When we're talking about gaming performance, having a slightly higher clocked CPU can make a bit of a difference, but arguably your graphics card will be the part that limits the speed of your system.
There is also the point that overclocked CPUs create more heat, require more intensive and expensive cooling solutions, need those coolers to work harder, and are, therefore, often louder.
For us, overclocking your CPU to gain real-world performance benefits is not something we'd recommend most PC gamers do. CPUs contain caches designated as Level 1, 2, and 3, with L1 being the fastest and smallest and L3 being the slowest and largest. Clock speed - The speed at which a CPU can execute instructions, measured in hertz.
A processor with a 3. Clock speed is one of the most critical factors for determining performance in games and workload functions. Heat sink - A cooling solution for PCs that utilize fans or liquid cooling active or aluminum radiators passive that rely on convection to regulate a component's temperature. Hyper-Threading SMT - Intel terminology for a tech that allows a processor to handle two sets of instructions 'threads' simultaneously. LGA is used on Intel sockets with pins as part of the socket.
A BGA socket is when the processor is permanently soldered to the motherboard, typically on a laptop. TDP - Thermal design power, the maximum amount of heat a system or chip can produce that the attendant cooling system is designed to deal with under workload. This term can apply to PCs as a whole, GPUs, CPUs, or nearly any other performance component that generates heat and is in large part an indicator of how much power a part draws. Thread - A thread refers to a series of CPU instructions for a specific program.
Turbo Boost - Intel technology that allows processors to run at higher clock speeds under demanding loads. AMD also supports turbo or boost clocks, and we use the terms interchangeably regardless of CPU vendor. Alan has been writing about PC tech since before 3D graphics cards existed, and still vividly recalls having to fight with MS-DOS just to get games to load.
He fondly remembers the killer combo of a Matrox Millenium and 3dfx Voodoo, and seeing Lara Croft in 3D for the first time. He's very glad hardware has advanced as much as it has though, and is particularly happy when putting the latest M.
Included in this guide: 1. Intel Core i5 K. Threads: Base Clock: 3. Boost Clock: 4. Overclocking: Yes. L3 Cache: 20 MB. Processor Base Power: W. PCIe 5. Reasons to avoid - Still more power hungry than Ryzen - Doesn't play nice with some games.
Intel Core i9 K. Boost Clock: 5. L3 Cache: 30 MB. Reasons to avoid - Some games don't play nicely with Alder Lake yet - High power consumption - Potentially high platform costs at launch. AMD Ryzen 5 X. Specifications Cores: 6. L3 Cache: 32 MB. PCIe 4. AMD Ryzen 9 X. Specifications Cores: L3 Cache: 64 MB. Reasons to avoid - Needs a proper 3rd-party cooler. Base clock: 3. Turbo clock: 4. Overclocking: Yes, 4. L3 cache: 12 MB.
Reasons to avoid - iGPU is still quite weak. Intel Core i5 F. Base Clock: 2. Turbo Clock: 4. Overclocking: No. L3 Cache: 12 MB. 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. High end desktop processors have long offered the ultimate in performance, as long as you were willing to pay the price.
Aside from high MSRPs, the chips also require expensive accommodations, like beefy motherboards and the added cost of fully populating quad-channel memory controllers. Add in the inevitable trade-offs, like reduced performance in lightly-threaded applications and games, and any cost-conscious users who could benefit from the threaded horsepower of a HEDT chip just settle for mainstream offerings. AMD's Ryzen 9 X, with 16 cores and 32 threads, expands on its predecessors' mission of bringing HEDT-class performance to mainstream motherboards, lowering the bar for entry.
We generally don't recommend HEDT processors for enthusiasts that are only interested in gaming. Gamers are best served by mainstream processors with fewer cores and higher clocks that are often faster in games; the Ryzen 9 X also falls into the same category - AMD's lesser series models are a better value for gamers.
However, if you're after a chip and platform that can do serious work seriously fast , but still be nimble enough to deliver high-refresh gameplay at the end of the day, the Ryzen 9 X fits the bill like no other CPU before it. The core thread Ryzen 9 X is rated for a 3. The X offers the ultimate in gaming performance - it is the uncontested gaming chip on the market, but it is a bit overkill if gaming is all you do. However, if you feel the need for speed in productivity workloads, this chip's 12 cores will chew through those workloads with aplomb.
The Ryzen 9 X drops into existing series and series motherboards. You'll need to bring your own cooler, and the bigger the better - cooling definitely has an impact on performance with the higher-end Ryzen processors. However, if you're looking at the no-compromise chip for gaming, this is your chip. The Core i is the best budget chip on the market, largely because AMD's only competing chip comes in the form of the two-year-old Ryzen 5 that can't compete with the more modern Remember, the F will perform the same as the non-F model, but you lose QuickSync.
