The motherboard is like the nervous system of every PC build. Nearly everything in your system either plugs into your motherboard or something else that plugs into your motherboard. The motherboard's form factor (typically E-ATX, ATX, Micro ATX, or Mini-ITX) also dictates the size of the PC case you'll need. And, just as importantly, the motherboard's socket and chipset determine which processors you can install in your new system.

Our motherboard picks below start with gaming motherboards for AMD Ryzen 9000, 7000 (socket AM5) CPUs. If you're after an older AMD AM4 board with more reasonably priced DDR4 (yet still much more expensive a few months ago), we've added a couple of those too, since DDR5 RAM prices are out of control due to AI demands.

Just note that stock of those boards is becoming harder to find, and we won't be updating those pages because companies aren't launching new boards for a legacy (though still lingering) platform.

You’ll find our tested picks for Intel Z890 motherboards below our AMD picks (X870, B850, and B650 chipsets). After the AMD options, you'll find the best gaming motherboards designed for Intel's 15th-gen (Arrow Lake) CPUs for the enthusiast Z890 platform. We've recently added a B860 motherboard as well. So if you're looking for a motherboard for a recent-generation CPU, one of our picks below should suit your needs well.

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Sadly, we can’t test every single motherboard, and we can only go by what we’ve had in our labs and on the test bench (although we consider others in the same segment, but don’t have that hands-on experience). That said, unless you need a specific feature or port count/speed, most any motherboard will be satisfactory for a wide variety of needs. But still, some stand out among the rest for one reason or another. We’ve captured several across a variety of modern AMD and Intel chipsets. One of these should fit in with your wants and needs.

Quick List

AMD GAMING MOTHERBOARDS

INTEL GAMING MOTHERBOARDS

Best Motherboards You Can Buy Today

The Best AMD Gaming Motherboards

AMD's current flagship X870/X870E chipset brings continued support for PCIe 5.0, although no current-gen graphics cards benefit from this doubling of bandwidth over PCIe 4.0. PCIe 5.0. PCIe 5.0-based SSDs are now saturating the market and are a mainstay on modern motherboards.

One way to save money is to opt for a B850 (or B650) motherboard, which has fewer PCIe 5.0 lanes, generally only enough for one or two fast SSDs and a graphics card. However, keep an eye on price as many higher-end B850 boards approach or exceed the cost of some X870 alternatives. So shop carefully based on the features you need or are likely to use in the future. Also note that B650 has been discontinued, so stock on those more affordable options will soon become scarce. We've also added some DDR4 boards from X570 that could save you some money upgrading by using your existing RAM instead of upgrading to the super expensive DDR5.

Motherboard prices on Intel and AMD's latest platforms have improved since launch, which is typical for the product category. For AMD, we’re in the middle of the current platform’s lifecycle, and board partners are starting to release mid-cycle motherboards, which we’ll cover over the coming months. Intel is in the same boat, and we expect to see some updated processors in 2026. So far, we haven’t seen any notably updated Z890/B860 boards. Stay tuned for more reviews and perhaps some updates to this best list.

If you’re unsure which chipset you’re after or have more basic questions, you can visit our motherboard basics story to help narrow your shopping options.

Best X870E High-End Motherboard

The Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial stands at the top of the X870E stack, offering one of the most complete feature sets on the platform. With seven M.2 slots (including bundled expansion cards), dual 10 GbE networking, Wi-Fi 7, and dual USB4 ports, it delivers elite storage flexibility, ultra-fast networking, helpful ‘AI’ and EZ features, and cutting-edge connectivity in a single board. Few competitors match this level of expansion and bandwidth simultaneously, making it a clear choice for power users and high-end builders who refuse to compromise.

Beyond raw specs, its icy-white aesthetic and integrated 5-inch LCD elevate it into true flagship territory, especially for premium showcase builds. At $1,199.99, it’s built for enthusiasts who want the absolute best—maximum features, top-tier performance, and standout design—all in one uncompromising AM5 motherboard.

More: Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial Review

Best ATX X870/X870E Motherboard

ASRock’s Taichi motherboards have impressed in recent years as top values for those looking for near-flagship features, like fast ports, robust power delivery, and a premium appearance and a lower price than the competition. And the latest iteration, the ASRock X870E Taichi, receives an updated design, more powerful VRMs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps) Type-C ports again (now a standard for the platform), updated networking to 5GbE and Wi-Fi 7, and more. And its launch price manages to be less than the previous-gen X670E Taichi. That makes it easy to recommend for those looking to build a system around an AMD Ryzen 9000 CPU.

