The best CPU for gaming doesn’t have to necessarily be the chipset boasting the highest amount of cores and threads or a blisteringly fast clock speed. In fact, some of the more competitively priced chipsets from a couple of years ago are just as proficient at running the latest titles as the bleeding edge processors in many instances. It’s a new year, and we’ve already seen what’s on the roadmap for Zen 4 on the horizon, which looks very promising in 5nm. Having already witnessed the 12th gen Intel CPUs, we can safely say that there’s likely to be healthy competition on both sides.
In terms of the best CPU for gaming on the market right now, it’s a pretty even toss-up between Intel Core 11th and 12th generation as well as the AMD Ryzen 5000 series, if you were after something current generation. However, it’s worth reiterating that an Intel chipset from a few years ago, the same with the AMD Ryzen 3000 line, is viable if you can find them at discounted rates. Fortunately, we’ve seen the prices steadily decline on previous-gen chipsets, so you can save a substantial amount of money and put those extra dollars into components that can really benefit from the boost, such as the best graphics cards, best SSD for gaming, and best RAM for gaming.
Motherboard compatibility is also going to dictate the kind of chipset build you can go for when utilizing the best CPU for gaming this year. For those using AMD processors, both the Ryzen 3000 and 5000 line utilize the AM4 socket, but things get a little more complicated when it comes to Intel’s last few generations. Intel still uses LGA however, if you’re wanting the 12th generation, complete with DDR5 RAM compatibility, you’ll need an LGA 1700 socket motherboard, which can run particularly expensive right now. If you’re after either 10th or 11th generation, though, both chipsets operate on LGA 1200 socket, so something to keep in mind when pricing your full build.
Best CPU for gaming 2022
Gaming in Quad HD (1440p) in high refresh rates or 4K60 on PC doesn’t need to be crazily expensive, and you can sure save a few bucks by opting for a just-as-capable 11th-gen i5 as opposed to an i7. Or an i9 monster, for that matter. The higher clock speed on the i5-11600K means it can hold its own effectively against Ryzen alternatives and some of the 11th generation i7 on CPUs (on a base level) from a purely gaming perspective as well.
That’s to say nothing of the overclocking potential afforded by said-higher clock speed, with the potential of being able to be dialed up all the way to 4.90GHz. If you’re after a faster-than-light setup for gaming at a competitive price, there isn’t much better from Rocket Lake’s revisions for the money.
The recently released 12th generation Intel i5 Alder Lake processor does what people were expecting from Rocket Lake earlier this year – and actually dethrones AMD Ryzen 5000 series for a competitive price-to-performance ratio that’s hard to argue against.
Comparing the Intel Core i5-12600K on the less-than-well-received Intel Core i9-11900K, and the 12600K actually outperforms it for a fraction of the cost. Indeed, its documented performance means it more than deserves a high spot in our roundup but misses out on that top slot for one simple reason: it doesn’t run every game – yet. It comes down to DRM (digital rights management) issues that certain newer games such as Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and Immortals Fenyx Rising (PC Gamer has the full list available) that means that some titles won’t boot at all and others could face compatibility issues on Windows 10.
Now, there is a workaround, and these problems could be ironed out sooner rather than later, but it’s something to keep in mind if you are willing to become an early adopter to the newest range of aggressively priced Intel Core CPUs this year. If you can see past that and want one of the latest processors going from Intel, then this is the one to aim for; a top CPU for gaming.
Want the best Ryzen CPU for gaming? According to benchmarks, the 5600x fits the bill nicely. It’s a remarkable feat of engineering – in terms of pure gaming performance, it outshines all of the 10th-generation Intel Core line, as well as holding its own well against the i5-115600 and i5-11600k. Because they’re the processor’s direct competition (and because Intel’s ruled the roost for a long time), that’s pretty significant.
This success comes down to how effectively AMD has managed to optimize their chipsets for modern gaming performance, with that mantra being the sole intention of these processors out of the gate. The long and short of it? For the asking price, you can’t get any better processor for gaming in 2021.
