2024 is here, and in the first quarter of the year, not much is going on in the CPU department. The CPUs listed below are still the best gaming CPUs you can get. So, if you plan to build a gaming PC with the fastest gaming CPU or are trying to avoid CPU bottlenecks, especially at 1080p or 1440p, we listed some of the best gaming CPUs the current generation offers. These CPUs will go well with a fast GPU, like the RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX. There are a lot of CPUs from Intel and AMD, but the CPUs listed here are cherry-picked, no-compromise gaming CPUs. Go ahead and check them below.
The Best Gaming Processors for Desktop PC This 2024
There are a ton of CPUs in the market. Both AMD and Intel released CPUs for every price range, ensuring they would catch would-be buyers regardless of their budget. With many CPUs to choose from, it can be very confusing which CPU to pick for your gaming PC. We cherry-picked some of the best and fastest CPUs available in the market.
Note: All CPUs in this list do not come with a CPU cooler. You’ll need a good CPU cooler.
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D – The Fastest and Best Gaming CPU!
Currently, the fastest and best gaming CPU in the market is the one that is not the usual “flagship” CPU. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D sits in the middle of AMD’s product stack. It’s just an 8-core, 16-thread CPU with a boost clock speed of up to 5GHz; it’s not even the highest-clocked CPU out there. But what makes this CPU special or the fastest when it comes to gaming is AMD’s 3D-V cache technology, with 96MB of L3 cache.
Pros:
The best thing about the Ryzen 7800X3D is it’s not that expensive since it is not a flagship CPU. It also has the lowest power consumption on average among the CPUs in this list. The 7800X3D is an excellent CPU for 1080p and 1440p gaming, and it can even handle the fastest RTX 4090 or the best 7900 XTX graphics card.
Cons:
While the Ryzen 7800X3D is undeniably the fastest and best gaming CPU in this generation, its productivity performance is just so-so. It’s even slightly slower than the Ryzen 7 7700X when it comes to productivity workload. It can handle simple photo/video editing and the like. But for 3D rendering or heavy/complicated video editing, you might want to check out the next best CPU.
Get this CPU only if gaming is your primary goal for your system.
Where to buy: (#ad)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is available on Amazon here.
Intel Core i9-13900K – Best Intel CPU Gaming and Productivity
The Intel Core i9-14900K is the company’s flagship CPU for this “generation”, a.k.a 14th gen Raptor-Lake Refresh. Why am I recommending the “older” 13900K if there’s a new one? Well, that’s because it’s basically the same CPU. There’s no “generational” improvement. It has the same cores, same thread count, and just a tiny bump in clock speeds. However, the 13900K is cheaper than the newer 14900K. You can check the comparison here. The Core i9-13900K has 24 cores (8 Performance and 16 Efficient) and 32 threads.
Quick Recap:
Intel’s CPU has several variants – the K, KF, F, and non-K. Below is the gist of these letters:
- K = unlocked, overclockable, and has built-in iGPU.
- KF = unlocked, overclockable, but no built-in iGPU. It’s slightly cheaper than the K variant.
- Non-K = locked, slightly slower, but has a built-in iGPU.
- F = locked, slightly slower, and has no built-in iGPU.
Pros:
The Core i9-13900K is an excellent CPU for gaming and productivity. The performance cores handle heavy workloads, while the efficient cores handle lightweight tasks. Its power consumption can vary depending on the use. When it comes to gaming, it’s only about 3% to 4% slower on average than the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. It is totally unnoticeable while gaming.
Cons:
Being a flagship CPU, the Core i9-13900K is quite expensive. Not to mention, it also consumes a lot of power, reaching almost 300W in some workloads (not gaming). You will also need a really good CPU cooler, preferably a 360mm AIO CPU cooler, since it can run hot.
Where to buy: (#ad)
Intel Core i9 13900K is available on Amazon here.
Intel Core i9 13900KF is available on Amazon here.
