These are the best budget CPUs to buy in early 2023
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Looking to upgrade your CPUs on a budget in 2023? These three picks are all worthy of your attention.
2023 is a big year for PC gaming, with titles like Diablo IV, Starfield, Street Fighter 6, and Atomic Heart due in the next calendar year. Many gamers will need to update their hardware to enjoy these titles at higher settings, but dropping more than $200 on a chip isn’t always a feasible option. These are three of the best budget CPUs at prices between $100 and $200.
Intel i3 12100F is the king of $100 budget CPUs
Gaming processors under $100 aren’t exactly a common sight, but Intel managed to snipe the sweet spot with the i3 12400F. This four-core with multithread CPU runs at 2.5 gigahertz, reaching 60 frames per second in modern titles at or above medium settings without bottlenecks.
Intel kept its audience in mind for this chip, as the 12100F is compatible with both DDR4 and current-gen DDR5 RAM. It also boasts a surprisingly low standard power consumption of just 58 watts, making it compatible with nearly all budget power supplies. Those solid stats and features come in at $105, making this a snap pickup for someone looking to upgrade their CPU and motherboard for under $200. Its only major flaw is that it does not have onboard graphical processing, so a standalone GPU will be required.
Ryzen gamers on a budget should consider a 5600G
For some gamers, four cores are simply not enough. Intensive pursuits like 3D modeling and video rendering can require more power than a single core can provide. That’s where the Ryzen 5 5600G comes in. This multithread hex-core processor comes with a 4.4 gigahertz max frequency on the AM4 platform, which is compatible with DDR4 RAM. At $126, the 5600G has a best-in-class value of just $10.60 per thread.
On top of its already-impressive clock speed, the 5600G comes unlocked right from the factory. Gamers with flashy water cooling setups or even just strong air coolers can squeeze even more value with an overclock.
In addition, this chip comes with AMD Vega onboard graphics processing for use without an expensive GPU. If you do plan to use it without a discrete graphics card, be very careful about going over the factory clock speed.
The i5 12400 is the best CPU you can buy for $200
If you’re planning to drop real cash on CPUs but don’t want to break a $200 budget, the 12400 has the best bang for your buck of any option in early 2023. This six-core 12-thread processor asks for $190, putting it right on the edge of our price range. It justifies the asking price with a maximum 4.4 gigahertz frequency and stellar single-core performance. It also comes with onboard graphics, though gamers in this price range likely have another processor to go with it.
As the middle-price flagship of Intel’s 12th generation, the i5 12400 boasts an 18-megabyte L3 cache and compatibility with both generations of RAM. It can consume up to 117 watts at max power, so double-check your power supply before committing.
Toss The i5 12400 into an LGA 1170 motherboard and enjoy excellent performance in esports titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends at high settings.
What do you think?
The best CPU for gaming 2023: get a processing boost with these CPUs
(Image credit: Future)
They might not get as much attention as GPUs, but the best CPUs for gaming are a vital component if you’re trying to assemble the gaming PC of your dreams. Like with graphics cards, there are two clear frontrunner brands in the market, but knowing which will get you more value for money isn’t always the easiest thing in the world. Luckily, whether you go for contemporary AMD or Intel, you’re sure to get a great processor. To aid you in comparing each chip with the rival’s equivalent, we decided to pull together a list of our top processor picks.
For the vast majority of PC gamers, a 12th-generation Intel Core i5 CPU or AMD Ryzen 5000 CPU will do the trick. Unless you’re constantly doing hardware intensive tasks like streaming, multimedia content creation, all while playing the latest games on the market, «mid-range» CPUs should be enough to get you by.
Certainly with an i5 or Ryzen 7, you’ll get very good value for money. For reference, we consider the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 one of the best CPUs for gaming, and it can out perform an 11th Gen i9.
You’re unlikely to bottleneck your rig with a CPU that’s a generation behind, but if you want something that will keep up with the best graphics cards and the best RAM for gaming, a high-end processor will also be an option. The AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs are now out, as are the 13th Gen Intel ones. While we’ve omitted these from the list below, since we’re currently in the process of sourcing them for review, so we’ll update the list below as and when we have new verdicts. For now though, the list below is likely to be more affordable, which is no bad thing during widespread cost of living crises.