With the jump up to X870/X870E, you get native support for Zen 5-based C{Us, USB 4.0, Wi-Fi 7, and PCIe 5.0 for both NVMe storage and graphics. The latest Taichi gets an updated look, extra DIY features, and more. Its performance in our testing was one of the fastest we've tested on the platform so far, if only by meager margins.

Priced $50 less than its direct Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI competitors, ASRock again is the best option for X870E of the boards we've tested so far. Just note that its large E-ATX form factor means it won't fit in many ATX cases.

More: ASRock X870E Taichi Review

Best $500 X870E Motherboard

The Gigabyte X870E Aero X3D Wood immediately sets itself apart with genuine wood accents on the VRM heatsink and audio shroud, complemented by leather tabs on the M.2 heatsinks and a crisp white/silver PCB. The result is a premium, design-forward motherboard that feels truly distinctive—especially for white PC builds—while still maintaining a clean, high-end aesthetic that’s sure to spark conversation inside any system.

Beyond its unique appearance, it backs up the looks with substance: four M.2 slots, dual 5 GbE LAN and Wi-Fi 7, dual USB4 (40 Gbps) Type-C ports, and strong overall performance in testing. Competitive with similarly priced flagship boards, it delivers both standout style and capability, making it an easy recommendation for buyers who want top-tier features wrapped in a uniquely refined white design with wood accents.

More: Gigabyte X870E Aero X3D Wood Review

Best ATX B850 Motherboard

The MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Wifi II is a solid refresh of an already capable motherboard. While the changes were mostly incremental, MSI cleaned up the look by ditching most of the polarizing bright yellow-green accents, added an OC Engine chip for BCLK overclocking, and upgraded to a 64MB BIOS for expanded features and long-term CPU compatibility. These additions make a more complete package for enthusiasts.

On top of the new features, the Tomahawk Max Wifi II has a comprehensive set of specifications and features that’s sure to appeal to budget-conscious buyers. There are ample USB ports on the rear IO, nine total, including three Type-C ports (though it does lack 40 Gbps ports), fast networking, including 5 GbE and Wi-Fi 7, and four M.2 sockets (though one is limited to PCIe 4.0 x2), a quality audio solution, and three full-length PCIe expansion slots are available in case you need additional functionality. All in all, if you’re building an AM5 system on a budget, the $229.99 Tomahawk MAX Wifi II is our pick for the best B850 boards available.

Read: MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Wifi II Review

Best Mini-ITX B850 Motherboard

ASRock’s B850I Lightning is an excellent value in the Mini-ITX space. For just over $200, it offers full support for AM5-based processors, including flagship-class options. Key features include capable power delivery, integrated Wi-Fi 6E, PCIe 5.0 for the M.2 and GPU slot, a solid audio solution, and outstanding out-of-the-box performance. The generally neutral design features a black PCB with Phantom Gaming purple and highlights, fitting most build themes. Given the price, there is very little to criticize.

In terms of competition, competing boards have some more premium features, like Wi-Fi 7 and faster USB, but they tend to cost a lot more, while MSI does not offer a B850 Mini-ITX board. So if you want those higher-end features and are willing to pay an extra $100 or more, boards from Asus and Gigabyte are certainly worth considering.

But for users who don't need those specific upgrades and care more about general performance and a lower price, the ASRock B850I Lighting is the clear choice for an affordable, modern, small-form-factor AMD build.

MORE: ASRock B850I Lightning Review

Best ATX B650E Motherboard

The Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX is a solid mid-range motherboard on the AM5 platform. It supports a wide variety of CPUs, including the 7000 and 9000-series desktop processors, including the latest 9850X3D and 9950X3D2 that were recently released (update your BIOS to the latest version), as well as 8000-series APUs. In our review, we loved the icy-white appearance, ample USB ports, and solid performance across our benchmarking suite. A penny under $150 gets you started on your AM5 build and includes 12 USB ports (one 20 Gbps Type-C), fast networking with 2.5 GbE and integrated Wi-Fi 6E, three M.2 sockets (one PCIe 5.0 x4) and four SATA ports, and VRMs capable of handling any compatible processor, even with overclocking.

The only noteworthy drawbacks are that it lacks a PCIe 5.0-capable slot (negligible impact compared to PCIe 5.0) and uses a budget audio codec. Outside of that, it’s one of the best motherboards still available for the B650 platform, and its current price of $149.99 takes some of the sting out of buying other, more expensive parts like RAM, video cards, and storage.