Intel Core i9 14900K is available on Amazon here.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D – Best AMD CPU for Productivity and Gaming
AMD’s answer to Intel’s Core i9-13900K is the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. It’s an excellent CPU for productivity workloads and gaming. It’s a 16-core, 32-thread processor with a boost clock speed of up to 5.7GHz. Unlike the 7800X3D, only 8 of its core has a 3D V-cache, while the other 8 uses the typical 2D cache.
When it comes to gaming performance, the 7950X3D is only about 4%-5% slower than the 7800X3D. However, its productivity workload can match or even surpass Intel’s Core i9-13900K, depending on the application or scenario.
Pros:
While it’s not as efficient as the 7800X3D when it comes to power consumption, it is more efficient than the Core i9-13900K. It also consumes slightly less power than the Ryzen 9 7950X.
Cons:
Unfortunately, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the most expensive CPU in this list, at least if we base it on their respective launch prices. These CPUs’ prices usually drop over time, especially when new processors are released.
Where to buy: (#ad)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is available on Amazon here.
Note: Don’t get the Ryzen 9 7900X3D because only 6 of its cores have 3D V-cache. It’s also slower than the 7800X3D in gaming, and its productivity workload is not that fast when compared to the 7950X3D.
Intel Core i7-14700K – The Best All-Around CPU (Top Pick)
The Core i7-14700K sits at the upper mid-range of Intel’s current CPU lineup. It’s a 20-core, 28-thread processor with 8 Performance and 12 Efficient cores. I’m recommending this over the i7-13700K because, unlike the other Raptor-Lake refresh, the Core i7-14700K not only got a clock speed bump but additional cores as well. It has a boost clock speed of up to 5.6GHz for its Performance cores. When it comes to performance, it’s just a tiny bit slower than the 7800X3D in gaming. However, thanks to its number of cores and threads, it offers an overall excellent performance for its price.
Pros:
The Core i7-14700K offers a good balance in gaming and productivity thanks to its number of cores and threads and higher clock speeds.
Cons:
Like the Core i9-13900K, the Core i7-14700K consumes a lot of power, almost 200W depending on the workload. You’ll also need a good CPU cooler to cool this processor.
Where to buy: (#ad)
Intel Core i7 14700K is available on Amazon here.
Intel Core i7 14700KF is available on Amazon here.
The Best Budget CPUs for Gaming
If the CPUs above are higher than your current budget, I present the Ryzen 7 7700X and the Core i5-13600K to you. These are not entry-level CPUs but somewhere in the mid-range. Both CPUs are not that fast in gaming and productivity, but they offer good value and performance for their price.
The Ryzen 7 770X is an 8-core, 16-thread CPU with a boost clock speed of 5.4GHz. It is also a low-power-consuming processor, and its gaming performance is around 15%-17% slower than the 7800X3D. By the way, our review of MSI’s RTX 4090 shows the performance difference between a 7700X and 7800X3D.
On the other hand, the Core i5-13600K is a 14-core, 20-thread CPU with a boost clock speed of 5.1GHz for its performance cores. Depending on the game, its gaming performance is somewhat similar to the 7700X; about 11%-15% slower than the 7800X3D.
Pros:
Both of these CPUs are currently discounted, with the Core i5-13600K being slightly cheaper than the 7700X. The Core i5-13600KF is even cheaper. On top of that, the Core i5-13600K slightly outperforms the 7700X in gaming and productivity. So, between the two, I am leaning towards the 13600K.
Cons:
The Core i5-13600K has the same issue as its bigger brothers, 13700K and 13900K, and that’s power consumption. It consumes more power than the 7700X, although a 240mm AIO CPU cooler or a tower CPU air cooler would be enough to cool the 13600K.
Where to buy: (#ad)
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is available on Amazon here.
Intel Core i5-13600K is available on Amazon here.
Intel Core i5-13600KF is available on Amazon here.
So, what will it be for you? Which CPU will you pick for your gaming PC? I went with the 7800X3D for my gaming setup. However, I am rocking a Core i7-14700KF on my Z690 Hero motherboard for productivity work PC.