Without further ado, here are the best CPUs for gaming on the market.
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(Image credit: Intel)
1. Intel Core i5-12600K
The best Intel CPU for gaming
Specifications
Cores: 10 Core (16 Threads)
Base clock speed: 3.70GHz
Max clock speed: 4.90GHz
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
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Faster than 11th gen i9 CPUs
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Outperforms most of the Ryzen 5000 line
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Half the price of previous high-end Intel processors
Reasons to avoid
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Has trouble running some PC games
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Compatibility issues with Windows 10
The recently released 12th generation Intel i5 Alder Lake processor does what people were expecting from Rocket Lake earlier this year — and actually dethrones AMD Ryzen 5000 series for a competitive price-to-performance ratio that’s hard to argue against.
Comparing the Intel Core i5-12600K on the less-than-well-received Intel Core i9-11900K, and the 12600K actually outperforms it for a fraction of the cost. Indeed, its documented performance means it more than deserves a high spot in our roundup but misses out on that top slot for one simple reason: it doesn’t run every game — yet. It comes down to DRM (digital rights management) issues that certain newer games such as Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and Immortals Fenyx Rising (PC Gamer has the full list available) that means that some titles won’t boot at all and others could face compatibility issues on Windows 10.
(Image credit: AMD)
2. AMD Ryzen 5 5600x
The best overall value Ryzen CPU for gaming
Specifications
Cores: 6-core (12 threads)
Base clock speed: 3.7GHz
Max clock speed (Turbo): 4.6GHz
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
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Outperforms 10th-gen Intel chipsets
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Holds its own against 11th-gen i5
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Competitively priced
Reasons to avoid
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It’s still mid-tier for the 5000 line
The AMD Ryzen 5600X may not blow anyone away with its sheer power, but as far as AM4 current-generation chipsets from the company go, it’s very hard to beat at its current price point.
What’s more, the 5600X is frequently on sale, down from its already competitive $260 MSRP.
The AMD Ryzen 5600X is a solid all-around performer with both its single-core and multi-core capabilities in-game, too. That’s due in part to this CPU’s higher-than-average clock speed combined with its quiet-yet-cool operation over extended periods of time. If you’re after a processor to keep your rig ticking over at its best, then the 5600X continues to impress across the board.
If you have some preference or brand loyalty towards AMD then this is the best option from them.
(Image credit: Intel)
3. Intel Core i9-12900K
The best high-end Intel CPU for gaming
Specifications
Cores: 16-core (24 threads)
Socket: LGA 1700
Base clock speed: 3.2Ghz
Boost clock speed: 5.1Ghz
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
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Outstanding single core performance
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Faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
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The best high-end option for DDR5 RAM
Reasons to avoid
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It is very expensive
The Intel Core i9-12900K finally delivers on the chipset’s flagship status with some of the fastest single-core performance on the market, even beating that of AMD’s Ryzen 9 5950X in many instances (according to our colleagues at Tom’s Hardware ).
For those in the know, that’s the fastest AM4 Ryzen chipset you can currently buy, and a CPU that will cost you significantly more than the i9-12900K’s still hefty
$589.
What that means in practical terms is that the Intel Core i9-12900K is not only one of the best CPUs for gaming but also one of the fastest chipsets currently available. The one downside at the time of writing, however, is that you’ll need a DDR5 compliant motherboard like the Z690, for native PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support. If you’ve got the money for it, though, you’re going to witness blisteringly fast speeds that chew through even the most processor-intensive programs and latest games alike.
(Image credit: AMD)
4. AMD Ryzen 9 5900x
The best high-end Ryzen CPU for gaming
Specifications
Cores: 12-core (24 threads)
Base clock speed: 3.70GHz
Max clock speed: 4.8GHz
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Unparalleled single-core performance
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A powerhouse for gaming
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Low power consumption
Reasons to avoid
—
Overclocking doesn’t scale well
With its staggering 12-core (24 threads) architecture, it’s no surprise that this Ryzen processor is an absolute beast for just about any task put in front of it — especially high-end gaming in 4K at exceedingly high frame rates (when paired with a capable graphics card, of course).
