Best Gaming CPU: The best Intel and AMD gaming processors

Introduction

Looking to upgrade your gaming PC or build an entire new system from scratch? Then you lot'll need the best gaming CPU possible to maximise your performance and see those frame rates soar for the most demanding AAA games.

We've assembled a list of the very best gaming CPU options for desktop PCs currently available, with inclusions from both AMD and Intel.

Nonetheless, it's working begetting in listen that AMD is expected to launch a new range of desktop processors early next year, then it may exist worth waiting for a few months if you'd rather side with Team Cherry-red instead of Team Bluish.

How we exam

Learn more about how we exam CPUs

We e'er review multiple CPUs at once to compare data, using consequent components for fair testing where possible.

We utilise a mix of both constructed and in-game benchmarks to estimate functioning, while besides because additional features and pricing.

Nosotros also measure the likes of ability consumption and peak temperature under stress to become an thought of performance efficiency.

Shop the range of AMD Ryzen™ Laptops at Currys

On the chase for a meridian-notch laptop to help with your school or university work that'due south also great for the odd spot of Netflix binging and gaming, but not sure which to become?

We'd recommend looking at one with an AMD Ryzen™ 5000 Series Mobile Processor

Intel Core i5-12600K

Best value gaming CPU, with oodles of time to come-proofing

Pros

• Excellent gaming operation
• Huge improvements to multi-core performance
• Future-proofed with PCIe 5.0 and DDR5
• Great power efficiency

Cons

• Teething bug for game compatibility
• Requirement of Z690 motherboard drives up toll

The Intel Core i5-12600K is i of the latest fries to launch from Team Blueish, and it arguably represents the best value. Not only does information technology provide one of the absolute all-time gaming performances available, but it's as well packing plenty of features to time to come-proof your rig.

DDR5 back up ways you can install the most powerful RAM currently available, while PCIe 5.0 noticeably lifts the performance cap for new SSDs, speeding upwardly those ho-hum loading times.

Of course, this isn't a inexpensive upgrade, with the demand of a Z690 motherboard another expense you'll need to factor in, only yous arguably won't demand to upgrade your CPU once again for a long, long time after investing in the i5-12600K.

Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Full review: Intel Core i5-12600K review

Intel Cadre i5-11600K

Great value gaming chip with PCIe four.0 back up

Pros

• Excellent gaming operation
• Support for PCIe four.0
• Good value for coin
• Runs at comparatively low temperatures

Cons

• Poor multi-threaded performance
• Marginal functioning gains from 10th generation

The Intel Core i5-11600K offers a similar (admitting marginally slower) gaming performance compared to its newer 12th Gen sibling, just is also available at a cheaper price.

Aside from the mediocre multi-threaded functioning that volition turn off creators, the biggest issue with the i5-11600K is its lack of futureproofing. It features support for PCIe 4.0, but 12th Gen Intel chips offer a far higher performance ceiling with PCIe v.0 and DDR5.

But if you lot're currently not bothered well-nigh future-proofing your system for cutting-border SSDs and RAM, and then the Intel Cadre i5-11600K remains a fantastic fleck that offers a stellar gaming performance.

Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Full review: Intel Core i5-11600K review

Intel Core i9-12900K

The almost powerful gaming CPU

Pros

• Huge gains in multi-core performance
• Most powerful gaming CPU performance
• Very expert for streaming games
• Time to come-proofed with PCIe 5.0 and DDR5

Cons

• Expensive
• Loftier elevation temperature
• Simply slightly better than i5 for gaming

The Intel Core i9-12900K is the virtually powerful gaming processor nosotros've tested withal, simply we're not convinced its performance advantage over the i5-12600k is significant enough to justify that steep price for gaming alone.

Instead, the Intel Core i9-12900K is best considered if you want a processor for both content cosmos and gaming. Its multi-threaded muscle is hugely impressive, while the clever 'hybrid architecture' is peculiarly skilled at juggling multiple tasks simultaneously such every bit playing a game while recording/streaming video.

This flake isn't cheap, merely since it's packing support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5, it's unlikely that you lot'll demand to upgrade your processor and motherboard once again for a very long time.

Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Total review: Intel Cadre i9-12900K review

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X

Best value AMD gaming CPU

Pros

• Fantastic all-circular performance
• Bang-up multi-threaded performance
• Low ability consumption
• Supports PCIe four.0

Cons

• Fairly expensive
• Intel still has the edge for gaming

The appeal of the AMD Ryzen seven 5800X has diminished significantly since the launch of Intel'southward Alder Lake processors, with the i5-12600K boasting superior single-core and multi-threaded speeds despite having a cheaper cost.

But if you're a devoted AMD fan and want your flake to sync upward with your Radeon graphics card to unlock some game-boosting features, then the Ryzen 7 5800X is still a worthy option with some respectable gaming speeds.

