When it comes to your precious PC, the two pieces of hardware that have the biggest impact on performance are CPU and GPU. That's why the processor is frequently the main component that you build a PC around. But with the ongoing holiday tech deals season, the good news is you can save a lot of money on this core chip right now, whether your Team AMD or Team Intel.
Whatever CPU you choose, make sure that you buy (or already own) a compatible motherboard. See below for a curated list of our favorite CPU deals available right now. If you find a sale on your own and are uncertain if you should pull the trigger, check out our article on how to tell a CPU deal from a dud.
AMD CPU Deals
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G APU - was $100, now $78
This APU boasts Vega 8 graphics with 8 GPU cores, while computing is covered by 4 cores and 4 threads with a clock speed of 3.5 GHz and boost clock speed of up to 3.7 GHz. This is the lowest price we've ever seen, plus it comes with a free Wraith Stealth cooler. View Deal
Ryzen 5 3600: was $199, now $190 @ Amazon
The Ryzen 5 3600 comes rocking six cores and 12 threads with a 3.6 GHz base clock and 4.2 GHz boost clock. The Wraith Stealth CPU cooler is included with this model.View Deal
AMD Ryzen 3 3200G: was $99, now $92 with free Xbox Game Pass @ B&H
This inexpensive processor features four cores and built-in Radeon Vega 8 graphics that make it possible to play some games at low settings. The CPU can boost up to 4 GHz and the GPU is rated for 1.25 GHz.View Deal
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X at Amazon: was $329, now $309 @ Amazon
AMD's Ryzen 7 3700X comes armed with the company's Zen 2 microarchitecture paired with the 7nm process, delivering tremendous performance across its eight cores and 16 threads at a great price point. View Deal
AMD Ryzen 7 2700: was $299, now $155 with free game and Xbox Game Pass @ Newegg
This level of CPU performance is a bargain at this price, with eight CPU cores and 16 threads. It even comes with an RGB cooler, Xbox Game Pass, plus your choice of Borderlands 3 or The Outer Worlds PC for for free.
View Deal
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X: was $319 now $159 @ Microcenter (in-store only)
If you happen to live near a Microcenter, you can grab this epic deal on the Ryzen 7 2700X, which has 8 cores and a boost frequency of 4.3 GHz.View Deal
AMD Ryzen 5 2600 w/ Wraith Stealth Cooler: was $199, now $119 @ Amazon
This package comes with a CPU, Wraith Stealth Cooler, and 3 months of Xbox Game Pass. It has 6 cores and a Max Boost frequency of 3.9 GHz. It's backordered, but you can still get one before the holidays.View Deal
Intel CPU Deals
Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz: was $279, now $199 @ Newegg
This is a Coffee Lake hex-core CPU with a turbo speed of 4.6 GHz. View Deal
Intel Core i5-9400 6 Cores: was $190, now $129 @ Best Buy
It may not be the best when it comes to multi-threaded applications, but for those gamers on a budget, this thing shifts some serious frame rates. View Deal
Intel Core i7-9700K: was $409, now $369 @ Best Buy
With its 4.9GHz single-core boost and eight physical cores, the Core i7-9700K delivers the best frame rates of any CPU we've tested. You can grab it from Best Buy for about $40 less than its normal sale price.View Deal
Intel Pentium Gold G5400: was $119, now $66 @ Walmart
The Pentium Gold G5400 is a dual-core processor. It has a processing speed of 3.7 GHz. This CPU is ideal for simple machines and smaller builds. It's on sale right now for around 50% off.View Deal