The Best Gaming CPUs in 2024

Modern PCs are far more powerful than their predecessors and can handle many tasks well beyond the basics when it comes to meeting our needs. One of these increasingly growing tasks that users purchase a CPU upgrade for is PC gaming as people value it as a more important source of entertainment, even as we see modern consoles increasingly resemble their PC counterparts.

While modern GPUs take the brunt of the budget when it comes to gaming PCs in general, the CPU is an important component that shouldn’t be ignored, lest it cause unnecessary bottlenecks for gamers, especially at higher performance tiers. CPU-induced bottlenecks can effectively limit the performance of a PC for gaming even for gamers using the latest and greatest GPU money can buy. Some CPUs are built from the ground up with features or specialized hardware to perform better for gaming than regular work due to optimizations that tend to favor performance in games and video game engines in particular, such as the Ryzen 7000 and 5000-based X3D processor lineup.

Choosing The Best CPUs For Gaming

Picking a CPU for gaming used to be a simpler affair. CPU options were few and offered significantly different performance tiers from generation to generation. Since then, due to Moore’s law arguably not being a reliable go-to anymore coupled with gains that often sit anywhere between 5-15% generation on generation, we have multiple generations of CPUs often competing at similar price points which makes gamers choose from a plethora of options to get the one CPU that suits their needs above and beyond its peers.

It is important to note that a gaming CPU’s performance and subsequent choice for gamers boils down to three key factors: Single-core performance, number of cores in play, and most importantly: pricing.

Single-Core Performance: This is perhaps the most important factor when it comes to determining how a CPU is going to factor in terms of gaming for users. Most games have a clear performance bias for single-core performance. Titles run only as fast as their primary thread can process information, making single-core performance a key metric, and by proxy, clock speeds and instructions per cycle (IPC) count important determining factors when it comes to deciding how much performance a CPU can deliver in various titles.

There are exceptions to the rule: AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPUs use both the newer Zen 4 cores and the stacked L3 cache to allow for much faster access to larger chunks of data than most of their competing peers from Intel and AMD’s non-X3D processors can offer, making for an excellent, gaming-centric performer. While it has a lower clock speed than some of Intel’s fastest CPUs on offer such as the Core i9 14900K (5GHz vs 6GHz), it does compare considerably more favorably than Intel’s finest when performance in video games is the primary metric to be considered.

Number of Cores: As modern games and modern game engines continue to get increasingly complex, modern CPUs also handle multiple tasks and do so better than previous titles due to better scheduling, smarter game engines, and generally more distributed computing workloads. While modern hexacore CPUs more or less keep up with the needs of most titles, we have seen octa-core CPUs gaining ground due to the increasing computing needs of various new games, making them a key factor for various games that often utilize the extra cores (which used to be parked) in more effective ways.

This is only expected to grow given that most modern PCs have a minimum of 4 cores on offer and modern consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X both come with octa-core AMD Zen-based X86 CPUs in tow, making most console-centric titles a relatively optimized affair for 8-core CPUs even as their PC ports often arrive at later dates at times.

Pricing: Most modern CPUs can handle gaming fairly well irrespective of the price they command, but the sweet spot for gaming lies in the $200 to $400 range where the CPUs offer their best value for money to gamers and enthusiasts. Splurging what can often be hundreds of dollars to get a single percentage point increase in FPS might not be everyone’s idea of great value for money even as modern GPUs continue to increase in price and arguably deliver much more stellar performance gains per dollar spent.

This means that the balance has somewhat shifted with Intel’s Core i7 and AMD’s Ryzen 7 CPUs often being overshadowed by their Core i5 and Ryzen 5 counterparts when it comes to value-centric purchases, many of which offer significantly better value than their higher-priced siblings that often barely move the needle for the extra money spent. Price-conscious gamers are considerably more inclined to go mid-range when it comes to CPUs for gaming.

The Best Gaming CPUs in 2024

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is Game Rant’s undisputed pick for the best and fastest CPU for gaming which also doubles as the best AMD CPU for gaming. Its 8-Core, 16-Thread offerings might be more akin to mid-range Intel and AMD offerings, but the ace up its sleeve is its impressive 3D V-Cache that allows the 7800X3D to sport a whopping 96MB of L3 Cache, making it one of the fastest performing CPUs across multiple tests as it completely obliterates AMD’s 7000 series processors while scoring high more often than not versus Intel’s latest and greatest 14th generation CPUs.