With its staggering 12-core (24 threads) architecture, it’s no surprise that this Ryzen processor is an absolute beast for just about any task put in front of it – especially high-end gaming in 4K at exceedingly high frame rates (when paired with a capable graphics card, of course).
With that said, if you’re only interested in a processor from a raw gaming perspective, then the 5900x is absolute overkill. Indeed, how this chipset handles everything else – such as video rendering/encoding in high resolutions – tips it over the edge.
If you’re in the creative field and need a real workhorse that can effortlessly game as well (and you’ve got the money), there’s no doubt that this is the one to get. In terms of speed, it’s the best CPU for gaming.
We’ve personally sworn by the i7-9700k since its introduction, having used it in one of our own recent desktop builds. At the same time, one of our current laptops, a Razer Blade 15 Base, also utilizes a 6-core mobile version of the chipset (9750H), and it’s absolutely bulletproof.
The best thing about the 9700k is not only its availability on the market but also its price in 2021; it’s a significant amount cheaper – and easier to find – than the current generation. And although Intel opted not to pursue hyperthreading with this particular batch of processors (instead preferring to bump the core count up), that still results in faster gaming performance in some instances than its 10th-gen rival.
In terms of raw performance, it’s not going to be the CPU which bottlenecks – or restricts – your system’s full potential either. That will instead be factors such as limited RAM and a low-end graphics card. Basically, it’s a great foundation on which to build your rig.
Bursting out of the latest crop of AMD’s biggest and best processors, this third-generation CPU has quickly become one of our favorites. While it may not be the blisteringly fastest of all gaming-focused CPUs, it’s right up there when optimized properly and with the right settings and resolutions ticked. Outside of gaming, it’s pretty much the fastest, however, which is an excellent bonus.
The Ryzen 9 3900X demands a robust price tag but the cost still bags you a good cooler (Wraith Prism). This means that there’s an excellent extra boost in performance on busy workloads away from gaming like 3D rendering and video editing.
However, if you’re only worried about gaming – and that’s likely given you’re on this page – the trade-off you have to endure (around an 8 percent slower gaming performance according to our friends at PC Gamer) only demonstrates itself and makes itself known on lower settings and a lower resolution with the fastest GPU available (RTX 3090). This kind of difference may well only be of concern if you’re a pro gamer aiming for the stratospheric realms of c.240fps at lower quality, however, for everyone else, this is a fine CPU that will deliver excellent performance.
If one is being ruthlessly realistic and honest, then the i9 10900K will be far and away too much for most people and most builds but for those chasing the best.
A small downside is that you’ll need a Z490 motherboard to go with this processor – though you might well know this if you’re considering one of these beasts, and some effort and attention to cooling and a very capable power source will be most welcome. Pure performance, power, and capability are here in abundance, and this will probably see you right for a good long while (you’d hope so with the price of admission).
Slightly in the shadow of its bigger brother the 3900X, the Ryzen 7 3700X is still brilliant. It is basically as fast in games and still offers all the other benefits of AMD’s Zen 2 architecture – some of which might become useful during the coming years.
The 3700X is a sensible choice, considering its price tag, you bag an extra Wraith Prism cooler with an 8-core/16-thread CPU. Compared to a close Intel rival – Intel’s i7-9700K – our friends at PC Gamer tell us that it’s about 9 percent slower in gaming performance, though this is only visible again at those lower settings with a mega GPU like the RTX 3080 Ti.
If you go for an appropriate graphics card companion like AMD’s RX 5700 XT, the difference will be basically negligible and meaningless. For other demanding tasks and applications like 3D rendering and video editing, you’ll receive a nice boost of 18 percent, so all of that combines to make a seriously good package. Purely for gaming, you might pass on the 3700X, but taking everything into account and its value for money, it is definitely one of the best CPUs you can buy right now.
