Best CPU for Gaming in 2020: The 15 Best Processors (Any Budget)

Intel Core i9-9900K Overview

Intel’s 9th Generation Core i9-9900K sports 8-cores and 16-threads, a 3.6GHz base clock, and a 5.0GHz boost clock. It is easily one of the most impressive consumer-level processors that Intel has ever released. And, with a price tag of just under $500, it will actually be within reach of gamers who are working with a larger budget.

However, with that nearly-$500 price tag, if you are working with a more moderate budget, the i9-9900K might not be the best option for you. Options like the i7-9700K, the Ryzen 7 3800X, and the Ryzen 7 3700X will also provide excellent performance in games and come in at well under $400.

So, while the 9900K will give you workstation-like performance, if your main goal is to build a high-end gaming PC, you could save a little money by opting for one of the options listed below.

If you do have the budget to get the 9900K, though, there is an argument to be made for choosing the Ryzen 9 3900X over it. While the 9900K brings better single-core performance to the table, the 3900X has even more cores and threads and will outperform the 9900K in most multi-threaded tasks.

And, so, if you’re looking for a CPU that can give you more performance in applications that can utilize extra cores and threads, the 3900X would be worth considering over the 9900K.

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AMD Ryzen 9 3900X Overview

As we mentioned above, the Ryzen 9 3900X is a nice option for gamers who have a huge budget and have the need for a processor that can handle multi-threaded applications as well.

The 3900X comes with a whopping 12-cores and 24-threads, a 3.8GHz base clock, and a 4.6GHz boost clock.

Of course, the i9-9900K is no slouch in multi-threaded applications as well. And, really, both of these processors will serve well for gaming and CPU-heavy tasks.

So, really, while there are small performance differences between these two options in gaming and multi-threaded performance, if you have the budget, you can’t go wrong with either option.

Just like with the i9-9900K, though, there are cheaper options listed below that will also offer enough performance to meet the demands of most users. So, unless you have an unlimited budget, one of the options listed below will allow you to save some money without sacrificing too much performance.

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AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Overview

If you don’t have $500 to spend on the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, but you want a processor that will not only deliver solid gaming performance, but also excellent multi-threaded performance as well, then the Ryzen 7 3800X is worth considering.

It comes with 8-cores and 16-threads, and comes with a 3.9GHz base clock and a 4.5GHz boost clock. It also comes in at a little over $100 less than the Ryzen 9 3900X. So, even if you can fit the 3900X into your budget, you could put that extra $100 into other components in your build (like your graphics card) and that may end up giving you a better balance in performance overall.

Of course, if gaming is your primary goal, the Intel Core i7-9700K listed below is probably the better bet for you. It doesn’t have as many threads as the 3800X, but it does offer more single-core performance which makes it better suited for purely gaming scenarios.

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Intel Core i7-9700K Overview

While AMD’s Ryzen 9 3900X has really moved the bar in terms of what a high-end consumer-level processor can bring to the table, the truth is that, for gamers, the much cheaper Intel Core i7-9700K is probably the better option.

Since the i7-9700K offers better single core performance, it actually benchmarks better in most games than the beefier Ryzen 9 3900X. Of course, the 3900X offers superior multi-threaded performance and so if you’re someone who will be doing more than just gaming, there is a case to be made to go with and AMD CPU instead.

But, if you’re looking for a powerful processor that will offer incredible in-game performance (assuming you pair it with a high-end graphics card) and will also serve pretty well in multi-threaded applications, then the i7-9700K might be what you’re looking for.

Just make sure, though, that if you are planning on getting the i7-9700K and you want to keep it cool that you pair it with a high-end air cooler or AIO cooler.

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AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Overview

At just a little under $330, the Ryzen 7 3700X comes in at nearly ~$50 less than the Ryzen 7 3800X. And, while the 3800X offers more headroom for overclocking and higher stock clock rates, the 3700X performs well out-of-the box as is and comes with the same 8-cores and 16-threads.

So, the scenario where the Ryzen 7 3700X makes the most sense is for users who A) have a moderate-to-higher budget, B) want a solid gaming processor that will also offer great multi-threaded performance, and C) could use the extra $50 difference over the 3800X on an upgrade somewhere else.