MORE: Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX Ice Review

Best DDR4 Motherboard

The Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi delivers a strong mix of features and performance for the B550 platform. It offers PCIe 4.0 support for graphics, dual M.2 slots, solid connectivity, and a robust power delivery that handled a Ryzen 9 3900X and overclocking without issue. While it lacks some higher-end extras like a third M.2 slot or 20 Gbps USB, most users won’t miss them.

Performance matched that of competing boards, and the 14-phase power design proved capable, even if VRM temperatures ran slightly warmer than those of some rivals. With premium audio, 2.5 GbE LAN, and Wi-Fi 6, the B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi stands out as a well-rounded, dependable choice and a solid foundation for a B550-based system, and it helps you save money by using your existing DDR4 in the middle of this RAM apocalypse.

Read: Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wifi review

Best Rear-Connect Motherboard

Gigabyte’s X870 Aorus Stealth lives up to its name with a clean, all-black design and a rear-connect layout that keeps cables hidden from view, making for a clean-looking, wire-free build. Aside from the appearance, 13 USB ports (including two 40 Gbps ports) reside on the rear IO, along with Wi-Fi 7 and 5 GbE networking. It has a middling audio solution, capable power delivery, and more, all for around $299.99.

Competition in this space is fairly limited compared to non rear-connect boards, and the Aorus Stealth is our current choice over Asus’ more affordable TUF Gaming B850 BTF Wifi ($270.99) cuts back on storage count, USB connectivity and networking, while MSI’s X870E Tomahawk Max Wifi PZ ($319.99) costs more, is similarly equipped (aside from a PCIe 5.0 M.2 socket running at x2 speeds), but the Stealth’s appearance pushes it over the Tomahawk.

If you’re in the market for an AM5-based rear-connect motherboard, the X870 Aorus Stealth is where you need to start looking. Go get your BTF motherboard and start hiding those wires!

Read: Gigabyte X870 Aorus Stealth Review

The Best Intel Gaming Motherboards

Below are our tested picks for Intel Z890, Z790, and B760 motherboards.

Best Z890 High-End Motherboard

The MSI Godlike stands out as a flagship E-ATX motherboard, offering the most extensive and fastest features currently available for Intel’s latest platform. It includes 10 GbE, Wi-Fi 7, Thunderbolt 5, and an impressive eight M.2 sockets (four of which are 5.0 with the expansion card). Beyond its top-tier hardware, it provides user-friendly EZ and AI features. Aesthetically, the board is high-end, featuring a clean design, sophisticated RGB lighting, and the unique Dynamic Dashboard III, all of which support its core functionality. While the hardware specifications appear flawless, its primary (and perhaps only) drawback is its steep price of $1,329.

The Godlike’s launch price was significantly higher than that of competitors like the Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Xtreme AI TOP and the Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme. Currently, it shares price points with the Asus Z890 Extreme, both at $999.99, while the Gigabyte board can be found for just under $880. These competing boards share many high-end features with the Godlike, such as 10 GbE, Thunderbolt 5 (via included AIC), and overbuilt power delivery. Despite the cost disparity (which again has reduced since launch), the Godlike remains one of the most capable motherboards available on any consumer platform, sharing the top tier with no other board for those seeking the absolute best for their Intel processor.

Read: MSI Z890 Godlike Review

Best ATX Z890 Motherboard

The ASRock Z890 Taichi Lite is a well-performing motherboard that strikes a good balance of high-end hardware and price, at its $399.99 MSRP. It offers the same top-tier hardware as the more expensive Z890 Taichi, but cuts costs by swapping out the actively cooled, RGB-enabled VRM heatsink for a simpler design, and replacing the fancier M.2 plate heatsink on the bottom with a standard one. This results in a less luxurious, more average look, a worthwhile trade for those prioritizing performance and a lower price over aesthetics.

Ultimately, the Z890 Taichi Lite is a solid offering. Even though the inclusion of Thunderbolt/USB 4 is no longer a unique selling point, it still delivers value with its generous six M.2 slots, flagship-quality audio, and dual Ethernet ports. If you are willing to forgo premium aesthetics and a few user-friendly features to save money, the Taichi Lite, with its simple, RGB-free, mid-range appearance, is one of the best options around the $350-$400 price point.