At $450 a pop, this isn’t the cheapest CPU out there, but it doesn’t have to be given that it is the fastest one that gamers can buy. Thanks to it being on the new AM5 platform, it also has support for PCI-E 5.0 and DDR5 memory while running at significantly lower power than its competition, often at half or lower power draw, averaging an approximate 50W across titles in terms of power consumption reported at a CPU level.

All in all, it is an excellent CPU for gaming with efficiency and speed both important factors in it being our best overall pick for gaming as it is both the fastest overall AMD CPU and overall in terms of benchmarked gains. For creators that need the speeds the 7800X3D offers but who also want extra multicore performance or power under the hood, AMD also offers a similarly performing 16-core version of the same, albeit at a higher price in the shape of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D maintains its top position on GR’s list simply due to its virtue of being the fastest CPU for gaming across the board, taking out both AMD and Intel’s CPU offerings with ease in terms of raw performance as it taps into its large stacked 3D V-cache to excellent effect in the most demanding of gaming titles with ease. It also trades at a significant discount in response to Intel’s latest 14th-generation CPUs while juggling excellent availability from AMD.

The Intel Core i9 14900K is a powerful 24-core, 32-thread CPU that replaces the Intel Core i9 13900K. However, it has more in common with its higher-clocked, limited-release sibling, the Intel Core i9 13900KS. Both CPUs can clock up to 6GHz easily with supporting hardware out of the box. The CPU, which is otherwise identical to its predecessor, replaces it at the same MSRP of $589 but offers better performance due to higher clocks on both its 8 performance and 16 efficiency cores.

It aims to close the gap on the gaming lead that AMD currently enjoys due to its cache-heavy Ryzen 7 7800X3D thanks to its increased clock speeds. It also offers substantial value thanks to its strong multicore, multithreaded performance. This makes it more than just a gaming CPU but a more well-rounded workhorse that delivers on multiple fronts even as it emerges as a key contender for the best gaming CPU in 2024.

Intel also continues to leverage AI in its tweaking tools to find even higher clocks in ideal situations for overclockers using its XTU (Intel Extreme Tuning Utility) software. That can result in the 14900K offering a better experience out of the box in certain setups even as the Intel® Application Optimization (APO) approach finds increasing support from titles such as World of Warcraft that leverage its scheduler optimizations to deliver better performance compared to its competition even as Intel plans to allow for support for Intel 12th and 13th generation CPUs down the line.

The Intel Core i9 14900K can be found trading at a sub $40 discount at multiple retailers currently, clocking in at just $550 at certain retailers (and potentially lower in bundles), making it a much more acceptable alternative to AMD’s 16-Core Zen4-based Ryzen 9 7950X3D juggernaut that commands an $100 premium currently while offering similar multicore performance in tow.

Note: Intel is currently offering a free copy of Ghostrunner 2 for 14th-generation Intel CPUs purchased via participating retailers including some listed above.

The 6-Core, 12-Thread AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is an excellently positioned processor thanks to a barrage of price cuts over time that see it trade at significant price discounts over its original MSRP. It is a step up to the AM5 platform as a compelling, slightly cheaper alternative to the now-aging 5800X3D which it outperforms slightly in modern games due to its newer underlying architecture, better memory support, and higher boost clocks than the locked AM4-based processor.

With decent single-core performance and somewhat underwhelming multicore performance, the Ryzen 5 7600X is also a considerable $80-100 cheaper than the Intel Core i5 13600K that it is regularly compared with. A fairer comparison would be the Intel Core i5 13500 which it does go neck and neck with; it has arguably better single-core performance and much worse multicore performance. Multiple games tend to favor single-core performance, making the 7600X an excellent, current-gen mid-range AMD CPU for gaming that has grown increasingly competitive.

It currently trades at an impressive discount at multiple retailers, clocking in just shy of $200, making it a no-brainer given its strong performance in games and relatively less demanding nature in terms of thermal needs versus most of its performance alternatives from Intel.

The Intel Core i5 14600KF is Intel’s answer to the mid-range Ryzen 5 7600X and Ryzen 7 7700X as it offers more cores, better gaming performance, and higher clocks than its predecessor in a bid to replace the very well-received Intel Core i5 13600K/KF CPUs. The 14-core, 20-thread CPU offers better performance thanks to it pushing its Raptor Lake Refresh cores just short of the last generation 13700K.