Because, if you could use that $50 difference between the Ryzen 7 3700X and the 3800X to bump up to the next highest graphics card, that might be worth it.

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Intel Core i5-9600K Overview

I’m a little torn on the i5-9600K. Intel’s unlocked Core i5 processor has always typically been their sweet spot for mid-range to high-end gaming builds. And, really, the 9600K is an excellent chip, especially when you consider Coffee Lake i5’s have bumped up to six-core CPUs.

However, with much cheaper options like the Ryzen 5 3600 (and even the slightly older Ryzen 5 2600), by choosing the i5-9600K, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table that could have gone towards a GPU upgrade.

With the much cheaper Ryzen 5 2600, you can pair it with a sub-$70 motherboard and keep the stock cooler and still be able to hit mild overclocks. And, the total cost to build a system with a Ryzen 5 2600 setup (CPU, motherboard, and stock cooler), is going to be at least $200 lower than it will to build a system with an i5-9600K setup (CPU, motherboard, and aftermarket cooler).

There’s also the newer Ryzen 5 3600 that will offer great in-game performance and come with more threads, all while coming in at ~$40 cheaper.

The other option is Intel’s Core i5-9400f, which, while it can’t be overclocked, it does come in at almost $80 lower than the i5-9600K and you won’t have to buy a third party cooler to go with it or spend as much on a motherboard.

So, the main problem with Intel’s new i5-9600K is that it, A) has more competition, and B) has increased in price to a level that alienates a lot of the people who would normally buy it. The bottom line, though, is that if you’re looking for the best processor for gaming in the under $300 price category, the excellent single-core performance of the 9600K makes it the best option for you.

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AMD Ryzen 5 3600X Overview

There’s nothing wrong with the performance of the Ryzen 5 3600X. However, its ~$230 price tag hurts it in relation to its direct competitors. On the one hand, the Intel Core i5-9600K (which is currently priced a little cheaper) will offer better single-core performance (and, thus, better gaming performance). And, on the other hand, the Ryzen 5 3600—which costs quite a bit less—won’t trail too far behind the 3600X in terms of performance.

So, why spend more money on the 3600X just to get higher stock clocks when that extra money could go to an upgraded GPU, more storage, or extra memory?

For that reason, we recommend avoiding the 3600X for the moment. If the price comes down closer-to, or even under $200, it might make more sense.

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AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Overview

AMD and Intel release new processors on a regular basis. And, when a new lineup of processors is released, there is a time period in which we have to debate the value of going with the now-discounted older generation processor over the newer and slightly faster generation processors.

That is currently the case for the Ryzen 5 3600. As of right now, the 3600 currently comes in at just under $200. However, the older Ryzen 5 2600 comes in at just under $120.

And, when you consider the types of builds that these processors are made for (budget-friendly systems that can handle 1080P gaming well), that difference in price could mean the difference in getting something like a GTX 1660 Ti over something like an RX 580. That is a significant performance jump in graphics processing power. And, you don’t have to sacrifice too much CPU performance in order to get it.

So, while the Ryzen 5 3600 is a great CPU, as long as there are still Ryzen 5 2600s in circulation and as long as they are as heavily discounted as they are now, it seems like a no-brainer to choose the 2600 over the 3600.

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Intel Core i5-9400f Overview

In my opinion, if you look at just the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400f is one of the better value options right now for anyone looking to build a mid-range gaming PC. The problem, though, is it cannot be overclocked, whereas the less expensive Ryzen 5 2600 can. The other thing to note on the i5-9400f is that it doesn’t come with integrated graphics, so it will have to be paired with a dedicated graphics card.

But, with six-cores and extremely good single-core performance, the i5-9400f is a solid option if your sole purpose is gaming. And, with a budget-friendly H-series motherboard, the 9400f offers a really affordable platform to build off of.

Ultimately, if you don’t have any plans to overclock or use integrated graphics and you’re looking to build a powerful budget gaming computer, then the i5-9400f offers a nice price-to-performance office to center your build around.

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AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Overview

Right now, there are three extremely attractive budget-friendly/mid-range CPUs available. And, those are the Intel Core i5-9400f, the Ryzen 5 2600, and the Intel Core i3-9100f.

