Best gaming CPU 2026

The best gaming CPU overall is the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D. A year or so after the 9800X3D stormed to the top of the charts as the best CPU for gaming, the 9850X3D adds 400MHz of clock speed to push a few percentage points ahead, crowning it the new champion. If you're simply after the best of the best, this is it.

What's more, while the advantage of this chip over the 9800X3D is small, so is the price difference, at least on paper. At MSRP, you're only paying $20 extra to get the very best. That said, prices for the 9800X3D have steadily fallen since the 9850X3D's launch, so you can pick up that chip for around $60 less now, making it the clear choice if you're concerned at all about value.

Indeed, this is an expensive chip for only eight cores. You can grab the eight-core Ryzen 7 9700X for $200 less. It's nearly as fast in most situations, too, but it simply can't keep up when it comes to gaming. That's how powerful the 3D V-Cache tech in this X3D chip really is.

Still, the 9850X3D is a broadly very capable chip, with eight cores being plenty for most day-to-day use for a PC, and more than enough for gaming. It's not cheap, but it doesn't feel massively overpriced considering the overall gaming PC landscape right now. If you want to treat yourself to the best, we can't recommend it highly enough.

Read our AMD Ryzen 7 9850XD review for more information.

The second-best gaming CPU right now is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. This eight-core CPU isn't cheap, but it can be had for as much as $60 less than the 9850X3D while only giving up a few percent in game performance.

In our tests, this CPU had been top of our charts until the 9850X3D came along, producing the fastest frame rates in the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 and Far Cry 6, with it being noticeably quicker than its predecessor, the 7800X3D, in non-gaming applications too.

The secret to the success of this CPU and its successor is its use of 2nd-gen AMD 3D V-cache, which is a large 64MB slice of silicon that sits under the CPU cores, providing a big boost in cache that saves your CPU from having to access slower RAM for its data.

This cache massively improves gaming performance, and the fact that it's underneath the CPU cores on the 9800X3D and 9850X3D (as opposed to on top of them as in the 7800X3D) means your CPU cooler now directly cools the cores, rather than cooling the cache first. This not only means cooler operating temperatures than the 7800X3D, but it has also enabled AMD to up the clock speeds, with a top boost clock of 5.2GHz.

Add in AMD's latest efficient Zen 5 architecture, and you have a formidable gaming CPU, as well as a chip that can handle multi-threaded software without breaking a sweat. It doesn't have loads of CPU cores for really heavy-duty workstation-type applications (look to the 9950X or 7950X for that), but it has enough for most people's needs, and it's a fantastic chip for gaming.

Crucially, while the 9800X3D is still a fairly pricey eight-core CPU, it's a reasonable chunk cheaper than the 9850X3D, so it's the better bet for most gamers, unless you absolutely want the best for the sake of it.

Read our AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D review.

If you really want the CPU that can do it all, then AMD's latest flagship, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, simply can't be beaten. Its 16 Zen 5 cores rip through multi-threaded workloads with ease, even beating the 24-core Intel Core i9 14900K in Cinebench.

Best of all, you don't compromise on gaming performance, as eight of this CPU's cores are also equipped with a 64MB slice of AMD's 3D V-cache, and the gaming performance is incredible. It's basically a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, but with an extra eight cores for multi-threaded work.

Those extra eight (non-X3D) cores can also boost to 5.7GHz, which is 500MHz faster than the 9800X3D, and in our tests, that means it's faster in both single and multi-threaded workloads than the eight-core chip. All this, and it also runs surprisingly cool, especially compared to Intel's 14th-gen Raptor Lake chips.

There's only one downer about this CPU, and that's the stratospheric price of $699. Realistically, you can pick it up for around $670, but that's still extremely expensive. If you only want a chip for gaming, then you'll get much better value from the 9800X3D or 9850X3D, but if you want barnstorming gaming performance, with top-tier multi-threading pace for productivity, then this is absolutely the CPU to buy.

Read our full AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D review.

Intel finally has a CPU that's faster in games than the three-year-old and ultra-power-hungry 14900K. The new Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus just sneaks ahead while offering even faster single and multi-threaded performance and doing so while consuming a fraction of the power of the 14900K.

Effectively the same core architecture as the unimpressive 285K and 265K, Intel has refined its manufacturing process and boosted some internal clock speeds, and the result is a vastly better CPU. The 270K Plus can now trade blows with the 7800X3D for gaming performance. That still makes it slower than the 9800X3D, 9850X3D, and 9950X3D, but puts it fourth fastest overall for gaming in our tests.

