Gaming CPU Recommendations For All Budgets
Looking for the best CPU for your gaming PC setup? Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or taking your first steps, we've rounded up our top recommendations for every budget: entry level, mid-level, enthusiast and ultimate.
You can find more of our top recommendations in the following mini guides:
1. The Best Motherboard For Your Gaming PC
2. Top RAM (Memory) Recommendations For Your Gaming PC
3. HDD and SDD Recommendations For Your Gaming PC
4. PSU Recommendations To Set Up Your Gaming PC
5. The Best Graphics Cards (GPUs) For Your Gaming PC
6. The Best CPU Coolers For Your Gaming PC
7. The Best Gaming PC Cases and Towers
What Are Processors?
Also known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU), your processor is the brains behind your gaming pc – it dishes out the instructions and processing power your computer needs to do its work. The more powerful and up to date, the faster your gaming PC can complete its tasks.
AMD Or Intel?
It’s a question that will inevitably come up when you’re going through the process of a full gaming PC set up. In this mini guide, we’ll be providing recommendations from both manufacturers – but which should you choose?
They each offer excellent options no matter what your budget. Over the years AMD and Intel have both had their turn at being the leading brand – though consensus currently has Intel out in front. Ultimately it comes down to what’s available in your price range – and which of the options will work better for you.
Picking The Right CPU: Recommendations and Performance Benchmarks
Take a look at our recommendations, and if you can’t decide on AMD or Intel, give our experts a call, or message us on our online chat – we’ll help you choose!
CPU Recommendations - Entry Level
|
AMD |
Intel |
AMD Ryzen 5 4600G
Socket AM4 3.7GHz (4.2Hz Turbo) 6 Core 12 Threads 65W 8MB Cache 7nm Technology |
Intel Core i5 12400F
Socket LGA1700 2.5GHz (4.4GHz Turbo) 6 Core 12 Threads 65W 18MB Cache 10nm Technology |
| If you’re making your first foray into a full gaming PC set up and want to see what AMD has to offer, this entry-level option delivers power and performance without breaking the bank. | With excellent performance reviews across the board, the Intel Core i5 12400F will have no problem playing its part in your gaming PC set up on most modern games, at a great price. |
Is It Right For Me?This processor has an integrated GPU – also known as a graphics card. It has enough capability for casual gaming, general computing, and watching videos in 4k. If you’re planning for casual gaming on less-intense games, this might be the right choice for you, as you won’t need to buy a dedicated graphics card. |
Is It Right For Me?Unlike our AMD recommendation, this Intel processor does require that you buy a dedicated graphics card. However, that also means that your gaming PC will be much more capable of playing popular games on low to average settings, with noticeably higher FPS than the integrated AMD recommendation. |
Performance BenchmarksAssassins Creed Odyssey – average FPS was 34 on low settings F1 2019 – average FPS was 74.5 on low settings Far Cry New Dawn – average FPS was 48 on 1080p Low FSR Performance settings These stats were achieved using the integrated GPU. |
Performance BenchmarksAssassins Creed Odyssey – average FPS was 52 on 1080p low settings Fortnite – average FPS was 220 FPS on performance mode settings GTA 5 – average FPS was 80 FPS on very high settings These stats were achieved using this graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI 4 GB GDDR5 |
CPU Recommendations - Mid-Level
AMD |
Intel |
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket AM4 3.7GHz (4.6GHz Turbo) 6 Core 12 Threads 65W 7nm Technology 35MB Cache |
Intel Core i5-12600KF
Socket LGA1700 3.7 GHz (4.9 GHz Turbo) 10 Core Desktop Processor 20 Threads 150W 10nm Technology 20MB Cache |
| Pound-for-pound, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a solid mid-range buy that will meet the needs of gaming hobbyists with a little more ‘oomph’ than more affordable options. | Like its 12400F little sister, the Intel Core i5-12600F has excellent performance reviews, making it a great buy for your gaming PC – it’s just a little more expensive! |
Is It Right For Me?Launched in 2020, this CPU will still be capable of performing its role for future generations of games. It’s great for modern gaming at average settings as well as general day-to-day desktop multitasking |
Is It Right For Me?This CPU is more costly than our AMD mid-level recommendation, but it also packs more punch with a total of 10 cores, 20 threads, a 3.7GHz base clock and 4.9Ghz Turbo clock – while also being future-proofed, compatible with next-gen RAM and SSD components. It’s also pretty power hungry, so you’ll need to ensure your choice of PSU fits the bill too! |
