The Best CPUs

AMD moved the cache below the cores on this generation, which lets it clock higher than the 7800X3D. Its 96MB L3 cache ranks second of 7 here, behind the Ryzen 9 9950X3D (128MB) and ahead of the Core Ultra 7 265K (30MB). Its 5.2GHz boost clock ranks sixth of 7 here, behind the Ryzen 9 9950X3D (5.7GHz) and ahead of the Ryzen 5 7600 (5.1GHz).

On core count it ties with the Ryzen 7 9700X at 8 cores. On rated power it sits mid-pack at 120W: the Ryzen 7 9700X offers 65W, and the Ryzen 9 9950X comes in at 170W. It also comes with an unlocked multiplier, a first for AMD's X3D chips. It was priced above the Ryzen 7 9700X and below the Core Ultra 9 285K at the time of writing.

It is the chip for players who also render, compile or encode on the same machine. Nothing else here matches its 128MB L3 cache; the Ryzen 7 9800X3D comes closest at 96MB. On boost clock it ties with the Ryzen 9 9950X and the Core Ultra 9 285K at 5.7GHz.

It matches the Ryzen 9 9950X on core count (16 cores). It matches the Ryzen 9 9950X on rated power (170W). It also comes with 3D V-Cache on one of its two core dies and a design aimed at both games and content creation.

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 most expensive pick when we checked, so weigh what it adds over the Ryzen 9 9950X.

It needs only a modest cooler and has room to grow with AMD's power boost setting. On L3 cache it ties with the Ryzen 5 7600 at 32MB. On boost clock it ties with the Core Ultra 7 265K at 5.5GHz.

It matches the Ryzen 7 9800X3D on core count (8 cores). It matches the Ryzen 5 7600 on rated power (65W). You also get the Zen 5 architecture.

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. No cooler is included; a single-tower air cooler is enough at its rating. On price it sat third of 7, between the cheaper Core Ultra 7 265K and the pricier Ryzen 7 9800X3D, at the time of writing.

The cooler saves money on a first AM5 build. It matches the Ryzen 7 9700X on L3 cache (32MB). Its 5.1GHz boost clock is the lowest in this group; the Ryzen 9 9950X3D leads at 5.7GHz.

On core count it trails the group at 6 cores, while the Core Ultra 9 285K offers 24 cores. On rated power it ties with the Ryzen 7 9700X at 65W. It also comes with the Zen 4 architecture, a 5nm process and PCIe 5.0 support on AM5.

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. It cost the least of the 7 picks at the time of writing, with the Core Ultra 7 265K the next step up.

It aims at rendering, compiling and encoding more than frame rates. On L3 cache it sits mid-pack at 64MB: the Ryzen 9 9950X3D offers 128MB, and the Core Ultra 7 265K comes in at 30MB. On boost clock it ties with the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the Core Ultra 9 285K at 5.7GHz.

It matches the Ryzen 9 9950X3D on core count (16 cores). It also offers AMD's recommendation of a liquid cooler. 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.

Budget for a dual-tower air cooler or a 240mm-plus AIO, since none is included. Its price falls between the Core Ultra 9 285K and the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, based on our last check.

It is strong in multi-threaded work and supports only DDR5. Its 30MB L3 cache is the smallest in this group; the Ryzen 9 9950X3D leads at 128MB. It matches the Ryzen 7 9700X on boost clock (5.5GHz).

On core count it sits mid-pack at 20 cores: the Core Ultra 9 285K offers 24 cores, and the Ryzen 5 7600 comes in at 6 cores. On rated power it ties with the Core Ultra 9 285K at 125W. Like the Core Ultra 9 285K, it has an LGA1851 socket, while the Ryzen 9 9950X3D uses an AM5 socket.

It also comes with 8 performance and 12 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. It was priced above the Ryzen 5 7600 and below the Ryzen 7 9700X at the time of writing.

It targets heavy creative work more than frame rates alone. Its 36MB L3 cache ranks fourth of 7 here, behind the Ryzen 9 9950X3D (128MB) and ahead of the Core Ultra 7 265K (30MB). It matches the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the Ryzen 9 9950X on boost clock (5.7GHz).

Nothing else here matches its 24 cores core count; the Core Ultra 7 265K comes closest at 20 cores. On rated power it ties with the Core Ultra 7 265K at 125W. Like the Core Ultra 7 265K, it has an LGA1851 socket, while the Ryzen 5 7600 uses an AM5 socket.

It also offers 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. It was priced above the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and below the Ryzen 9 9950X at the time of writing.