Many things make a CPU, which makes determining the best one slightly more of a task. However, it’s not ideal to buy whatever CPU you can see because some CPUs are better for your needs than others. A gaming desktop will require different CPU specifications and layout compared to a browsing one. So, it’s necessary to ensure your CPU is not only the best you can get but can also form the right system for your needs.
Best CPU 2023
1. AMD Ryzen 5-3600 Six-Core
It’s not the most powerful CPU available or the cheapest, but it’s the best budget gaming CPU you’ll see. Ryzen 5-3600 comes in a set of six cores with a 3.6GHz base frequency and 4.2GHz max boost clock speed. Combined with a GPU like RX-5700, this processor can deliver a superb gaming experience without needing all your savings.
Features
- 12 threads
- AMD Wraith Stealth cooler
- 35MB cache
- AM4 socket
- 16 PCIe4 lanes
- DDR4 3200 support
- 100+fps
- 65W TDP
Pros
- Can handle overclock
- Budget price
- Reliable performance
- Comes with a thermal solution
- Lightweight
- Extremely quick
- High compatibility
Cons
- Not a premium for gaming
- TDP is low
Price: View on Amazon
2. Intel Core i9-10900K
If there’s a CPU out there that dominates all others, it’s going to be Intel core-19-10900K from everything we’ve seen. The processor’s performance is insane, reaching a massive 5.3GHz with overclocking. I9-10900K is, without doubt, the processor you want if you want to be rendering 8K and 4K videos.
Features
- 10 cores
- 125W TDP
- 5.3GHz on overclock
- 3.7GHz base speed
- LGA 1200 socket
- Optane memory support
- 20 threads
- 20MB cache
- 16 PCIe3 lanes
Pros
- A tenth-generation products
- Insane processor speeds
- Plenty of threading and multitasking ability
- High compatibility
- Superb at 8K and 4K 120Hz resolutions
Cons
- Expensive
- Low thermal limits
Price: View on Amazon
3. AMD Ryzen 9-3950X
In terms of processing ability, AMD’s is one of the highest if not the best CPU on the market. It’s expensive, no doubt, but with a 16-core processor and a 72MB game cache, Ryzen 9-3950X is worth it.
Features
- 3.5GHz base and 4.7GHz boost speed
- 32 threads
- AM4 socket
- 100+fps
- DDR4-320 support
- PCIe4
- Zen 2 architecture
- 105W TDP
Pros
- Massive 16-core processor
- Incredible speeds
- High thermal limit
- Supports overclocking
- Power-efficient
Cons
- No liquid cooler in package
- Pricy
- No game bundles
Price: View on Amazon
4. Intel Core i7-10700K
Even with all of AMD’s efforts, Intel is a difficult opponent, and i7-10700K shows exactly why. Despite having a much lower price-tag, the CPU offers a faster 3.8GHz base speed and 5.1GHz max boost. It also retains the ever-popular 125W TDP and 400 series motherboard compatibility.
Features
- 16 PCIe3 lanes
- Eight-core/16-thread
- LGA 1200 socket
- 16MB cache
Pros
- Budget streaming and gaming king
- Awesome clock speed
- Huge fps benchmark
- Overclocks as advertised
- Cheap
Cons
- Immense and fast heat-up
- Not ideal for heavy workloads
Price: View on Amazon
5. AMD Ryzen 7-3700X
In a way, you can look at AMD’s Ryzen 7 as a low budget Ryzen 9. It costs half the price of the 16-core CPU and offers 8-core and 16 threads. The socket remains AM4, retains compatibility with X470 motherboards, and the architecture is Zen 2.
Features
- PCIe4
- DDR4-3200 support
- 100+fps
- 4.4GHz boost and 3.6GHz base speed
- 65W TDP
- AMD Wraith Prism cooler
- 36MB cache
Pros
- Stable on heavy workloads
- Superb speeds
- Comes with cooling liquid
- Affordable
Cons
- Heavier than average
- Runs too hot
Price: View on Amazon
6. Intel Core i9-9900K
Intel Core-i9 9900K is the fastest CPU on the market as of August 2023. Unless you are mining cryptocurrency, Intel core-i9 is overkill for whatever you want to do.
It boasts of excellent clock speed with a brilliant per-core performance. While you’ll need your CPU cooler, 9900K is worth every penny.
A liquid cooling solution is the most advisable since it can sometimes get too hot for air-cooling.
Specs
- 16 threads
- Eight cores
- 16MB L3 cache
- Overclocking at 4.9GHz typical
Pros
- Relatively cheap
- Lots of cores for other tasks
- Fast
- Excellent design
Cons
- Does not come with a cooler
- Overclocking headroom marginal
Price: View on Amazon
7. Intel Core i7-9700K (9th Gen)
If you have the budget for it, consider Intel Core i7. While there are cheaper models available for similar performance, the reliability of Intel can’t be overstated.
Core-i7 9700K is neatly tied with the i9-9700K in all aspects except for the lack of Hyper-Threading.
Specs
- Eight threads and Cores
- 3.6GHz to 4.9GHz clock speed
- 12MB L3 cache
- Overclocking at 4.9GHz to 5.1GHz
- 95W TDP
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Highspeed cores with an excellent combined performance
- Good quality/price value
- Light and doesn’t get too hot
Cons
- Still no in-built cooler
- Overclocking is limited
- No Hyper-Threading
Price: View on Amazon
8. AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
AMD is on an upward climb to glory as they desire to usurp Intel from its throne. The 3600X is very similar to 3600, except more expensive and with higher clock speed.
Specs
- Six cores
- 12 threads
- AM4 socket
Pros
- Excellent quality/price value
- Zen two performance bump
- Fast with Wraith Spire included
Cons
- Still too few cores for a 2023 model
- Could be faster
- Needs a better cooler
Price: View on Amazon
9. Intel Core i7-8700K
In 2018, Intel Core i7-8700K was the best performing CPU on the market, and it still smuggles its way to number five this year.
For an Intel Core, it is cheap even though it can compete fairly with i7-9700K. There are no internal cooler or built-in side-channel attacks.
Specs
- 3.7GHz to 4.7GHz clock speed
- Overclocking at 4.9GHz to 5GHz typical
- 12MB L3 cache
- 95W TDP
- Six cores and 12 threads
Pros
- Fast
- Has spare cores for multiple tasking
- 4K certified
Cons
- No built-in cooler
- Overclocking Headroom is marginal
- Need some firmware and software mitigation
Price: View on Amazon
10. Intel Core i5-8400 (8th-gen)
For a CPU this fast, Intel Core i5-8400 is mouth-watering cheap. It has a higher clock speed compared to previous generations and matches 7th gen i7-7700K in performance.
It is one of the few Intel models with a built-in cooler and cannot overclock itself.
Specs
- 3.8GHz to 4GHz clock speed
- 65W TDP
- Six cores and six threads
- No overclocking
- 9MB L3 cache
Pros
- Fast
- Cheap
- Has built-in cooler
Cons
- Not enough cores
- No overclocking
- A bottleneck for RTX 2080 Ti
Price: View on Amazon