHz
TDP: 65W
We tend to define our budget range as $100 to $120, but the $135 AMD Ryzen 5 5600 deserves special consideration. This chip takes the top spot as the overall best budget AMD CPU for gaming with a solid blend of performance in both gaming and application workloads, bringing a new level of value to the Zen 3 lineup. It does come with a higher cost of entry than the $106 Core i3-12100F, but it is more than worthy given its higher level of performance — the Ryzen 5 5600 is 10% faster in gaming than the 12100F.
If you’re fine sticking with the previous-gen AM4 motherboard, the Ryzen 5 5600 makes a great budget build. The primary trade-off for the AM4 platform is that you’re limited to DDR4 (a good thing given DDR5 pricing) and you don’t have access to PCIe 5.0 (GPUs don’t need it), but this isn’t a problem at this price point. The Ryzen 5 5600 also makes an absolutely unbeatable deal if you’re updating an AM4 first-gen Ryzen system with a standard non-X3D chip.
The 5600 unseats the Ryzen 5 5600X, a long-time favorite. The 5600X is only ~1% faster in gaming and multi-threaded PC work than the Ryzen 5 5600 but maintains a 4% advantage in single-threaded work. That said, the practical differences between the two chips will be almost imperceptible to the overwhelming majority of users, but the Ryzen 5 5600X costs $30 more. As such, consider the Ryzen 5 5600 the 5600X-killer.
You can find the six-core 12-thread Ryzen 5 5600 at $135, a deep discount brought on by competitive pressure from Intel. In fact, our testing shows that the Ryzen 5 5600 generally matches the gaming performance of its more expensive sibling, the ~$230 Ryzen 7 5800X. That makes the 5600 an incredibly well-rounded chip that can handle any type of gaming, from competitive-class performance with high refresh rate monitors to streaming, while also serving up more than enough performance for day-to-day application workloads. As with all AMD CPUs for gaming, you can fully overclock the CPU.
The Ryzen 5 5600 has a 3.7 GHz base and 4.6 GHz boost clock, but with the right cooling and motherboard, you can expect higher short-term boosts. The chip also has a 65W TDP rating, meaning it runs exceptionally cool and quiet, given its capabilities. Existing AMD owners with a 500-series motherboard will breathe a sigh of relief as the 5600X drops right into existing 500-, 400-, and 300-series motherboards. If you need a new motherboard to support the chip, AMD’s AM4 motherboards are plentiful and relatively affordable, with the B-series lineup offering the best overall value for this class of chip.