The Best CPU for Gaming

Check your board has the latest BIOS for Intel's stability microcode. It matches the Core Ultra 9 285K on L3 cache (36MB). On boost clock it leads this guide at 6GHz, ahead of the Core Ultra 9 285K (5.7GHz).

On core count it ties with the Core Ultra 9 285K at 24 cores. It is the only pick here with an LGA1700 socket; the Core Ultra 9 285K has an LGA1851 socket instead. No other pick in this guide offers DDR4 or DDR5 memory; compare the Ryzen 9 7900X, which has DDR5 memory.

You also get 8 performance and 16 efficient cores. It fits LGA1700 boards (600 and 700 series) with either DDR4 or DDR5, depending on the board; 600-series boards may need a BIOS update for 14th-gen chips. When we checked, only the Ryzen 9 7900X and cheaper picks cost less, and the Core Ultra 9 285K cost more.

It suits competitive players who also stream from the same machine. On L3 cache it ties with the Core i9-14900K at 36MB. On boost clock it ties with the Ryzen 9 7950X3D at 5.7GHz.

It matches the Core i9-14900K on rated power (125W). An LGA1851 socket is unique to it among these picks, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses an AM5 socket. It shares DDR5 memory with the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Ryzen 9 7900X; the Core i9-14900K goes with DDR4 or DDR5 memory.

You also get 8 performance and 16 efficient cores and a built-in NPU for AI features. It needs an LGA1851 board (Intel 800-series chipset) and DDR5 memory; LGA1700 boards and coolers without an LGA1851 mounting kit will not fit. Budget for a dual-tower air cooler or a 240mm-plus AIO, since none is included. On price it sat fourth of 5, between the cheaper Core i9-14900K and the pricier Ryzen 9 7950X3D, at the time of writing.

It also offers a 5.7GHz boost clock and offers a 16 cores core count. It matches the Core Ultra 9 285K on boost clock (5.7GHz). On core count it sits mid-pack at 16 cores: the Core i9-14900K offers 24 cores, and the Ryzen 7 9700X comes in at 8 cores.

Like the Ryzen 9 7900X and Ryzen 7 9700X, it has an AM5 socket, while the Core i9-14900K uses an LGA1700 socket. It needs an AM5 board (A620, B650, B850, X670 or X870 series) and DDR5 memory; check the board's CPU support list for the minimum BIOS version. No cooler is included; a single-tower air cooler is enough at its rating. At our last price check it topped the group, with the Core Ultra 9 285K the nearest cheaper option.

It is a cheaper way to the same thread count as the 9900X, at a higher power rating. On L3 cache it leads this guide at 64MB, ahead of the Core i9-14900K (36MB). Its 5.6GHz boost clock ranks fourth of 5 here, behind the Core i9-14900K (6GHz) and ahead of the Ryzen 7 9700X (5.5GHz).

On core count it sits mid-pack at 12 cores: the Core i9-14900K offers 24 cores, and the Ryzen 7 9700X comes in at 8 cores. On rated power it trails the group at 170W, while the Core i9-14900K offers 125W. Like the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Ryzen 7 9700X, it has an AM5 socket, while the Core i9-14900K uses an LGA1700 socket.

It also comes with the Zen 4 architecture, a 5nm process and PCIe 5.0 support on AM5. It was priced above the Ryzen 7 9700X and below the Core i9-14900K at the time of writing.

It also offers a 5.5GHz boost clock and offers an 8 cores core count. Its 8 cores core count is the lowest in this group; the Core i9-14900K leads at 24 cores. It shares an AM5 socket with the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Ryzen 9 7900X; the Core Ultra 9 285K goes with an LGA1851 socket.

It needs an AM5 board (A620, B650, B850, X670 or X870 series) and DDR5 memory; a 600-series board may need a BIOS update first, so check the maker's CPU support list for the minimum version. It was the cheapest of the group when we checked; the Ryzen 9 7900X was the next step up.