Unlike the graphics card market, Intel leads the budget gaming sector, while AMD has captured the niche for gaming enthusiasts.
The editorial team at the reputable resource PC Gamer has compiled a list of the best gaming CPUs of 2024. Overall, the ranking includes seven models, ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive.
You might be surprised, but the budget CPUs here are from Intel, while the gaming enthusiast niche is occupied by AMD. In the graphics card market, the situation is the opposite.
- Best Gaming CPU – AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D. This is undoubtedly the best gaming chip the company has ever made, and it also significantly outperforms Intel’s best processors in terms of frame rates in games, doing so at a much lower cost. Additionally, it is much less power-hungry.
- Best Budget CPU – Intel Core i5 13400F. There is no better processor for a gaming PC than the Core i5, specialists say. It outperforms competitors both in gaming performance and in multitasking.
- Best All-Round CPU – Intel Core i5 13600K. It is cheaper than the new Core i5 14600K but has the same core structure and essentially performs identically.
- Intel Core i9-13900K made the top list as a smart choice for those looking to buy a premium segment processor for a reasonable price. The alternative from AMD is the Ryzen 9 7950X.
- Best AM4 Processor – AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D. This chipset will give a second life to many PCs built on the popular AM4 platform, which is no longer being updated.
- Best Processor with Integrated Graphics – AMD Ryzen 7 8700G. It can challenge entry-level graphics cards, meaning you might not even need a graphics card for 1080p gaming today.
Earlier, experts compiled a list of the best graphics cards with the best price-to-performance ratio in 2024. The next generation of AMD and Nvidia graphics cards will be released in the next six months, so both companies are striving to clear out the remaining stock of old models.
A recent Steam survey showed that despite the continued decrease in component prices, users are not rushing to upgrade. The GeForce GTX 3060 remains the most popular graphics card among gamers, followed by the GTX 1650 and RTX 3060 Ti.