Part of its value addition is due to its cheaper MSRP versus the 14600K which offers an integrated GPU to end-users that need one. While it is an excellent addition for most casual users, it is woefully inadequate for gaming uses. The saved money is nearly always better spent on a discrete GPU offering instead of a redundant on-chip solution when it comes to gamers.

However, the 14600KF does need a dGPU from the get-go so users looking to delay an upgrade would need to keep one handy irrespective of the use of the CPU, which also requires pairing with a decent cooling solution to ensure it doesn’t throttle thermal during extended gaming sessions. All in all, while Intel’s latest upgrade does the bare minimum, it replaces a very competitive CPU and without any major overtures from AMD, one that continues to dominate its position at a price point that sits notoriously close to the Ryzen 7 7700X while drawing favorable comparisons.

Note: Intel is currently offering a free copy of Ghostrunner 2 for 14th-generation Intel CPUs purchased via participating retailers including some listed above.

AMD’s last generation 6-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 5600X processor still packs a punch and offers great value versus some of Intel and AMD’s other entry-level offerings thanks to its capable hexacore Zen 3-based offerings. The 5600X lacks integrated graphics much like AMD’s other 5000 series CPUs. However, it offers decent single-core performance, albeit with lower clocks and performance than Intel’s 12th and 13th-generation processors. It benefits from a very mature AM4 platform with motherboards available at various price points. Unlike its newer 7600X sibling, it works fine with most user’s existing DDR4 memory out of the box.

Deeper discounts by AMD on the newer Ryzen 7000 series since the launch of the 7000 X3D processor offerings mean that the 5600X is no longer as popular as it used to be as a value purchase. For gamers with an AM4 motherboard or DDR4 memory spare (or anyone simply looking for an AM4-based upgrade), the Ryzen 5 5600X is still a capable processor that does not meaningfully bottleneck most games at 1080P or higher resolutions.

With a stock cooler in tow and an unlocked processor design, the Ryzen 5 5600X delivers excellent value, decent performance, and a cost-effective upgrade to users already on the AM4 platform, even in 2024 without breaking the bank.

The Intel Core i3 13100 is essentially a slightly higher-clocked version of the Intel Core i3 12100 with performance remaining locked within a similar range with it able to Turbo to as much as 4.5 GHz versus the 4.3 GHz its predecessor offered. It is a great quad-core CPU that serves as an entry into Intel’s more expensive backyard of 13th-generation core series processors with an upgrade possible down the line for most users as both Intel and AMD compete increasingly fiercely in this market segment.

One would however want to consider that buying a quad-core CPU, even at an entry-level price, might not be an ideal play to make for gamers, power users, or creators as apps continue to become more power-hungry, requiring more multithreaded horsepower under the hood than before even as games keep a relatively strong single-core bias. All in all, the Intel Core i5 13100 is a capable processor, somewhat limited by core count and subsequent thread counts, but it makes up for it somewhat thanks to the price point it aims to be competitive at.

With no new current-gen AMD offerings in the same price segment in 2024, it is as good as any for gamers. The closest alternative available to gamers currently from Team Red is the $180 MSRP touting Ryzen 5 7500F which is relatively hard to locate in the US while skipping an iGPU, making the 13100 a significantly better value purchase with a sub-$150 price tag in tow. Users can also opt for the iGPU-less Intel Core i3 13100F instead which offers significantly better value for money for gamers who will nearly always opt for a discrete GPU down the line.

FAQ

Q: Why is single-core performance so important for games?

Video games are complex code structures that often consist of millions of lines of code. As a result, they are often unable to fully exploit multicore performance as one thread or core often bears the brunt of our game-centric demands of the CPU.

This is often demonstrated as an existing bias in terms of raw performance in multiple game titles that rely on it as a good benchmark of how well the title will run on a modern processor such as the Intel Core i9 14900K which can push 6GHz and leads single thread charts currently.

Q: Which processors come with a CPU cooler?

All locked Intel processors come with a stock CPU cooler in the box. All unlocked Intel CPUs ship without one as users are expected to use adequate cooling to get more performance out of the CPU in an overclocked state.

For AMD, this seems to be more centric to which tier the CPU belongs to; cheaper CPUs tend to have stock coolers on offer as more expensive, larger CPUs including those for gaming seem to skip on one altogether.