Best CPU 2024: Pick the Right Processor for Your Gaming PC - IGN (2024)

When it comes to the best processors, there's always the chunk of silicon that pushes performance numbers so high that it's overkill for the vast majority of people. Right now, that's the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X.

This is a 16-core, 32-thread beast of a processor that can push as high as 5.7GHz out of the box. In my full review of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, I found that the 9950X is the best processor on the market for creative professionals that need a chip to power Adobe Premiere or Blender as quickly and efficiently as possible. In those creative workloads, the vast amount of threads on offer directly results in faster encoding and rendering times. And because time is money, that means the Ryzen 9 9950X will pay for itself in time.

Of course, you can get the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X as a gaming CPU if you want, it's more than capable of handling any PC game on the market. However, while this beast of a CPU offers performance above and beyond its competitors in most workloads, it doesn't rise above the pack when it comes to pure gaming performance. Instead, if you want a great CPU for gaming, you should go for something like the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Intel Core i7-14700K. Though, if your gaming PC pulls double duty as a creative workstation, the Ryzen 9 9950X floats to the top of the pile again.

3. AMD Ryzen 7 5700G

Best Budget CPU for Gaming

For those working on a budget PC build, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G is a great processor ready to take on all your tasks. This chip uses the slightly older but still highly capable Zen 3 architecture with eight cores and 16 threads. It excels in basic gaming and is an all-around workhorse. The integrated graphics are also top-notch and ready to play in 1080p.

Since the Ryzen 7 5700G has less performance prowess compared to some of AMD's newer and pricier Zen 4 chips, it’s super power-efficient, keeping under a 65W TDP. Thermals are equally great, so even with more modest cooling, it still maintains peak performance. And did we mention it comes bundled with a AMD Wraith Stealth cooler?

The Ryzen Ryzen 7 5700G uses an AM4 socket and doesn’t support the PCIe 5.0 or 4.0 interfaces. You’ll also rely on DDR4 RAM versus the higher frequency DRR5 RAM. But even if you lose out on speed, you can save some money, which is what this budget pick is all about.

4. Intel Core i5-13400

Best Budget Intel CPU for Gaming

The Intel Core i5-13400 proves that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a highly capable gaming CPU. Costing around $200, this mid-range chip has no problem running games at 1080p – or even up to 1440p and 4K. If you’re on a tight budget, the integrated graphics can handle some action while you save up for a solid GPU, and it even comes with a cooler to keep your extra costs down. However, it draws more power than the last-gen model.

You aren’t making many sacrifices when going for this budget-minded processor, as you still get some of the latest technology, including DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 interface. It has the same hybrid architecture seen in higher-end models with six performance cores and four efficient cores alongside 16 threads. Those P-Cores can hit 4.6GHz right out of the box and offer hyperthreading for snappy performance and plenty of oomph to handle any mainstream PC build.

5. Intel Core i9-14900K

Fastest CPU for Gaming

For unbeatable speeds and insane overclocking, I've found there’s nothing better than the Intel Core i9-14900K based on my review, but be prepared for it to put a good dent in your wallet. This beastly chip boasts a heavily threaded hybrid architecture with eight P-cores and peaks at a wild 6.0 GHz. Its 16 E-cores are no slouch either, taking some burden off the P-cores and ensuring your game’s action or creative endeavors are never interrupted.

If you’re big into streaming, the Intel Core i9-14900K is an absolute must. You’ll also be hard-pressed to find a game or program that the Intel Core i9-14900K can’t handle; it actually might be overkill for some. However, this is a power-hungry, hot-running processor, so be sure you’ve got proper cooling.

Similar to the Intel Core i5, the Intel Core i9-14900K makes only minor upgrades from the 13th gen model, like slightly higher clock speeds and Wi-Fi 7 compatibility. So, if you find the Intel Core i9-13900K significantly cheaper, you may want to grab that instead.

6. AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

Best Ryzen CPU for Gaming

While it's tempting to pick up the most expensive and powerful processor on the market, it's often better to go for a mid-range chip like the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X for gaming. You're not likely going to need the extreme multi-threaded peformance of something like the Ryzen 9 7950X, and the strong single-core performance will back up pretty much any graphics card you pair with it.