More: ASRock Z890 Taichi Lite Review

Best Z790 High-End Motherboard

All the flagship-class Z790 motherboards offer the best of the best in terms of features and specifications, but the Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Extreme presents the best value among these top-end board. You’ll lose a couple M.2 sockets over the more-expensive flagship boards, but this bird otherwise has everything else you could ask for and more, while costing between $200 and $400 less than the competition.

The Z790 Aorus Extreme delivers 10 Gb Ethernet, 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports, flagship-class audio, PCIe 5.0 GPU and M.2 support, overkill power delivery, and that high-end appearance you expect from a high-end board. MSI's Z790 Godlike offers up a few more features (like seven M.2 sockets), but costs $400 more, and it's also physically bigger, making it hard to recommend to most people unless money is no object.

The Z790 Aorus Extreme also performed well in our gaming, productivity, and overlocking tests, as you would expect from a flagship board. Just remember that this is an E-ATX model, so you'll need a case with a bit more room than standard ATX options. But you could certainly buy a bigger case with the money you'll save by opting for this board over other Z790 flagship options.

Read: Z790 Aorus Xtreme review

Best ATX Z790 Motherboard

The cost of motherboards, like so many other things, has steeply increased in recent years, so it’s nice to see ASRock offering something a bit less expensive than the flagship motherboards, but that’s still very well equipped. Priced around $350, the ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite gets you nearly everything the more expensive Taichi offers, like extremely robust power delivery, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, lots of storage options, including a PCIe 5.0 M.2 socket and eight SATA ports, premium audio, and more. What's missing here compared to pricier options is manly the high-end appearance. Taichi boards are typically adorned with 3D cogs, but here they give way to simpler heatsinks, a more visible PCB, and stenciled adornments. But this board is still recognizable as a Taichi.

There’s lots of competition in the sub-$400 space, but none of the other boards available around that price come close to the specs and features here. If you want some of the best hardware the Z790 platform offers at a more reasonable price, and your build doesn’t cry out for flagship-class looks, the Taichi Lite is a well-appointed option at a price lower than most.

Read: ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite review

Best Budget Z790 Motherboard

The Z790 Steel Legend is a great choice for users on a budget who want the flexibility of Intel's overclockable platform, but who don’t want to spend several hundred dollars to get there. Along with its black-on-silver looks and bright RGB lighting, you get all the platform offers, including a PCIe 5.0 slot and M.2 socket (and five total M.2), eight SATA ports, front-panel 20 Gbps USB Type-C, integrated Wi-Fi 6E, a basic audio codec, the eDP port for an additional monitor, and power delivery capable of handling our flagship-class processor at stock or while overclocked.

Around its $270 price, ASRock's Steel Legend is one of the most feature-packed Intel Z790 options on the market. The only real tradeoff here is the basic audio codec, which will still be fine for many users. If not, you can always opt for one of the best PC speakers that feature a built-in DACand avoid the board's internal audio entirely.
Read: ASRock Z790 Steel Legend review

Best B860 Motherboard

Intel’s B860 chipset is designed for the budget-conscious consumer who doesn’t need all the ports, connectivity, and aesthetic bits that cost a lot more money. It offers a capable platform at a more reasonable price without all the bells and whistles. If you don’t need what Z890 offers and want to save some money, B860 is here to help you spend less – or spend more where it matters to you.

At $229.99, MSI’s B860 Tomahawk is a well-rounded, well-performing solution that offers the best of the budget platform, from PCIe 5.0 slots and an M.2 socket to Wi-Fi 7 and 5GbE. You get your money’s worth, but slightly less expensive models are available with similar configurations from the competition. However, none stand out as heads above the rest. If you’re in the market for an ATX-sized B860 board, the B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi deserves a close look.

Read: MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk Wifi review

Best B760M Micro-ATX Motherboard

If you’re after an inexpensive Micro ATX-size motherboard and won’t overclock your processor, the B760 chipset -- and the B760M Steel Legend board specifically -- is where it’s at. It's well equipped, with three M.2 sockets, at around $160, and arguably as good-looking as most of its peers. If you like bling, the bright RGBs will light up any chassis, and the eDP port is there for those who’d like to add ASRock’s 13.3-inch Side Panel Kit to make things more visually interesting in their case. Power delivery isn’t that impressive on paper, but it handled our Intel i9-13900K, even with the power limits raised.