With that said, if you’re only interested in a processor from a raw gaming perspective, then the 5900x is absolute overkill. Indeed, how this chipset handles everything else — such as video rendering/encoding in high resolutions — tips it over the edge. If you’re in the creative field and need a real workhorse that can effortlessly game as well (and you’ve got the money), there’s no doubt that this is the one to get. In terms of speed, it’s the best CPU for gaming.
(Image credit: Intel)
5. Intel Core i7-12700K
The best all-round Intel CPU
Specifications
Cores: 12-cores (20 threads)
Socket: LGA 1700
Base clock speed: 3.6GHz
Boost clock speed: 4.9Ghz
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
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Excellent price-to-performance ratio
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Built for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5
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Competes against Ryzen 9 5900X
Reasons to avoid
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Power-hungry
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You’ll need a Z960 motherboard
The Intel Core i7-12700K offers impressive real-world processing prowess for both general computing tasks and in the latest titles alike, making it easily one of the best CPUs for gaming.
If you just need a chipset that’s capable of keeping up with the newest games first and foremost then the Intel Core i5-12600K is more-than-enough for that purpose. However, if you’re planning on using your rig as an all-purpose machine, then the i7-12700K is the way to go.
We’ve contrasted the current generation of Intel CPUs against themselves, though, how does the $409 Intel Core i7-12700K stack up against the $549 AMD Ryzen 9 5900x? Remarkably well, as it goes. Though the 5900x may have more threads and a higher clock speed, we’ve seen that the i7-12700K either matches or surpasses it when the chips are down.
Then there’s also the consideration of PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 RAM support. The Intel Core i7-12700K will support DDR4 memory, but we advise going all-in with a future-proofed system to keep up with the ever-growing demands of modern games. If you’re after an all-rounder of a chipset that’s ready for the latest technological leaps in performance, then there’s very little you can fault this processor on.
(Image credit: Intel )
6. Intel Core i5-11600K
The best value-for-money Intel CPU for gaming
Specifications
Cores: 6 Core (12 Threads)
Base clock speed: 3.90GHz
Max clock speed: 4.90GHz
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
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Similar performance for gaming with i7
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Affordable for a 6-core (12 thread) CPU
+
Holds its own against Ryzen 5 models
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Excellent value
Reasons to avoid
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More elusive than other 11th gen i5 models
Gaming in Quad HD (1440p) in high refresh rates or 4K60 on PC doesn’t need to be crazily expensive, and you can sure save a few bucks by opting for a just-as-capable 11th-gen i5 as opposed to an i7. Or an i9 monster, for that matter. The higher clock speed on the i5-11600K means it can hold its own effectively against Ryzen alternatives and some of the 11th generation i7 on CPUs (on a base level) from a purely gaming perspective as well.
That’s to say nothing of the overclocking potential afforded by said-higher clock speed, with the potential of being able to be dialed up all the way to 4.90GHz. If you’re after a faster-than-light setup for gaming at a competitive price, there isn’t much better from Rocket Lake’s revisions for the money.
Best CPU for gaming: FAQs
What is the best CPU type for gaming?
If you’re wondering which brand does it better, that’s a hard question to answer. We’ve rounded up the best CPUs for gaming from both Intel and AMD, and depending on your preferences, and maybe the rest of your rig, one or the other might be better suited for you individually. Intel may have the edge on popularity, but AMD has come a long way to combat that in recent years.
For the majority of people, a 12th Gen Intel Core i5, or an AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 will be more than enough for gaming. If you’re a streamer, or someone who spends a lot of time doing multimedia production, a higher-end CPU might be advantageous.
What CPU do pro gamers use?
While we can’t speak for everyone, E-Sports athletes and streamers will likely use the best of the best, highest-end components they can get their hands on to optimise everything about their performance. Particularly streaming will put a lot of strain on hardware if its being done from the same PC that’s running a game, so the most powerful CPU and GPU imaginable are necessary if content creators want their footage to look good. Most likely, we’d bet that professional gamers (the type that are draped from head to toe in RGB lighting at all times), will use 13th Gen Intel Core i5 or the most up-to-date Ryzen 9 CPUs.
Now you’ve got one of the best chipsets available for the money, keep your rig in top tier shape with the best gaming keyboard and best gaming monitor on the market, too.
Round up of today’s best deals
Reduced Price
Intel Core i5-12600k
£344
£286.
40
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Reduced Price
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
£279.99
£159.45
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Intel Core i9-12900k
£483.91
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Reduced Price
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
£509.99
£320.55
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Intel Core i7-12700k
£399.