Each of those processors is affordable and will provide ideal in-game performance in just about any scenario, and, in the case of the Ryzen 5 2600, it can be overclocked and it has a stock cooler that is actually suited for mild overclocks.

Of those three, if you’re looking for the most all-around performance, then the Ryzen 5 2600 is probably your best bet. It has six cores and 12 threads and it comes in at under $120.

Ultimately, if you’re looking to build a new mid-range gaming computer, you have a little over $100 to spend on your processor, and you want as many cores and threads as possible, then the Ryzen 5 2600 and a solid AM4 motherboard is the route to go.

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AMD Ryzen 5 3400G Overview

In the APU vs CPU battle, I’ve long rallied against APUs in general. In my opinion, past generations of AMD’s APUs have come with a couple of issues that have kept them from being relevant for building gaming PCs with.

Those problems were that, A) there was no upgrade path from the old FM2 socket to a high-end desktop processor, and B) the prices were too high and thus couldn’t compete with other budget CPU/dedicated GPU combos.

However, with AMD’s new APUs being built on the AM4 socket, there is now a real upgrade path for APU owners. And, with the state of the graphics card market, AMD’s Ryzen APUs actually make sense for certain budgets.

The 3400G comes with four cores, eight threads, the ability to overclock, and integrated Vega 11 graphics. It also has a base clock of 3.7GHz and a boost clock of 4.2GHz.

In my opinion, though, right now you could pair a budget CPU with a budget GPU and get better overall performance than the 3400G offers. We do recommend the older Ryzen 3 2200G in our $300 gaming PC build, but in our $400 build we were able to fit in an Intel Core i3-9100f and an AMD RX 560 graphcis card—a combination that will outperform the 3400G on its own.

So, unless you’re willing to sacrifice some performance now, or the 3400G were to drop a bit more in price, you’d probably be better off avoiding it at the moment.

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Intel Core i3-9100f Overview

With Intel’s budget-friendly H-series and B-series motherboards for Coffee Lake chips and with the price of the Intel Core i3-9100f coming in at under ~$90, the 9100f really is one of the better budget-friendly-to-mid-range processor options currently available.

It’s a quad-core processor that has a base clock speed of 3.6GHz. While it doesn’t have as many cores as the other options listed above it, quad-core processors are still enough for the majority of games currently out there.

The 9100f doesn’t come with integrated graphics, though, but if you’re looking to build an affordable gaming PC with a budget-friendly graphics card, the 9100f should work fine for you.

So, if you’re looking to put together a solid gaming computer on the cheap, you don’t care about overclocking, and you’d rather spend more on your graphics card than on your processor, then the i3-9100f will give you a nice affordable option to build around.

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AMD Ryzen 3 3200G Overview

While the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G does outperform the older Ryzen 3 2200G, the 2200G comes in at ~$25 less and the performance difference between the two APUs is fairly small.

So, if you have a super tight budget and you’re looking to build an ultra affordable gaming PC that can handle games like League of Legends, Fortnite, Dota 2, Rocket League, etc., you could give yourself a little breathing room by opting for the Ryzen 3 2200G instead.

Ultimately, though, eventually the 2200G will be taken out of circulation and the Ryzen 3 3200G will drop in price and become the new go-to ultra budget-friendly APU to buy. But, for now, the Ryzen 3 2200G still feels like the better buy.

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AMD Ryzen 3 2200G Overview

In the past, I typically avoided recommending APUs. However, with the release of AMD’s last couple of Ryzen APUs, these new APUs seem to finally have a legitimate price point in which they make sense for budget gamers.

The Ryzen 3 2200G is a quad-core chip that has four threads. It comes packed with integrated AMD Vega 8 graphics.

The integrated graphics on the 2200G are actually powerful enough for the APU to handle most non-demanding PC games. So, games like League of Legends, Dota 2, Minecraft, etc.

The chip is unlocked as well, so you can also overclock it to get a little bit more performance out of it.

Ultimately, the Ryzen 3 2200G is a solid budget Ryzen CPU for gaming. It works well in gaming computer builds that come in under ~$400 or so and will serve as the perfect entry-point for 1080p gaming.

You could bump up to get the Ryzen 3 3200G, but I feel like if you’re in the budget range to where you have to consider one of these APUs, you might as well save as much money as possible now, because the performance difference isn’t that significant.

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