After your GPU, your CPU has the biggest impact on your computer's gaming capabilities. When you're shopping for a CPU, you need to balance performance and features with your build budget. If you can spend over $400 (£380, $650 AU), our favorite gaming CPU overall right now is the Intel Core i7-9700K, which dominates thanks to its eight cores and excellent single-threaded performance.
Intel also wins in the mid-range price bracket, with its impressive Core i5-8400. Down in the mainstream/budget territory, things are split depending on your graphics choices. AMD’s Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 5 2200G are excellent options if you don’t plan on splurging on a dedicated graphics card. But if you're planning to plug in a graphics card, Intel’s Core i3-3100 delivers better performance at a good price. And if you're truly on a tight budget, you should take a look at our comparison of AMD's Athlon 200GE vs. Intel's Pentium Gold G5400. Both chips have their merits and shortcomings, depending on the kind of budget build you're putting together.
If you're searching for a new chip for an upgrade or your next rig, be sure to check out our best CPU deals. And if you want to get more performance out of the CPU you already own (and it's unlocked for overclocking), you might be able to learn something from record-setting overclocker "Splave" in our feature Liquid Nitrogen, CPU Solder and High Voltage: How I Set Overclocking Records.
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Intel Core i7-9700K (9th Gen)Best Overall
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- Socket
- 1151
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- Cores / Threads
- 8 / 8
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- Base Frequency
- 3.6 GHz
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- Boost Frequency
- 4.6 GHz
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- Memory Speed
- DDR4-2666
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- Memory Controller
- Dual-Channel
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- Unlocked Multiplier
- ✓
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- PCIe Lanes
- x16 PCIe Gen 3
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- Integrated Graphics
- 350 / 1200
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- Cache
- 12MB
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- Architecture
- Coffee Lake
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- Process
- 14nm++
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- TDP
- 95W
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Intel Core i5-8400Best Value
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- Socket
- LGA 1151
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- Cores / Threads
- 6 / 6
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- Base Frequency
- 2.8 GHz
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- Boost Frequency
- 1 Core @ 4.0 GHz, 2 Cores @ 3.9 GHz, 4 Cores @ 3.9 GHz, 6 Cores @ 3.8 GHz
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- Memory Speed
- DDR4-2666
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- Memory Controller
- Dual-Channel
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- Unlocked Multiplier
- ✗
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- PCIe Lanes
- x16 Gen3
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- Integrated Graphics
- UHD 630 (1150 MHz)
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- Cache
- 10.5MB
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- Architecture
- Coffee Lake
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- Process
- 14nm++
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- TDP
- 65W
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AMD Ryzen 5 2400GBudget Pick
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- Socket
- AM4
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- Cores / Threads
- 4 / 8
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- Base Frequency
- 3.6 GHz
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- Boost Frequency
- 3.9 GHz
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- Memory Speed
- up to DDR4-2933
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- Memory Controller
- Dual-Channel
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- Unlocked Multiplier
- ✓
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- PCIe Lanes
- x8 3.0
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- Integrated Graphics
- Vega
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- Cache
- 4MB L3
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- Architecture
- Zen - Vega
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- Process
- 14nm+
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- TDP
- 65W
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AMD Ryzen 3 2200GEntry-Level Pick
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- Socket
- AM4
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- Cores / Threads
- 4 / 4
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- Base Frequency
- 3.5 GHz
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- Boost Frequency
- 3.7 GHz
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- Memory Speed
- up to DDR4-2933 (varies)
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- Memory Controller
- Dual-Channel
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- Unlocked Multiplier
- ✓
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- PCIe Lanes
- x8 3.0
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- Integrated Graphics
- Vega
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- Cache
- 4MB L3
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- Architecture
- Zen - Vega
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- Process
- 14nm+
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- TDP
- 65W
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Why Trust Us
Tom's Hardware has been reviewing PC components for more than two decades. We put each CPU through a bevy of benchmarks, which measure everything from its single- and multi-core performance in applications and games, to its power consumption. We've tested hundreds of models, at both stock and overclock settings where applicable, so we can separate the best from the multi-core disappointments.
