Best gaming CPU 2025

The best gaming CPU at the moment is AMD Ryzen 7 9800x3d. This 8-core CPU is not cheap, but requires the predecessor, 7800x3D, victory formula, and runs alongside it, generating the fastest CPU in a game that is also very powerful in other areas.

The 9800x3D is the fastest gaming CPU I’ve ever tested, and absolutely wipes out the current competition from Intel. This CPU surpasses frame rate charts such as the Cyberpunk 2077 and Far Cry 6, and is much faster than its predecessors of non-gaming applications.

The secret to this CPU’s success is the use of a second generation AMD 3D V cache, a large 64MB slice of silicon under the CPU core, providing a big boost to caches that save CPUs that have to access slower RAM of data.

This cache significantly improves gaming performance, and the fact that it is under the 9800x3D CPU core (as opposed to above them, like 7800x3D) means that the CPU cooler will cool the core directly rather than cool the cache first. Not only did this mean cooler operating temperatures than the 7800x3D, but AMD was able to increase clock speeds with a top boost clock clock of 5.2GHz.

Adding AMD’s latest efficient Zen 5 architecture, there’s a scary gaming CPU and a chip that can handle multi-threaded software without sweating. There aren’t many CPU cores for very sturdy workstation type applications (see 9950X or 7950X for that), but it’s enough for most people’s needs and is a great chip for the game.

Read the AMD Ryzen 7 9800x3D review.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D has been replaced by the Superior 9800X3D, but there is still reason to consider buying the previous champion, especially if you can’t buy a new chip. Grab the 7800x3D and save $100 while still having the option to upgrade to 9800x3D.

Like 9800x3D, at 96MB of L3 cache within 7800x3D, you can wonder at frame rates and get all the pixel pushing juices from your graphics card. Its effects are most keen to the point at resolutions like 1080p, making it an ideal choice for competitive gamers. This also means that if you play primarily at higher resolutions than the GPU is limited, you will hardly notice any difference in gaming performance compared to 9800x3d if you play only at high frame rates at 1080p.

Elsewhere, this chip is less competitive than the 9800x3D for non-gaming tasks, but it’s not enough for most people’s needs. Furthermore, the AM5 motherboard it uses will not only allow you to drop 9800x3D as an upgrade, but will also be able to switch to a 16-core AMD chip such as 9950x3D, but also promise to use the AM5 for at least another generation of chips, so it will also support future AMD CPUs.

Read the AMD Ryzen 7 7800x3D review.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is perfect for anyone looking to build a brand new gaming PC on a budget. Because we use AMD’s AM5 sockets, this means that you can purchase a motherboard that supports chip upgrades such as the 9800x3D or chip upgrades such as the still-announced AMD CPUs. In the meantime, it also offers excellent all-around performance that is perfect for gaming PCs.

This Zen 4 processor only has six cores, but most game scenarios have enough cores, especially since AMD’s cores support supporting all handling two threads per core. So the chip looks like a 12-core chip on the rest of the PC. This and the chips will eliminate the power, making them economical to run and easier to cool down.

Importantly, a few years after its launch, the chip remained competitively priced, but is out of reach of many buyers (about $220), and has settled down at a low price over the past few months. At around $170, the Intel Core i5 12400F charges more than $110, but it’s a much better chip for current performance and potential future upgrades.

Read our AMD Ryzen 5 7600X review.

Sitting at the top of Intel’s gaming CPU stack is the Core i9 14900K, one of the few chips that can hit 6GHz clock speeds.

Packs the usual configuration of 24 cores and 32 threads that defined all Core i9s over the last three generations. The other LGA 1700 processors that can compete are the Core i9 13900ks, but the 14900K is essentially the same as the more expensive CPU.

The Core I9 14900K is best achieved with multi-core workloads, making it ideal for systems that act as both gaming rigs and workstations. Make sure you have a capable power source and a cooler in your hand, as you guzzle your electricity like anyone’s business.

However, this CPU has a warning. This means that there is a problem with voltage fluctuations, causing game conflicts and permanently damaged the CPU. If you want to run this CPU, make sure you flash the BIOS to your motherboard so that the latest microcode is at the beginning.

Read the Intel Core i9 14900k review.

The 14600K is an ultra-sensitive midrange chip that combines six efficiency cores combined with six of Intel’s performance cores, and eight efficiency cores from the chip, which boasts a total of 14 cores. It’s a great multitasker.

Plus, the game speed is decent. It falls behind the Highest 24900K and AMD’s latest X3D chip, but it’s still a fast CPU. Furthermore, the K at the end of the name means that this chip can be easily overclocked, and if the CPU cooler has the ability to cool it down well, you could get free additional performance.

For brand new systems, Intel’s LGA 1700 platform is not particularly recommended as the 2 generations without future CPU upgrade options are already 2 generations. However, if you have an old LGA 1700 board or you can find one cheap second-hand item, the 14600K will be a great partner for that. You can also upgrade to 14700K or 14900K at any time at a later date.