27
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Intel Core i5-11600K
£259
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Ever since playing Journey at the age of 15, I’ve been desperate to cover video games for a living. After graduating from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in Journalism, I contributed to the Scottish Games Network and completed an Editorial Internship over at Expert Reviews. Besides that, I’ve been managing my own YouTube channel and Podcast for the last 7 years. It’s been a long road, but all that experience somehow landed me a dream job covering gaming hardware.
I’m a self-confessing PlayStation fanboy, but my experience covering the larger business and developer side of the whole industry has given me a strong knowledge of all platforms. When I’m not testing out every peripheral I can get my hands on, I’m probably either playing tennis or dissecting game design for an upcoming video essay. Now, I better stop myself here before I get talking about my favourite games like HUNT: Showdown, Dishonored, and Towerfall Ascension.
Location: UK Remote
Best cheap processors
Now is a good time to buy a cheap processor. The AMD Ryzen 3000 and Athlon (including the Athlon 3000G) have become very popular for their price. It became possible to buy a quad-core processor with gaming integrated graphics for as little as $100-$150, while the Athlon line costs less than $80. Intel, in turn, reacted to this, and added Hyper-Threading to junior Pentium models and additional cores in the 9 line0003 Core i3 , this greatly improved the performance of its budget chips, although they are still limited in terms of graphics.
For those who are looking for a processor for gaming at an affordable price without buying a discrete graphics card, the AMD Ryzen 5 3400G is ideal. True, not a huge performance boost over previous generation chips like the Ryzen 5 2400G , which can still be found for around $160.
Top 9 Cheap Processors0021
- AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
- AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
- AMD Athlon 240GE
- AMD Athlon 200GE
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X is the best $120-$150 processor
Benefits
- Low price
- Excellent gaming performance
- Solder under cover
- Overclockable
- PCIe 4.0 interface
- Energy efficiency
Disadvantages
- Weak cooler included
The Ryzen 3 3300X brings a new level of performance to budget gamers with 4 cores and 8 threads. Which maximize the capabilities of low-end and mid-range graphics cards.
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G is the best budget processor in the $100-110 price range
Benefits
- Price
- High frequency
- Excellent 720p gaming performance
nine0023 Unlocked multiplier
Drawbacks
- Eight lanes for PCIe slots
- Motherboard BIOS compatibility required
- Need a good overclocking cooler
When money is tight, and the ability to play without a discrete graphics card can lead to serious savings. This processor delivers consistent 720p performance with integrated Vega graphics.
AMD Athlon 240GE — the best choice with a price of $60-80
Benefits
- Attractive price
- Cooler included
- Overclockable
Disadvantages
- GPU cannot be overclocked
- Poor single thread performance
The AMD Athlon 240GE is the flagship of the company’s budget lineup, and has a compelling advantage for budget gaming systems.
Integrated Radeon Vega 3 graphics deliver acceptable frame rates at low resolutions and quality settings. nine0013
AMD Athlon 200GE is the best choice under $60
Benefits
- Attractive price
- Cooler included
- Overclockable
Disadvantages
- GPU cannot be overclocked
- Poor single thread performance
The cheapest gaming processor AMD Athlon under $60 is a great all-rounder with four threads and graphics Vega 3 . Good for gaming at low resolutions and settings. Performance with a small number of threads is not great, but for the price it’s a good option.
If you are interested in a gaming processor or we recommend you to look at this article:
The best gaming processor
AMD Ryzen 7 1700 Review
Pros
- Outperforms Intel 7700K in multi-threaded benchmarks
- Cheapest 8-core processor you can buy
- Great value for multi-threaded performance
- Unlocked for easy overclocking
- Full range of processors fit on one motherboard
- Low power default
Cons 7700K much faster in single-threaded tests
The main characteristics
- The price of the recall: £ 330 MB L3 cache
- overclockable
What is AMD Ryzen 7 1700? The
AMD Ryzen 7 1700 is an entry option to AMD’s new Ryzen 7 processor lineup.