Quick Shopping Tips
When choosing a CPU, consider the following:
- You can't lose with AMD or Intel: So long as you’re considering current-generation parts ( see our AMD Ryzen 2000 vs Intel Coffee Lake feature for more details), this debate is basically a wash. Intel does a bit better on gaming and browsing and AMD handles tasks like video editing quicker.
- Clock speed is more important than core number: Higher CPU clock speeds translate to snappier performance in simple, common tasks such as gaming, while more cores will help you get through time-consuming workloads faster.
- Get the latest gen: You won't save much money in the long run by going with an older chip.
- Budget for a full system: Don't pair a strong CPU with weak storage, RAM and graphics.
- Overclocking isn’t for everyone: For most people, it makes more sense to spend $20-$60 more and buy a higher-end chip.
For even more information, check out our CPU Buyer’s Guide, where we discuss how much you should spend for what you’re looking to do and when cores matter more than high clock speeds.
MORE: Intel & AMD Processor Hierarchy
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$400/£300/$600 AU+ Best Pick
Flagship mainstream desktop processors come with the highest price tag of our recommendations. But those searching for the best performance to push the beefiest cards on the top of the GPU hierarchy will be rewarded with chart-topping performance. Both Intel and AMD offer high-end desktop (HEDT) models that scale beyond 16 cores. But those premium processors often don't deliver the same amount of gaming performance as the mainstream chips. Also, HEDT chips only work with expensive platforms and typically support quad-channel memory, which adds yet more cost to the your final full build budget. The picture changes if you need more performance for other types of applications, like rendering or encoding, but mainstream processors offer the best value strictly for gaming.
For most high-end gamers, the flagship mainstream models in Intel's Core i7 and AMD's Ryzen 7 product families offer the best value. Intel's Coffee and Kaby Lake models offer the best absolute gaming performance. But AMD's Ryzen 7 series CPUs come with more cores, which you might find attractive if you have more demanding requirements, such as streaming or intense multitasking. You can also often find the Ryzen processors well below MSRP.
For the serious gamers who have some breathing room in their budgets, Intel’s Core i7-9700K is a much smarter choice for gaming than the pricey Core i9-9900K. It serves up similar gaming performance at a significantly lower price than the i9, making it the best gaming CPU you can buy today.
That said, at about $100 less with an in-box cooler (which Intel’s unlocked CPUs lack) AMD’s Ryzen 7 2700X is arguably a better value for gamers on a tight budget—especially if you’re gaming at or close to 4K resolutions, where frame rates tend to even out between Intel and AMD. If you want the best frame rates possible for your high-refresh monitor, go with the Core i7. But if you can live with slightly lower FPS to save $150 or so on your CPU and cooler, AMD’s Ryzen 7 2700X is still a very strong alternative option.
Alternative Pick:
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$200-$300/£150-230/$300-400 AU Best Pick
Mid-range processors typically land in the $200 to $300 USD price range, and they offer satisfying performance for the majority of gamers. Stepping beyond that price class typically grants less than a 10 performance overall performance improvement that isn't always worth the higher price tag.
AMD's Ryzen processors have truly reinvigorated this segment and often come with a discount, too. For the competitive overclockers among us, AMD's processors all offer unlocked ratio multipliers that you can exploit on budget-friendly motherboards, while Intel's offerings are split into both locked and unlocked processors. With Intel, overclocking requires a step up to a Z-Series motherboard and a more expensive "K"-series processor.
This price range splits into two distinct price tiers. But provided the processor has an unlocked multiplier, you can often find the best value around the $200 (£150, $300 AU) mark. It's best to step up to the more expensive CPUs in this class if overclocking isn't in your plans.
The Core i5-8400 brings a powerful six-core design to the mid-range, offering class-leading gaming performance and competitive performance in heavier applications. More expensive models offer more performance in both categories, but the Core i5-8400 is easily the pound-for-pound gaming champion.
The i5-8400 wades into the market with six physical cores and no Hyper-Threading, which is 50% increase in cores compared to the Kaby Lake i5 Series. The 2.8 GHz base frequency jumps to 4.0 GHz on a single core. That's complemented by varying multi-core boost frequencies based upon the number of active cores.