Performance BenchmarksAssassins Creed Odyssey – average FPS was 74 on Ultra 1080p settings Forza 5 – average FPS was 56 on Ultra 4K settings Far Cry New Dawn – average FPS was 61 on Ultra 4K settings These stats were achieved using this graphics card: RTX 3060 |
Performance BenchmarksAssassins Creed Odyssey – average FPS was 112 on Ultra 1080p settings F1 2019 – average FPS was 92 on Ultra 1080p settings Far Cry New Dawn – average FPS was 72 on Ultra 4K settings These stats were achieved using this graphics card: RTX 3060 |
CPU Recommendations - Enthusiast
AMD |
Intel |
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
Socket AM4 3.4GHz (4.6Ghz Turbo) 8 Core 16 Threads 65W 7nm Technology 36MB Cache |
Intel Core i7-12700KF CPU
Socket LGA1700 3.6GHz (5.0GHz Turbo) 12 Core 20 Threads 125W 10nm Technology 25MB Cache |
| Now we’re getting into serious gaming territory. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X packs a lot of power inside your gaming pc tower, with fantastic performance results across the most demanding titles. | The Intel Core i7 is a fantastic option when it comes to high-end gaming, ranking extremely high within its price range – and only just below more expensive options in terms of performance. |
Is It Right For Me?The price of this processor has dropped recently, making it exceptional value for money when you consider just how much performance it delivers. It will manage almost any demand for raw power without being too greedy with your PSU – but we recommend you pair it with a high-end CPU Cooler to get the very best performance. |
Is It Right For Me?This is a 12th generation Intel processor, capable of handling almost all modern games at 4k when paired with the right graphics card. Just like with the AMD recommendation, it’s important you also get a high-end CPU Cooler for performance. But most importantly, this Intel processor will need a motherboard that is compatible – older models might not fit this chip. |
Performance BenchmarksAssassins Creed Valhalla – average FPS was 64 on 1440p Ultra settings Forza 5 – average FPS was 63 on Extreme 4K settings Far Cry 6 – average FPS was 115 on 1080p Ultra settings These stats were achieved using this graphics card: RTX 3070 |
Performance BenchmarksAssassins Creed Valhalla – average FPS was 72 on Ultra 4K settings Forza 5 – average FPS was 69 on Extreme 4K settings Far Cry 6 – average FPS was 102 on 1080p Ultra settings These stats were achieved using this graphics card: RTX 3070 |
CPU Recommendations - Ultimate
|
AMD |
Intel |
Ryzen 9 5950X CPU
Socket AM4 3.4GHz (4.9Ghz Turbo) 16-Core 32 Threads 105W 7nm Technology 72MB Cache |
Intel Core i9-12900KF CPU
Socket LGA1700 3.2 GHz (5.1Ghz Turbo) 16-Core 24 Threads 125W 10nm Technology 30MB Cache |
| Currently regarded as one of the best CPUs for gaming, this extremely powerful product from AMD will give your gaming PC huge performance potential – but it comes at a price. | No matter how intense and demanding the graphics are in the latest games, the Intel Core i9-12900KF will excel at delivering pinnacle, high-end gaming performance. |
Is It Right For Me?This is the last release of AMD for the AM4 socket motherboards – which makes it a smart move for gamers who want the best CPU without updating their entire gaming PC set up. It is purpose-built for serious gaming, so if you also require high intensity desktop use, you may be better off with an AMD 5900X |
Is It Right For Me?This is simply superb for gamers. It is (relatively) more expensive than our AMD recommendation. But it will also allow you to game, stream, capture and more at the same time without any hindrance on your performance. If it’s about gaming, as well as intensive day-to-day computing like 3D rendering, this is the one for you. |
Performance BenchmarksAssassins Creed Origins – average FPS was 101 on 4K Ultra settings Forza 5 – average FPS was 33 on 8K Ultra settings Far Cry 6 – average FPS was 61 on 4K Ultra settings These stats were achieved using this graphics card: RTX 3090 |
Performance BenchmarksAssassins Creed Origins – average FPS was 135 on Ultra 4K settings Forza 5 – average FPS was 78 on Ultra 4K settings Far Cry 6 – average FPS was 120 on Ultra 4K settings These stats were achieved using this graphics card: RTX 3090 |
Buy Once, Buy Right
When it comes to finding the right products for your PC gaming set up, we believe in ‘buy once, buy right’ – and at the right price.
We’re here to help you make informed purchase decisions to avoid you the hassle and waste of returning and buying again. By minimising the number of returns, we’re reducing e-waste and carbon emissions and making the whole buying process more efficient.
Read what Gotraka is doing to combat the e-waste crisis and how you can join us on our sustainability journey!