It's also packing PCIe 4.0 support, which should give compatible SSDs a performance boost, although information technology's admittedly not quite as future-proofed equally the Intel Core i5-12600K which is rocking PCIe 5.0 support for fifty-fifty faster speeds.

Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Full review: AMD Ryzen vii 5800X review

Intel Core i5-10600K

Best budget gaming CPU

Pros

• Impressive single-threaded operation
• Consistently fast in games
• Includes Hyper-Threading
• One of the more than affordable gaming fries

Cons

• Poor multi-threaded performance
• Relatively expensive ecosystem
• No native PCIe 4.0 or PCIe v.0 support

The Intel Core i5-10600K is based on oldest architecture of all the gaming CPUs in this listing, but it still offers a respectable gaming functioning after excelling in our benchmark tests.

The biggest upshot here is that the scrap is limited to PCIe iii.0 back up, which ways SSD speeds are handicapped to such a caste that your arrangement volition have slower loading times than a PS5 and Xbox Series 10. The latest Intel chip has at present moved onto PCIe five.0, which enables significantly faster speeds with uniform SSDs.

With that in mind, the Intel Cadre i5-10600K is only worth considering if it sees a major price cutting in a sale, merely it's likely to be a prime candidate for Blackness Friday savings.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Total review: AMD Ryzen seven 5800X review

Nosotros also considered…

Intel Core i9-10900K

Can the Intel Core i9-10900K use ten Hyper-Threaded cores to accept on the might of AMD?

FAQs

What is PCIe?

PCIe (peripheral component interconnect express) is an interface standard used for connecting high-speed components such equally GPUs and SSDs. The PCIe generation volition determine the functioning handicap for connected components. The latest standard, PCIe 5.0, currently doesn't have a large affect on GPU operation, just can enable far faster SSD speeds with compatible hardware.

What is the best CPU type for gaming?

The best affair to look out for when buying a gaming CPU is single-core performance. The latest Intel Alder Lake chips are currently the cream of the ingather in this area, although it's worth considering other aspects such as supported features, power consumption and temperature.

Is Intel better than AMD?

Intel currently sells the fastest gaming processor available, simply AMD still has some impressive rivals in the Ryzen 5000 series. Just Ryzen 6000 desktop processors are excepted to drib in 2022, and then things could soon change.

You lot might similar…

Specs compared

‹

Graphics

Manufactoring Process

Motherboard Chipset

Number of Threads

Number of Cores

Power Consumption

Compages

Boosted Clock Speed

Base of operations Clock Speed

Release Appointment

First Reviewed Date

Manufacturer

United states of america RRP

Uk RRP

Intel Cadre i5-12600K

Intel UHD Graphics 770

–

Z690

sixteen

ten

195.6 W

Intel Core 12th Generation

4.xc GHz

3.70 GHz

2021

04/xi/2021

Intel

$289

–

Intel Cadre i5-11600K

Intel UHD Graphics 750

14 nm

Z590

12

6

201 W

Intel Core 11th Generation

4.9 GHz

3.9 GHz

2021

–

Intel

$262

£250

Intel Core i9-12900K

Intel UHD Graphics 770

–

Z690

24

16

–

twelfth Gen Intel Core (Alder Lake)

5.20 GHz

3.20 GHz

2021

04/eleven/2021

Intel

$589

–

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X

–

7 nm

AMD X570

16

eight

193.four W

Ryzen 5000

iv.vii GHz

3.viii GHz

2021

–

AMD

–

–

Intel Cadre i5-10600K

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

›

Trusted Reviews examination data

‹

PCMark 10

Geekbench 5 unmarried core

Geekbench 5 multi core

Cinebench R23

Dirt Rally (4K)

Dirt Rally (Quad Hard disk drive)

Dirt Rally (Full Hard disk drive)

Horizon Zero Dawn frame charge per unit (4K)

Horizon Zero Dawn frame rate (Quad Hd)

Horizon Naught Dawn frame rate (Full Hd)

Intel Cadre i5-12600K

9470

1742

12049

16892

99 fps

172 fps

220 fps

54 fps

95 fps

116 fps

Intel Core i5-11600K

9177

1647

7602

10904

98 fps

167 fps

187 fps

53 fps

92 fps

108 fps

Intel Cadre i9-12900K

9966

1899

16810

26503

99 fps

172 fps

230 fps

54 fps

95 fps

117 fps

AMD Ryzen vii 5800X

9224

1585

9028

14972

95 fps

158 fps

203 fps

54 fps

91 fps

92 fps

›

Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/best/best-cpu-gaming-3589791

Posted by: stinsonowareasti.blogspot.com

Share this post