The B760M Steel Legend's performance out of the box matches other boards that follow Intel specifications (read: slower than unlocked boards in multi-threaded and long-running benchmarks), but it is a solid gamer. Once you unlock it, you’re limited only by the CPU cooling.

Looking at the competition, the Asus Prime B760M-A AX ($168.99) is the most expensive option, but it offers nothing in terms of features over our Steel Legend. Gigabyte’s B760M Aorus Elite AX ($159.99) doesn't have the M.2 storage count (two compared to three), but it makes up for it with a more attractive appearance. MSI’s Pro B760M-A Wi-Fi ($154.99) is also worth consider, but it doesn’t cut it in the looks department and is also short on M.2 storage count. For roughly $160, ASRock’s B760M Steel Legend Wi-Fi is one of the best Micro ATX boards available for 12th-14th-generation Intel processors.

Read: ASRock B760M Steel Legend Wi-Fi review

Best B760 Motherboard

MSI’s MAG B760M Mortar Wi-Fi is great inexpensive option that supports even the flagship-class 12th and 13th-generation Intel processors. For around $190, you get a PCIe 5.0 slot for graphics, two M.2 sockets (both PCIe 4.0), a budget audio solution, and even a fast USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) Type-C port at the back of the board. It also looks good for this price and has most of what users want in the budget space. Its performance in our testing was fine in gaming and lightly threaded work. Just note that out of the box with a high-end CPU like the Core i9-13900K we used for testing, it will thermally throttle under heavy workloads at default settings.

The MSI MAG B760M Mortar Wi-Fi is the best option among its similarly priced competition. It’s the only option in this range with a PCIe 5.0 slot and a 20 Gbps USB Type-C port around back. Its power delivery can also handle our flagship processor. But if you plan on installing a flagship CPU and pushing every core and thread for uses other than gaming, you’ll want to lower the voltage and/or use top-notch cooling to get the most out of the board.

Less expensive options are available, but opting for one of those would mean losing some important features. If you’re in the market for an inexpensive motherboard for the latest and greatest Intel has to offer and want 20 Gbps ports and a PCIe 5.0 slot, the B650M Mortar is the best choice we've tested in the sub-$200 market. The fact that it often sells for $180 makes it easy to recommend.

Read: MSI MAG B760M Mortar Wi-Fi review

Quick Best Motherboard Shopping Tips

When choosing a motherboard, consider the following:

Savings on the Best Motherboards

Whether you're buying one of the best motherboards or a different model, you may find some savings by checking our list of coupon codes, especially our list of Newegg promo codes and Micro Center coupons.

Our CPU benchmark hierarchy provides a broad view of relative performance for the latest Intel and AMD processors. Over the last 30 years, Tom’s Hardware has been benchmarking CPUs, and we use the rankings here as the basis of our best CPUs for gaming and best budget CPU rankings. We run over 200 individual tests for each CPU we look at, and that comprehensive performance is condensed here for a high-level view of how CPUs compare across gaming, single-threaded, and multithreaded performance.

Each of our CPU benchmarks helps expose different aspects of performance, from heavily-threaded code compilation and data science workloads to lightly-threaded web apps and audio encoding. We’re currently in the process of the biggest refresh to our CPU benchmarks hierarchy ever, spanning over a decade of processor releases. The results here provide the first half of that testing, focusing on DDR5 platforms that span the AMD vs Intel product lineups. As we fill out our legacy benchmarks, you’ll see more CPUs added to our rankings. If you want to check the performance of older CPUs now, you can use the second page of this article to see our legacy benchmarks.

In games, AMD’s Ryzen 7 9850X3D is the fastest CPU on the market, though other Zen 5 X3D offerings like the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 7 9800X3D aren’t far behind. X3D chips dominate the charts for gaming at 1080p, with the other exception being the relatively unpopular (and expensive) Ryzen 9 7900X3D. Otherwise, Intel’s last-gen Core i9-14900K is the fastest offering from Team Blue, with the new Core Ultra 7 270K Plus coming in slightly behind with Intel’s new iBOT feature.

Intel pulls out strong positions in applications; however, with the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus topping the charts in single-threaded performance and coming in third in multi-threaded rankings. It’s only beaten by the Ryzen 9 9950X and its X3D variant, and only by a hair. Further, both of those CPUs cost about twice as much. AMD's recent Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 claims the top slot in overall performance, but at $900, it's too expensive for most buyers.

In each section below, we’ll show you the rankings for each CPU, as well as reveal what tests went into creating the rankings. We’ll also give you some pointers for benchmarking your own CPU to see how much performance an upgrade or overclock netted you, along with some common, easy-to-run benchmarks you can perform yourself.

