Best Gaming CPU for $240:
The Core i5-4690K's base clock rate is only 200 MHz faster than the Core i5-4590's. However, the K-series' unlocked multiplier is a must-have for overclockers looking to unleash significant performance improvements. It is for this reason alone that you'll want to consider shelling out an additional $40 beyond Intel's more entry-level Core i5. If you don't plan to overclock, there's no reason to spend any more than $180 on the Core i5-4430.
Intel Core i5-4690K
Overclocking Gamer's Pick
Diminishing Returns Kick In:
CPUs priced over $240 offer rapidly diminishing returns when it comes to gaming performance. As such, we have a hard time recommending anything more expensive than the Core i5-4690K, especially since this multiplier-unlocked processor is easy to tune up to 4.3 GHz or so with the right cooler. Even at stock clocks, though, it matches or beats the old $1000 Gulftown-based Core i7-990X Extreme Edition in our benchmarks.
We have seen a small handful of titles benefit from Hyper-Threaded Core i7 processors, though. Because we believe this is a trend that will continue as developers optimize their software, we're including the Core i7-4790K as an honorable mention, now selling for $340. In a vast majority of games, the Core i7 won't demonstrate much advantage over the Core i5. But if you're a serious enthusiast who wants some future-proofing and values highly-threaded application performance, this processor may be worth the extra money.
In addition, there's certainly an argument to be made for using LGA 2011-v3 as the ultimate gaming platform. Haswell-E -based CPUs have more available cache and as many as four more execution cores than the flagship LGA 1150/1155 models. Additionally, more bandwidth is delivered through a quad-channel DDR4 memory controller. And with up to 40 lanes of third-gen PCIe connectivity available from Haswell-E-based processors, the platform natively supports two x16 and one x8 slot, or one x16 and three x8 slots, alleviating potential bottlenecks in three- and four-way CrossFire or SLI configurations.
Although they sound impressive, those advantages don't necessarily translate into significant performance gains in modern titles. Our tests demonstrate fairly little difference between a $240 LGA 1150 Core i5-4690K and a $1000 LGA 2011 Core i7-4960X, even when three-way graphics card configurations are involved. It turns out that memory bandwidth and PCIe throughput don't hold back the game performance of existing Sandy Bridge-, Ivy Bridge-, and Haswell-based machines.
Where we do see the potential for Haswell-E to drive additional performance is in processor-bound games like World of Warcraft or the multiplayer component of Battlefield 4. If you're running a three- or four-way array of graphics cards already, there's a good chance that you already own more than enough rendering muscle. An overclocked Core i7-5960X or -5930K could help the rest of your platform catch up to an insanely powerful arrangement of GPUs.
To summarize, while we generally recommend against purchasing any gaming CPU that retails for more than $240 from a value point of view (sink that money into graphics and the motherboard instead), there are those of you who have no trouble throwing down serious money on the best of the best, and who require the fastest possible performance available. If this describes your goals, the following CPUs may be for you:
Best Gaming CPU for $340: None
Honorable Mention:
The Core i7-4790K benefits greatly from Intel's improved thermal interface material; it runs at a base clock rate of 4 GHz and ramps up to 4.4 GHz through Turbo Boost. It also boasts an extra 2 MB of shared L3 cache compared to Intel's cheaper Core i5 CPUs, plus Hyper-Threading technology. Combine the extra clock rate, cache, thread utilization, and the fact that Intel maintains the same $340 price tag. More so than the Core i7-4770K this chip replaces, the -4790K deserves a recommendation. Read the Full Review
Intel Core i7-4790K
Premium Gaming, Overclocking, And Application Performance
Best Gaming CPU for $590: (or for any price)
Take the $1,000 Core i7-5960X, cut two CPU cores out, remove 5 MB of L3 cache, and increase the base clock rate by 300 MHz and the max turbo clock by 200 MHz. What do end up with? Four hundred dollars and change left over, and an Intel Core i7-3530K. Intel Core i7-5930K
Ultimate Gaming, Overclocking, And Application Performance
You'd be hard-pressed to quantify the advantage of 20 MB of shared L3 cache over 15 MB. Moreover, a greater-than-$400 savings lets you buy a nice motherboard and cooler, while still getting the same four-channel memory subsystem and 40-lane PCI Express 3.0-capable controller. And games will respond to that clock rate increase more than they will to the i7-5960X's extra two execution cores. Read the Full Review
All things considered, I would pick the Core i7 5820K over the 5930K. The processor itself is priced just very slightly over the 4790K and will still perform quite a bit better in Heavily threaded apps and gaming. I wouldn't care much about the lack of 12 PCI-E lanes because I wouldn't cramp in anything more than 2 GPUs anyways. Apart from the -12 PCI-E Lanes, the 5820K is still pretty much a 5930K; even if that was clocked lower, you can Overclock it so no difference at all.
Cpu benchmarks at 5000 ( 2000 single thread)
I'm building a gaming HTPC with a PicoPSU 160XT (which has 96w of continuous output) and a GTX 750Ti from KFA2. I know that the i3 4130T fits the power requirements but I wish to know if stepping up to a 4C/4T with lower frequencies is better. In my opinion it should. Meanwhile I think I'll wait Broadwell K and the Impact VII ITX.
"Four hundred dollars and change left over, and an Intel Core i7-3530K. "
As many have argued I would have liked to see the 5820K as an honorable mention but with the caveat that any build will cost more due to the high price of DDR4 right now.
Also would be nice to see more segregation at the top of the hierarchy right now there are 39 (by my quick count) processors listed in the top bracket