2/21/2018 Update: Replaced the Intel Pentium G4560 with the AMD Ryzen 3 2200G (our new Sub-$100 Best Pick).
2/15/2018 Update: Replaced the Ryzen 5 1400 with the Ryzen 5 2400G (our new Budget Pick in the $100-$200 range).
1/19/2018 Update: The rapidly evolving Spectre/Meltdown security fixes may (or may not) affect performance in significant ways. This will obviously require retesting. But as new OS patches and BIOS updates are currently arriving on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, for now there’s currently no feasible way to keep our test results up to date. Any comprehensive re-testing would almost certainly be out of date by the time we could post it. In the meantime, you can head here for our latest updates on the Spectre and Meltdown saga.
Once a clearer picture of the post- Meltdown/Spectre landscape starts to take shape and we get a sense that fixes are final—or at least relatively stable—we will retest our hardware and update this page accordingly.
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Intel Core i7-8700KBest Overall
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- Socket
- LGA 1151
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- Cores / Threads
- 6 / 12
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- Base Frequency
- 3.7 GHz
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- Boost Frequency
- 1 Core @ 4.7 GHz, 2 Cores @ 4.6 GHz, 4 Cores @ 4.4 GHz, 6 Cores @ 4.3 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 (1200 MHz)
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- Cache
- 13.5MB
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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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If you don’t feel confident enough to pick the right processor on your own, we've compiled a simple list of the best CPUs offered for the money. This list is for gamers who want to get the most for their money, so if you don’t play games, the CPUs on this list may not be suitable for you. The criteria to get on this list is a mixture of price and performance, but cost and availability change on a daily basis, and while we can’t offer up-to-the-minute pricing information in text, the prices in green are current. These are new retail CPU prices for the US - prices will most certainly vary in other regions and on used or OEM markets.
MORE: Intel & AMD Processor Hierarchy
MORE: All CPU Content
$300+ 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 graphics cards will be rewarded with chart-topping performance. Both Intel and AMD offer high-end desktop models that scale beyond 16 cores, but those premium processors often don't deliver the same amount of gaming performance as the mainstream models. Also, they come with expensive platforms and typically support quad-channel memory, which adds yet more cost to the equation. The picture changes if you need more performance for other types of applications, like rendering or encoding, but the mainstream processors offer the best value for strictly 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 comes with more cores, which you might find attractive if you have more demanding requirements, such as streaming or intense multi-tasking. You can also often find the Ryzen processors well below MSRP.
Intel updated the Core i7-8700K with two additional cores, giving you a six-core 12-thread processor with a 3.7 GHz base clock. Intel offsets the relatively low base clock with a 4.7 GHz Turbo Boost on a single core. That's complemented by varying multi-core boost frequencies based upon the number of active cores, which delivers performance where it's needed while keeping power and thermals largely in check.
You'll need to budget in a new Z370 motherboard for the Core i7-8700K, but the platform is very similar to Z270 motherboards. As with all K-series processors, you'll need to bring an aftermarket cooler. Air coolers are fine for mundane overclocks but plan on an AIO or closed loop to chase the bleeding edge. Intel also retains the same basic graphics engine, but this class of processor begs for a discrete GPU.
The Core i7-8700K comes with a $20 premium over its predecessor, but that's a relatively small price to pay for 50% more cores. 
Alternative Pick:
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$200 - $300 Best Pick
Mid-range processors typically land in the $200 to $300 price range, and they offer satisfying performance for the majority of gamers. Stepping beyond the $300 price class typically grants less than a 10% 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 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 finds two distinct price tiers, but provided the processor has an unlocked multiplier, you can often find the best value around the $200 mark. It's best to step up to the more expensive models 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 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 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 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:
MORE: Best Memory
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MORE: Best Motherboards
Sub-$100 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 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:
MORE: Best Power Supplies
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I don't have much of a problem with the fact that Intel keeps doing this. Because 99% of all computer end-users upgrade the platform as a whole. It's been five years for me, so of course I'm going to upgrade my CPU, Mobo, and RAM at the same time. But when I do, I'll be getting a much more powerful CPU than the 8400 to future-proof it and save money in the long run.
Want to do more than just gaming, Ryzen 5 1600-1600X
An 8100 is better for gaming than a 2400G. What are you on about?
The 2400G is ranked as the 75th fastest CPU, the 8100 45th fastest, even though it's much cheaper.
The 8350k is ranked 19th fastest without overclocking, and costs the same as a 2400G
No idea as well. I used to be a strong advocate of using Intel CPUs for gaming for a long time, but picking G4560, a dual core with HT for cheapest gaming in 2018 is beyond my understanding. I would choose 2200G APU any day over it, even if it is slightly more expensive. 4 real cores and much better integrated GPU far outweigh the slight difference in price. What bothers me even more is that 2200G gets no mention at all, nowhere. But Ryzen 1200 does.
Agree completely. However, the category is for CPUs under $100, and there are no Ryzens below that price.
That said, it would be very interesting to see a battle of a Ryzen 3 2100G (2C/4T) versus the G4560 (also 2C/4T), both overclockable and with stock coolers
Would someone mind expanding on this for me? I was thinking about using the onboard video and then buying a video card later on when I don't have to sell an arm and part of a leg to buy a card. I understand that the onboard video and processor share power, but besides the price issues, what is the downside to running the 2400G with a video card?
I assume you mean "this year"?
So if it wipes the floor with the G4620, then it kills the 4520, and is sub $100.
Why put out a list if you're not going to update it?