Best Gaming Processor – What is the best gaming processor in 2022?

Choosing the best gaming processor in 2022 can be a daunting task because there are so many to choose from. 12th Gen Intel Core processors have proven to be worthy competitors to AMD’s Ryzen 5000 chips, so it’s time to upgrade your gaming PC. However, the battle for the CPU performance crown could turn ugly as AMD Zen 4 and Intel Raptor Lake components are expected to launch later this year.

Quad-core CPUs remain the most popular CPU spec among Steam users, but six-core chips are expected to overtake them in popularity in the coming months. That’s not to say that four cores and eight threads aren’t enough for the best PC games, far from it, as many video games still rely primarily on single-core performance.

However, it should be noted that there is little point in buying one of the best graphics cards from AMD or Nvidia and pairing it with a cheap processor. If you’re hoping to run some of the best refresh rates on gaming monitors, like 120Hz and higher, you’ll need a powerful processor that won’t throttle your performance or throttle your frame rate.

Here are the best gaming processors:

Intel Core i9-12900K

best gaming processor it is an Intel Core i9-12900K.

If you need a processor powerful enough to power the most powerful GeForce or Radeon cards, the Intel Core i9-12900K is for you. Based on Intel’s new Alder Lake architecture, its hybrid core design outperforms even the mighty AMD Ryzen 9 5950X in the best PC games.

With 16 cores, 24 threads and a maximum clock speed of 5.20 GHz, the 12900K is a real beast when it comes to gaming performance. Plus, if you don’t need integrated graphics, you can get them for $25 less by choosing the 12900KF without sacrificing any other specs or overclocking potential.

What we like:
The most powerful gaming processor bar none
Hybrid core design ensures background tasks don’t slow down performance

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AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

best ryzen processor for games it is an AMD Ryzen 9 5900X.

With 12 Zen 3 cores and 24 threads, the 5900X’s CPU is enough to handle even the most demanding games, and its specs also make it ideal for heavy workloads. While not as powerful as the Intel Core i9-12900K, the 5900X is just as good for gaming as the more expensive 5950X, and much cheaper.

If you already have a Zen 4 motherboard, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is likely to be compatible with your current setup, which will save you a fair amount of money in upgrade costs. . Just make sure your motherboard is compatible by contacting the manufacturer and you’ll likely need to update your BIOS.

What we like:
Fantastic performance in games and workloads.
Backwards compatible with many existing Zen 4 motherboards

Intel Core i3-12100

best budget gaming processor it is an Intel Core i3-12100.

It may be hard to believe, but Intel has created a new budget king with its Core i3-12100. Although the latest Celeron or Pentium processors may be a bit cheaper, we recommend using the reasonable MSRP of $130 for this i3.

Paired with the B660 motherboard, the i3-12100 is one of the cheapest ways to start gaming on a PC without skimping too much on performance. In fact, it goes hand in hand with the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 in many games and workloads.

What we like:
Far exceeds its price in performance
It can be purchased for $25 without integrated GPU for $105.

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AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

best integrated graphics processor it’s an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G.

Graphics cards are hard to come by right now, so the Vega-based integrated graphics in the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G could be a useful temporary solution. While it can’t compete with many discrete GPUs, it should suffice for light gaming. Also, the 5600G supports AMD FSR, which means you can easily increase the frame rate in supported games.

It’s also a decent CPU with all the performance of a Ryzen 5 5600X and with higher clock speeds. While not as affordable as the Intel Core i5-12400, the UHD Graphics 730 found in this processor can’t quite match the Vega GPU in the 5600G.

What we like:
Best-in-class integrated GPU performance
It offers better performance than the Ryzen 5 5600X at a lower price.

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Intel Core i5-12400F

best processor for the money It’s an Intel Core i5-12400F.

It may be hard to believe, but the Intel Core i5-12400F easily beats any AMD Ryzen chip in the fight for best value. For just $190, this lively little six-core processor easily rivals AMD’s beloved Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, which retails for $299. Despite lacking the efficient cores found in Alder Lake more expensive, the i5-12400F is extremely capable of handling background tasks with minimal impact on frame rates.

Although we recommend pairing the 12400F with a discrete graphics card, you can find the i5-12400 with integrated graphics for an additional $25. However, we do have another recommendation if you can’t afford a new GPU, which you can find by reading.

What we like:
Performance is on par with AMD CPUs costing over $100 more.
Supports DDR5 RAM with the correct motherboard chipset.

Is a processor important to play?

There is no point in investing in the best graphics card available only to downgrade the performance of a processor that simply cannot keep up, creating a so-called CPU bottleneck. Your CPU plays a big role in managing the frame rate in video games, especially when it comes to consistent frame times.

It should be noted that you need the best gaming processor that offers high frame rates as the amount of work done by the processor varies depending on the game.

Intel or AMD?

While AMD Ryzen processors have been the CPU of choice for many in recent years, the Intel Core 12th Gen lineup has really intensified the competition between the two manufacturers.

If optimizing gaming performance is your number one priority when shopping for a new processor, we’d suggest choosing Intel. The company’s new Alder Lake chips are best-in-class for gaming, and there’s an option in their lineup to fit just about any budget.

If you’re a creative person who primarily uses Adobe Creative Suite and other production applications, AMD is the way to go. Ryzen’s multi-core performance is still extremely strong and the AM4 platform is now very mature, so there are plenty of purchase options available.