Taken as a whole, the Core i has a better blend of performance throughout our full suite of application tests, too. The 's large lead in single-threaded work is impressive, and its only deficiencies in threaded work come when it is topped with its stock cooler.
The roughly matches the in threaded work with a better cooler, even with the power limits strictly enforced, while removing those limits gives the uncontested lead. The Core i supports the PCIe 4. Additionally, B-series motherboards, which make the best pairing with this chip, support both memory overclocking and lifting the power limits, both of which yield huge dividends with this chip while also giving enthusiasts room to tinker. You'll have to overlook the higher power consumption if you go with the Core i, especially if you remove the power limits.
Intel's stock cooler is also largely worthless for enthusiasts, so you should budget for a better cooler. Read: Intel Core i Review. The Ryzen 3 X is a hard chip to find because it is simply such a great deal. The chip unlocks a new level of performance for budget gamers with four cores and eight threads that can push low- to mid-range graphics cards to their fullest. This new processor wields the Zen 2 architecture paired with the 7nm process to push performance to new heights while enabling new features for low-end processors, like access to the speedy PCIe 4.
The X's four cores tick at a 3. AMD includes a bundled Wraith Spire cooler with the processor. Still, you might consider budgeting in a better low-end cooler to unlock the full performance, particularly if you are overclocking.
Speaking of which, the Ryzen 3 X can overclock to the highest all-core frequencies we've seen with a Ryzen series processor, making it a great chip for enthusiasts. Unlike AMD's other current-gen Ryzen 3 processors, you'll need to pair this processor with a discrete GPU, but the low price point leaves extra room in the budget for a more capable graphics card.
You can stick with the value theme and drop this capable chip into existing X of B motherboards, but you'll lose access to the PCIe 4. Better yet, AMD has its new B motherboards on offer. These new motherboards support the PCIe 4. The Ryzen 5 G comes to market during the worst GPU shortage in history, so many users will upgrade to this chip and use its potent integrated graphics for gaming until GPU pricing improves.
The Ryzen 5 G lives up to that bill, too, stepping into the arena as the new value champ for APUs, which are chips that come with strong enough integrated graphics that they don't require a discrete GPU for light gaming, albeit at lowered quality settings.
That makes it the best value APU on the market. As long as you're willing to sacrifice fidelity and resolution, and keep your expectations in check, the Ryzen 5 G's Vega graphics have surprisingly good performance in gaming.
The G's Vega graphics served up comparatively great x gaming across numerous titles, but options become more restricted at p. Of course, you can get away with p gaming, but you'll need to severely limit the fidelity settings with most titles. With eight cores and 16 threads that operate at a 3.
The chip also comes with a bundled Wraith Stealth cooler, sweetening the value prop, and drops into existing series and some series motherboards, though support on the latter will vary by vendor. If your budget is tight and you're looking to build a system for modest gaming, you should check out our Best Cheap CPUs feature. Whether you're buying one of the best CPUs we listed above or one that didn't quite make the cut, you may find some savings by checking our list of coupon codes , especially our lists of Newegg promo codes and Micro Center coupons.
He writes news and reviews on CPUs, storage and enterprise hardware. Included in this guide: 1. The options vary from highly portable 2-in-1 convertibles to powerful gaming notebooks aimed at enthusiasts. A higher-end Core i7 or Ryzen 7 is preferable if you love to play video games or edit high-res video, while a lower-end Core i3 or Ryzen 3 should suffice if you rarely do anything more advanced than pay bills online or edit the occasional spreadsheet.
This is particularly important to understand heading into fall, with Microsoft just a few weeks from officially releasing Windows 11, the biggest update to Windows since , and PC manufacturers no doubt primed to get you to part with your hard-earned money in exchange for a shiny new laptop in time for the holidays. If the Core i7 or Ryzen 7 is too much processor for most everyday needs, the i3 or Ryzen 3 may be too little.
Not because of the processor itself, but because the chips tend to be found in lower-end laptops that use slow hard drives and puny amounts of RAM to keep costs down. The laptops may slow down during run-of-the-mill tasks such as moving files between folders and browsing the web with multiple tabs open. But depending on your budget and your needs, that may be a worthwhile concession. So, for many people, they offer good value, even if it takes an extra beat or two to open an app.
But again, these are devices designed to, say, put together a slide deck presentation in Google Workspace and not much more. It will handle everyday tasks with aplomb, and still pack enough power to tackle more strenuous tasks such as streaming high-res video and editing large photos.
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