Priced at just £330, it still offers an identical feature set to the £500 Ryzen 7 1800X and is by far the cheapest current-gen octa-core processor you’ll ever find. you can buy. nine0013
However, its clock speed is lower than the 1800X and lower than its most direct competitor, the quad-core Intel Core i7-7700K. Naturally, this means it’s less suited to fast, single-threaded applications like games, but it will happily handle multi-threaded workloads like video encoding. Thus, this is an intriguing proposal.
AMD Ryzen 7 1700 — The design and features of the
Ryzen 7 1700 are nearly identical to the Ryzen 7 1800X in every way. It looks the same, has the same number of cores (8), can run the same number of threads (16), is unlocked for easy overclocking, and fits the same motherboards. There are only three differences between it and AMD’s current flagship processor. nine0013
The first is the clock frequency. The 1700 has a base clock of 3.0GHz and can push its cores up to 3.
7GHz. The 1800X, on the other hand, starts at 3.6GHz and boosts to 4.0GHz. This might not seem like much of a difference given the same boost clock rate, but since clock speeds are not guaranteed for any given workload, base clock rates are more important.
This applies even more when you compare the 1700 to Intel’s closest competitor at the price of the Core i7-7700K. It’s only a quad-core chip, but it has a base clock of 4.2GHz and a boost clock of 4.5GHz — that’s a huge raw clock advantage. nine0013
Similar: Best Graphics Cards
However, this takes into account the second key difference between the 1700 and 1800X, which is that the latter only has a TDP of 65W. That’s surprisingly low power consumption for an octa-core processor. For comparison, the 7700K has a TDP of 91W, the 1800X has a TDP of 95W, and the octa-core Intel Core i7-6900K has a TDP of 140W.
The final difference between the 1700 and 1800X is that the «X» at the end means that the 1800X can further boost the clock speed of a single core by 100 MHz, while the 1700 can only do so by 50 MHz.
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And this is your destiny; it’s just the relatively low 1800X clock speed. So, if you want to know more about what makes this processor really tactful, then you can read the 1800X review, which includes more of an overview of AMD’s new Zen CPU architecture at the heart of the chip.
Related: Best processors for gaming, tested
As a result, 1700 is potentially ideal for those who are looking for huge eight-core multi-threaded processing power for tasks such as video encoding, batch photo editing, file compression, encryption, professional 3D rendering or scientific calculations, but cheaply. nine0013
However, it is less suited to what most home users actually want from a processor: high single-threaded performance. Most programs, including most games, still benefit from having a single core processor run as fast as possible, which is why most laptops still lack only dual core processors.
So a potentially important aspect of the 1700 is how well it overclocks.
If you bring it closer to the base clock speed of 4.0 GHz, it still has the potential to be a great option for single-threaded tasks. nine0013
However, note that when it comes to the 1700, which is not as good as the faster clocked alternatives, it’s all relative. This processor will still provide almost all the performance that most home users will need, even in single-threaded tasks.
For normal day to day tasks this is more than powerful enough, while the difference in games will only show up in situations where you are not limited by the speed of your video card and running at ridiculous frame rates. In situations like this where you get 180fps from a higher clocked chip, you get «only» 140fps from 1700.0013
Related: Best pre-built desktops
AMD Ryzen 7 1700 — AM4 platform socket AM4. While this will mean buying a new motherboard now, AMD has committed to continuing to support the platform with future processors.
Also, when Ryzen 5 (quad-core and six-core) and Ryzen 3 chips arrive later this year, you can buy a secure motherboard and an entry-level dual or quad-core processor knowing you can upgrade all the way to an octa-core chip without changes to the rest of your system.
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This is not possible with the current line of Intel processors; its six- and eight-core chips are only available with the purchase of more expensive LGA 2011 motherboards.
AM4 is supported by five new chipsets: X370, B350, A320, X300 and A300. All will support a range of Ryzen processors, but only the X370, X300, and B350 will support overclocking; and only X370 and X300 will support SLI/Crossfire. Currently only X370 and B350 boards are available and prices range from £80-100 for B350 boards to £150-300 for X370 boards. nine0013
AMD Ryzen 7 1700 — Zen architecture
The Ryzen 7 1700 is based on AMD’s new Zen CPU architecture, which replaces the Bulldozer architecture that the company has relied on for the past few years. The main direction of its development was to improve the efficiency of power consumption and the number of instructions per clock (IPC) — the number of calculations that the chip can perform with each core for each clock cycle of the processor.