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CPU Benchmarks Rankings 2026

In the album above, you can see our master charts for gaming, single-threaded, and multi-threaded performance for CPUs. For games, all of our testing was done with an Nvidia RTX 5090 FE, and for applications, our testing was done with an Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti FE. For applications, no compute is actively running on the GPU; it’s a glorified display output that shares a driver with our gaming GPU. You can find a full breakdown of the test benches we used at the end of this article.

Gaming CPU Benchmarks Rankings 2026

You can see the relative score for AMD and Intel CPUs above, measured against the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, which is the fastest gaming CPU on the market, per our testing. So, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D offers 97.04% of the performance of the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, while the Ryzen 9 7900X offers 69.28% of the performance. You can set any CPU as a baseline for comparison with Bench, which is available in Tom’s Hardware Premium.

All of our gaming tests were run with the RTX 5090 FE at 1080p with a mixture of High and Ultra settings. We run each test multiple times — usually between three and five — and pick the median result. In other words, the results we use are real, recorded runs, not an average of several different runs. This is important as some games, such as Far Cry 6, show great CPU scaling but are otherwise inconsistent run-to-run.

In addition to consistent hardware (test benches at the end of this article), we use a consistent test image between platforms. That means the same GPU driver, the same Windows install, the game version, etc. We also tested with Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) turned off, Resizable BAR turned on, and automatic overclocking features disabled. That includes the Intel Extreme power profile and AMD’s PBO, both of which aren’t covered under standard warranty.

For this refresh, we tested 17 games and then calculated a geometric mean of the results. A simple average would provide skewed results with such a large test pool. A geomean provides a more realistic view of how each CPU compares to the others.

Here are the games that we used for testing:

• Counter-Strike 2
• The Last of Us Part One
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Starfield
• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Hogwarts Legacy
• F1 24
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Monster Hunter: Wilds
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• Oblivion Remastered
• Far Cry 6
• Hitman 3
• Minecraft RTX

We’re constantly evaluating new games to include in our test suite — see our recent stories on Resident Evil Requiem CPU scaling and Crimson Desert CPU scaling — but we maintain a list of tried-and-true benchmarks for our hierarchy rankings. We want to avoid including brand-new titles, which may see many updates, to keep our rankings as true to reality as possible. If you want more about the rationale behind our game choices, see our behind the scenes look at our CPU hierarchy testing.

Single-Threaded CPU Benchmarks Rankings 2026

We run hundreds of tests for each CPU, but only a small subset of those tests factor into our single-threaded rankings. We use the mp3 encoder LAME with a single thread (both standard and extended), Cinebench 2026 and 2024’s single-threaded test, the ray-traced renderer POV-ray, and WebXRT4, which runs a series of browser-based applications written in various languages.

The fastest chip in the pool here is the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, which scores 100%, with every other chip scored relative to it. The Core i9-14900K offers 95.4% of the single-threaded performance of the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, the Ryzen 5 9600X offers 89% of the performance, and so on.

Most real-world workloads aren’t strictly single-threaded, which is why we include it on a subset of the total tests we run. The goal is to see what relative performance looks like in lightly-threaded applications, as well as look into the overall architecture of different CPUs. Single-threaded performance exposes a lot about the architecture in a way that heavily-threaded applications tend to mask.

We’re, of course, looking at performance on a single core, favoring high clock speeds and IPC (instructions per cycle). However, single-threaded performance also says a lot about what’s going on elsewhere inside the CPU, from the speed of the IMC (integrated memory controller) to the fabric/ring speed. That’s why we see things like the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus outperforming the Core Ultra 9 285K, despite the latter sporting higher clock speeds.

Multi-Threaded CPU Benchmarks Rankings 2026

Similar to single-threaded rankings, we use a subset of the total tests we run for CPU reviews in ranking multithreaded performance. Cinebench and POV-ray show up here again, this time using as many threads as possible, alongside VRay, four Blender tests, and Handbrake using various codecs. Although most applications will leverage multiple threads these days, we’re specifically looking at applications that will take as many threads as possible to maximize compute.

Compared to single-threaded workloads, heavily-threaded tasks are less concerned with clock speed and put a greater emphasis on interconnects and core-to-core latency. Core count is obviously important, as well, though it’s been somewhat undermined by Intel’s hybrid architectures over the last several generations.