Read the Intel Core i5 14600k review.

If you’re not only on a limited budget, but also want a bit of a boost to multithreading tasks like video encoding and rendering, the Core i5 13400F is a solid candidate. It features Intel’s six latest Raptor Lake P-Cores and a 4.6GHz boost clock, making it slightly faster than the 12400F for gaming, with an extra bonus on the 12400F.

Unlike its predecessor, the 13400F has four of Intel’s low-power e-cores under the thermal spreader, providing a total of 10 cores, resulting in a noticeable boost in multi-threaded software. This is the ideal choice for those who don’t spend a huge amount of money using the system, as well as games.

Like the 12400F, this chip does not have a K in the model name. This means that you cannot officially overclock the multiplier by changing it. F means that you don’t have an integrated GPU either. However, using the latter will save you money if you’re buying a dedicated graphics card anyway.

You don’t need one of the best CPU cooler options to keep this CPU down. You will also get the appropriate Intel Stock Air Cooler included in the box when you purchase the retail version. Just $30 more than the 12400F is a great upgrade.

Read the Intel Core i5 13400f review.

If you have old PC gear and are still looking for a cheap upgrade that gets solid gaming performance, the Intel Core i5 12400F is a great purchase. For around $110, it is one of the cheapest and reasonably modern CPUs, supported by very old Intel motherboards and can use old DDR4 RAM, so you could potentially reuse a lot of old kits.

In particular, if you have an Intel LGA 1700 motherboard, or you can find cheap second-hand items – and there is 16GB or more of DDR4 RAM (it’s better to buy a new DDR5). This is more than two or more budget CPUs from Intel, and these P-cores are important to the game.

Don’t be fooled by the old “12” model number for this CPU – the Alder Lake architecture used in this chip is very similar to the Raptor Lake architecture used in Intel’s latest 14th generation CPUs, and we’ve found it more than abilities when it comes to gaming.

With just 65W TDP, this CPU does not require a large AIO cooler to maintain checks. A budget air cooler does the job well. There are a few catches. One is that this “F” model does not have a GPU integrated, but I would recommend getting a separate graphics card anyway. It’s not a problem with gaming PCs, as only AMD has enough integrated GPUs for gaming. It also doesn’t have an Intel e-core to help work with Multi-Threaded, but it’s pretty much irrelevant when it comes to performance in most games.

It could also increase the peak clock speeds of just 4.4GHz, which is also not a K-series CPU, so it’s not easy to overclock, but you can’t have it all for this price. This is a great option if you need a cheap and easy upgrade, but if you’re building a new system, you have more options.

Read the Intel Core i5 12400f review

If you’re seriously looking for a strong CPU for heavy duty processing that requires a lot of CPU cores but doesn’t blow your budget completely, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is one. This 16-core chip doubles the 9800x3D core due to serious multi-core processing power.

Workloads like the Intel Core i9-14900k may actually be sprayed, but that’s it. Importantly, AMD’s chips offer performance with impressive low power consumption. Additionally, you can set the chip to ECO mode, which limits the TDP to just 65W (from the default 170W). This will reduce peak performance slightly, but not as much as you think, and its power consumption will drop to a very low level.

What makes this low power mode particularly appealing is that, for example, you can run the CPU in this mode for most business days, but you can switch to full power mode for evening gaming at maximum frame rate. It requires a reboot, but this is a small price to pay for this versatility.

This and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X aren’t exactly cheap, but it’s a very competitive price for such a powerful chip, and is now widely available for under $450, originally close to $600. All of this opens up the upgrade path for AMD’s latest 9000 series CPUs as well as the upgrade path for the next generation chips, as it uses the same motherboard.

Read our AMD Ryzen 9 7950X review.

Perhaps to build a small system, for anyone who needs a single chip that can handle CPU and GPU duties, or if you’re just spending another $200 on a graphics card and not an option, check out the Ryzen 5 8600g. With six Zen 4 cores and a Radeon 760m integrated GPU, it is a thrilling performer for a processor and Standin graphics card.

8600g is the brightest shine in less demanding games, but if you’re happy to play at 1080p using a low setting, you can play Cyberpunk 2077 and more at 30fps. It is also compatible with FidelityFX Super Resolution, which helps to further increase frame rates through upscaling and frame generation.

To pair with DDR5 RAM clocked above 8600G and 6,000MHz, you need to get the most performance from the integrated graphics. This adds the total cost to bring the system together, but you can use the same RAM when upgrading your CPU in the future. Plus, even the rather fast DDR5 RAM is relatively affordable.

If you plan to upgrade to a dedicated graphics card in the not too distant future, the 8600G is not the ideal processor. This is because it is not as fast as an equally priced CPU without strong integrated graphics and has a limited number of PCIE lanes. However, unless you upgrade to a faster graphics card, it is likely that the GPU will reduce gaming performance rather than this CPU.

Read the AMD Ryzen 5 8600G review.