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X might not be that much faster than its predecessor, but it delivers similar performance without temperatures that'll make you panic. In testing for my review, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X simply won't go above 75C using stock settings, meanwhile both the Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel Core i5-14600K will shoot straight up to 95C and stay there in heavy workloads. The processor is unlocked, so you can overclock it, using AMD's PBO (precision boost overdrive) settings to reach higher performance, but if you just want a CPU to put into your gaming rig and forget about, the Ryzen 5 9600X is a great choice.

Plus, this processor isn't very demanding on your power supply. Out of the box, the 9600X is limited to 88W of power, which makes it a perfect fit for any gaming rig using a less power-hungry power supply.

How to Pick the Best CPU for Gaming

The first step is determining which type of processor you want to use. Of the mainstream options, you can go with either Intel’s Core lineup of i3,i5, i7, and i9 products or AMD’s Ryzen 3, 5, 7, and 9 series. Intel does slightly edge out AMD in price versus performance thanks to their recent release of 13th and 14th gen Raptor Lake chips, but they are still pretty neck and neck with Ryzen’s 7000 processors. Both offer the latest connectivity like PCIe 5.0, DDR5 memory, and newer sockets, along with plenty of cores to cruise through the best PC games.

Speaking of cores, as a general rule of thumb, the more, the merrier. CPU cores essentially receive instructions and in turn, perform specific actions. Therefore as you increase the core count, the more the processor can do for you.

Cores

When it comes to gaming, you should aim for a Hexa core processor or higher. With six cores, you should have no problem running most games. However, you may want a higher core count for more processor-intense titles – like RTS games and management sims. A faster, more robust CPU can power more AI elements and help raise frame rates.

Intel also introduced two different types of cores with its 12th gen processors, P-cores and E-cores. P-cores do most of the heavy lifting, hitting higher speeds and taking on beefier workloads like games – essentially the cores you’re used to seeing in CPUs. E-cores are much less powerful, generally working on background tasks to help ease the load of the P-cores. AMD has yet to differentiate its cores.

Speed

Though core count is important, speed may be just as, if not more. You generally get a base clock and boost clock, telling you how fast the CPU runs, with a higher number of gigahertz (GHz), meaning a snappier performance in your games. Many options we’ve chosen are also unlocked for overclocking – letting you push the CPU past its listed clock speed limits – though there’s always a risk of damaging the chip when you do this.

Threads

Threads should also be kept in mind. These act like schedulers, telling the cores what to do next. It’s not super important if you’re just gaming, but say you also want to stream simultaneously, then grab a chip that offers hyper-threading (Intel) or multi-threading (AMD). Those terms are essentially the same, where one core has multiple threads, which is helpful in multitasking.

Upcoming CPUs

AMD is first out of the gate for 2024, launching its much-anticipated Ryzen 9000 series processors, led by the Ryzen 9 9950X, at Computex 2024. These processors are using the new Zen 5 architecture, which boasts an impressive IPC (instructions per clock) improvement, that Team Red claims to be around 13% on average. We'll have to wait until we get the new processors in for review to see if those numbers hold up, but it's not like we'll have to wait long. The new AMD Ryzen processors will arrive on store shelves in July 2024.

We're still waiting for Intel to announce its follow up to the Raptor Lake 14th-gen processors that launched in 2023. However, there has been some movement on Team Blue, with the company announcing its Lunar Lake mobile processors. Those are primarily aimed at the new AI laptops that Microsoft is spearheading, but we should see new desktop processors showing up sometime this year – maybe in fall?

CPU FAQs

What type of CPU is best for gaming?

Depending on whether you’re on team AMD or team Intel will depend on which CPU is best for gaming. Since both manufacturers are pretty much neck and neck in terms of performance and efficiency, the choice is up to you.

For AMD, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is ultimately the best option for high-performance gaming PCs. Intel fans, however, can expect great things from the Intel Core i5-14600K, which comes out top as one of the best CPUs for gaming.

Where to Get the best CPU for Gaming in the UK

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra

Danielle Abraham is a freelance writer and unpaid music historian.