Given that we’re spanning multiple nodes, core count alone isn’t indicative of higher multithreaded performance. Yes, higher core counts within the same generation will usually provide higher multithreaded performance, but a slew of other factors can increase performance, as well, from all-core and uncore frequencies to higher transistor density. Because of the wide swath of factors, you can see much more aggressive scaling with our multithreaded rankings compared to single-threaded rankings.

Integrated GPU Gaming CPU Benchmarks Rankings 2026

Here's our list of gaming performance with integrated graphics on several of the leading APUs available. We've split this into two different price ranges, so be sure to flip through all of the performance charts. For a bit of commentary and analysis of these results, head to our Ryzen 7 5700G, Ryzen 5 5600G, and Ryzen 3 5300G reviews. The most powerful chip gets a 100, and all others are scored relative to it.

How to Benchmark your CPU

It’s important to know how to benchmark your CPU. It gives you a way to compare performance after an overclock or a CPU upgrade, and it allows you to check if you’re getting the full performance out of your system. Maybe a poor CPU cooler mount is limiting your performance, or maybe your BIOS settings aren’t optimal. Using benchmarks to compare your results lets you see where your rig stacks up, not only for leaderboard purposes, but also basic troubleshooting.

The key to benchmarking your CPU is consistency. The only variable that should change is your CPU, be it a new CPU or an overclock/undervolt. Before starting, make sure to close any applications running in the background. That’s not only to net peak performance, but also to avoid any inconsistencies between runs. Background apps can gobble up threads inconsistently, making it difficult to compare your results from run to run.

If you want more consistency, you can optionally run the following command before benchmarking in an elevated command prompt:

Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

This will force Windows to perform the background tasks it normally does when your PC is idle. It’s not essential, but it’s a good sanity check to make sure there’s nothing interfering with your results.

For applications, you want to test the apps you actually use. If you use the Adobe suite, for example, you can download and use PugetBench for free and compare your results with Puget’s database. A lot of apps don’t have these easy-to-use benchmarking tools and databases, so you need to find a proxy. For instance, Procyon Office measures Microsoft Office performance, but a license costs nearly $1,600 per year. PCMark 10 Basic, which is free, measures open-source office applications. Below, we have some of our favorite free benchmarks for comparing CPU performance.

In games, you can take two approaches: manual or automated. Some modern games include built-in benchmarking tools, such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Doom: The Dark Ages, and although they aren’t perfect, they’re easy to run and highly repeatable. The best way to measure CPU gaming performance, however, is manual benchmarking.

That involves finding a scene where you can go over a specific path repeatedly. That could be starting from a specific checkpoint that you can reload or resorting to a manual save where you start from the exact same position. Regardless, it’s important to avoid randomness in your testing. Keep the path consistent — for example, a walking path through a town — and try not to swing the camera around.

For measuring performance in games, you’ll need a performance monitoring tool. There are simple apps like Nvidia’s FrameView, which logs a ton of information but is a little cumbersome to deal with; it exports data to spreadsheets. CapFrameX is a good alternative, which uses the same backend as FrameView (Intel’s PresentMon), but comes with a user-friendly GUI and extra features like the ability to generate charts right in the app.

After you run your benchmarks, you need a comparison point. Databases like Puget are your best resources on that front. If you’re comparing results to reviews, forum threads, or other systems, keep in mind the variables that can influence performance. It’s not a good idea to compare performance with uncontrolled variables unless you have a wide swath of comparison points.

Best CPU Benchmarks You Can Run

• Cinebench 2026 – Cinebench is the quintessential CPU benchmark, used almost universally in reviews, and it’s completely free to download and use.
• Geekbench 6 – Geekbench has a number of issues, but it offers a massive database for comparing your system against other similar systems. And it’s free to download and run.
• Blender – Blender has a benchmarking utility with a GUI that’s free to download, as well as a large database of results.
• PCMark 10 Basic – The main PCMark 10 benchmark is free to use with the Basic edition, allowing you to test productivity performance with open-source office apps, as well as compare your scores with UL’s database.
• Handbrake – Handbrake is a powerful, free, and open-source video transcoding tool, and it’s easy to run benchmarks with. Use any video file, make sure your settings are the same, and start a stopwatch to measure the time encoding takes. Lower is better.
• WebXPRT 5 – WebXPRT runs a variety of web applications directly in your browser, for free, and with a database to compare results to. It takes a while to run, however.
• JetStream 2 – JetStream is a faster browser-based benchmark, though it doesn’t have a database of results.
• CPU-Z – CPU-Z isn’t a reliable benchmark for real-world performance, but it includes single- and multithreaded tests, it’s easy to run, and you’ll find results online almost as commonly as Cinebench results.
• Y-cruncher – This test calculates Pi with digit extraction, and it’s accelerated with SIMD instructions like AVX. You can only run it from a command line, but it’s relatively straightforward.
• PugetBench – Puget includes benchmarks for the biggest apps in the Adobe suite, as well as DaVinci Resolve. The benchmark itself is free, and Puget maintains a large database. You’ll need a license for the applications it tests, however.