The -8400 drops into the LGA1151 socket on 300-Series motherboards. It comes with a bundled cooler and will make a good companion for B- and H-Series motherboards when they arrive early this year. For now, Z370 motherboards are the only option, but you can find “budget” Z370s for as low as $120. 
Alternative Picks:
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$100-$200/£75-£150/$150-$300 AU Best Pick
The lower end of the gaming processor spectrum is incredibly competitive, particularly with the copious core counts, bundled coolers and unlocked multipliers you can find in the AMD lineup. Intel processors tend to offer the best performance at stock settings, and the locked multipliers in this price range make them suitable for less-expensive B- and H-Series motherboards.
These processors will often find a home in sub-$800 USD gaming rigs, so bundled coolers, particularly if they can handle overclocking, become more important.
Finding any gaming-friendly graphics card at a reasonable price these days is next to impossible thanks to coin mining. But AMD's latest Ryzen chips with onboard Vega graphics make gaming without a card a serious possibility. Don't expect to run games above 1080p, or even always at 1080p with the Ryzen 5 2400G. But if you're after a chip that will let you achieve smooth frame rates on recent titles at low settings without buying an overpriced card, the Ryzen 5 2400G is your best bet today.
If you have or will soon buy a graphics card, the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G is not the best option, as the processor and graphics cores have to share power. In this price range, if a graphics card is destined for your rig, get the Intel Core i3-8100 instead--especially if Intel's more affordable 8th-gen B- and H-series motherboards are available by the time you read this.
Alternative Picks:
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Sub-$100/£75/$150 AU Best Pick
You won't find several of the more advanced features on this class of processors, such as AVX or Optane support, but they make a great pairing for sub-$200 USD graphics cards.
Graphics card price hikes haven’t quite hit the budget builder and low-end gamer market as hard as the mid-range and high-end market (basically, anything above a Nvidia GTX 1050). But when money is tight, being able to game without a graphics card can lead to serious savings. And with RAM prices continuing to soar, those working with small budgets need to tighten the strings anywhere they can.
That makes the four-core, four-thread Ryzen 3 2200G particularly appealing for budget gaming builders and upgraders. The $99 chip delivers solid 720p performance thanks to its Vega on-chip graphics, decent CPU muscle for mainstream tasks, and can be dropped into an existing inexpensive 300-series motherboard (after a requisite BIOS update), to form the basis of a surprisingly capable low-cost PC. It’s also unlocked, so with proper cooling you can tune the graphics or the CPU to best suit your needs.
Alternative Pick:
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I can understand why the i5-8400 got the 1st place but I can't get it why are you still recommending i5-8600K given that the i5-9600K is very close in price from the new generation and better.
I also disagree with the Ryzen 2400G for that price range, the R5 2600 is going for around $160(on some sites has gone up to $200 though) and if gotten at that price it beats out the R5 2400G.
Now with an R5 2600 at $160 that kind of displaces the Intel I5 8400 a little bit. If that's the case you may as well go up to the R7 2700 or maybe an Intel I5 8600K.
Just my opinions, but as prices change and the value propositions are altered my opinion will change as well.
I personally would pick the 8700k over any 99xx series as i agree the price to performance on the 99x models are just not there.The 9900k are almost double the price of a 2700x here.
On the second one.I built my brother a 2400g which was a budget built for the fact he doesn't need a dedicated gpu to play games.I went with the 2600 as i have a gpu so it made more sense.I will agree the 2600 are by far the budget king but for the same price the 2400g as a igpu.
My brother will get this 1050ti of mine when i upgrade during this month but as when i built his pc his value was far better as mine as he did not have to by a gpu to play games out of the box.
Actually Tom no longer runs for the company nor works for it and when this website did a review on the RTX 2000 series the reviewer say in his article that people MUST BUY THIS GPU. Ironically Tom replied to this and said I would of never let this happen when I was running things and to tell people to buy a product before it's out for sale is ridiculous, wait for real reviews.