2026 CPU Benchmarks Test System and Configuration

• AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs Intel Core i9-13900K vs Core i7-13700K: Big Gaming Punch, Smaller Price Tag
• AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9-13900K Faceoff: Battle of the Gaming Flagships
• Intel Core i5-13600K vs AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and Ryzen 5 7600X Face Off
• AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs Intel Core i9-13900K Face Off
• Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Core i7-12700K and Core i9-12900K Face-Off: The Rise of 3D V-Cache
• Intel Core i9-12900K vs Ryzen 9 5900X and 5950X: Alder Lake and Ryzen 5000 Face Off
• Intel Core i5-12600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and 5800X Face Off: Ryzen Has Fallen
• Intel Core i7-12700K vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and 5800X Face Off: Intel Rising
• Intel Core i5-12400 vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Face-Off: The Gaming Value Showdown

• MORE: Best CPUs for Gaming
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• MORE: All CPUs Content

2020 - 2022 CPU Benchmarks Hierarchy

You can find our rankings of the most current-gen systems on the previous page. The results below are from our legacy benchmarks, using a different GPU and test systems than our current CPU benchmark rankings. However, this provides great historical context and also includes other previous-gen CPUs not included in our new test suite. You'll also find our even older legacy rankings further below. These date back over the last decade.

Legacy: 2020 - 2022 CPU Benchmarks Rankings - Windows 10 and 11

Legacy: 2020 - 2022 Gaming CPU Benchmarks Ranking

These tests are from our 2022 test bench. We measured performance for the 1080p CPU gaming benchmarks with a geometric mean of Borderlands 3, Hitman 2, Far Cry 5, Project CARS 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. We measured performance for the 1440p CPU gaming benchmarks with a geometric mean of Borderlands 3, Project CARS 3, Far Cry 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. We conducted these tests in Windows 10.

Legacy: 2020 - 2022 Single-Threaded CPU Benchmarks Rankings

These results are from our 2022 test bench. We calculate the above single-threaded CPU benchmark rankings based on a geometric mean of the Cinebench, POV-Ray, and LAME CPU benchmarks. The most powerful chip gets a 100, and all others are scored relative to it. We conducted these tests in Windows 10.

Legacy: 2020 - 2022 Multi-Threaded CPU Benchmarks Rankings

These tests are from our 2022 test bench. The multi-threaded workload column is based on CPU benchmarks performance in Cinebench, POV-ray, vray, Blender (four tests - Koro, Barcellona, Classroom, bmw27), y-cruncher, and Handbrake x264 and x265 workloads. These CPU benchmarks represent performance in productivity-focused applications that tend to require more compute horsepower. The most powerful chip gets a 100, and all others are scored relative to it. We conducted these benchmarks in Windows 10.

Legacy: Pre-2018 Desktop CPU Benchmarks

Recognizing that a lot of older platforms are going to be paired with graphics subsystems multiple generations old, we wanted to define the top of our range to encourage balance between host processing and complementary GPUs. At this point, anyone with a Sandy Bridge-based Core i7 would realize a gain from stepping up to Coffee Lake or Kaby Lake, for example. And putting AMD's top FX CPUs next to a handful of Core i7s and those older Core i5s represents an upgrade to their status.

Currently, our hierarchy consists of 13 total tiers. The bottom half of the chart is largely outdated; you'll notice those CPUs dragging down performance in the latest games, whether you have one of the best graphics cards or not. If you own a CPU in that range, an upgrade could really take your experience to another level.

Really, it's the top five tiers or so that remain viable. And in that top half of the chart, an upgrade is typically worthwhile if it's a least a couple of tiers higher. Otherwise, there's just not enough improvement to warrant the expense of a fresh CPU, motherboard and RAM (not to mention the graphics card and storage solution you'd be considering as well).