What's more, it obliterates all but the 9950X3D when it comes to multi-threaded performance. Its 24 cores power through such workloads, and in fact, this is the fastest CPU we've ever tested for both the Cinebench R24 multi-core test and that benchmark's single-core test.

All this and the 270K Plus is fantastic value, at just $299. That massively undercuts those much faster AMD X3D chips and makes this far and away the best value option in its price range, assuming Intel's suggested pricing holds up.

The only downside is that you won't be able to upgrade to a faster CPU at a later date, as Intel won't be offering any new CPUs that fit into the LGA 1851 motherboards this chip uses. In contrast, AMD's AM5 platform is set to be supported by at least one more generation of CPUs, so it has loads of upgrade potential.

Read our full Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus review for more details.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is easily the best budget CPU right now, at least based on its MSRP. At just $199, it offers solid gaming performance and absolutely destroys AMD's competition at this price when it comes to multi-threaded performance. Thanks to this chip's 18 cores, the likes of AMD's similarly-priced 9600X and 7500X3D are often less than half as fast for multi-threaded tasks such as video encoding, compiling, AI modeling, etc.

At gaming, it isn't quite as convincing, those two AMD chips competing strongly with it, and the 7500X3D in particular is much faster in very high frame rate games, like playing CS2 at over 300fps. Otherwise, the 250K Plus is just far and away a much better option overall, assuming Intel's suggested pricing stays true.

However, like with the 270K Plus, the main area of concern with this chip is that its LGA 1851 platform won't offer any upgrade, other than to the 270K Plus. You might want to consider the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X or 7500X3D instead, if you're hoping to save a bit now and upgrade to a top-tier AMD Zen 6 CPU in the future.

Read our full Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus review to get the full picture.

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a CPU that struggles to compete with the incredible-value Intel Core Ultra 5 250K for raw performance and value. The 18 cores of that Intel chip wipe the floor with the 9600X for multi-threaded workloads, with the two then trading blows in gaming performance. At roughly the same price, it's a clear choice for most buyers.

However, where the 9600X becomes more convincing is as a starting point on its AM5 motherboard platform. If you're on a budget now but think there's a good chance you'll be in the position to upgrade again in a year or two's time, you'll have a host of options. You've already got the 9850X3D, 9800X3D, and 9950X3D, but AMD has also committed to using AM5 for its next generation of CPUs, too. In contrast, the 250K Plus won't offer any upgrade path other than to the 270K Plus, as Intel has so far suggested its next generation of chips won't use the same socket.

The other great thing about this CPU is that it's very power-efficient and even offers a low-power mode that drops it from its usual 105W maximum TDP to just 65W, without making a huge difference to performance. This makes it ideal for small form factor PCs with limited cooling space, or if you just want a cool-running, cost-effective system.

Ultimately, at its current price, the 9600X still only really makes sense for those seeking that upgrade path. However, if AMD responds to the 250K Plus with a range of price cuts, that picture could change. We've seen a little price movement for the 9600X at some retailers, but AMD hasn't officially responded yet. At around $150, this CPU really starts to make more sense compared to the $199 250K Plus (which we've already seen sell for above its MSRP).

Read our AMD Ryzen 5 9600X review for more information.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D has been superseded by the superior 9800X3D and 9850X3D, but there are still reasons to consider buying the previous champion, particularly if you can't quite afford the newest chips. Grab the 7800X3D, and you'll save yourself as much as $130 compared to the 9850X3D, while only dropping a little bit in performance and still having the option to upgrade later.

Like the 9850X3D, it's the 96MB of L3 cache inside the 7800X3D that does wonders for frame rates, ensuring that you're getting all the pixel-pushing juice out of your graphics card. Its effects are most keenly felt at resolutions like 1080p, making it an ideal choice for competitive gamers. This also means that if you mostly play at higher resolutions where your GPU is the limit, you will hardly ever notice the difference in game performance compared to a 9800X3D or 9850X3D.

Elsewhere, this chip isn't as competitive as the 9850X3D for non-gaming tasks, but it's still more than ample for most people's needs. Plus, the AM5 motherboard it uses will not only let you drop in a 9850X3D as an upgrade - or let you switch to a 16-core AMD chip such as the 9950X3D - but will even support future AMD CPUs, as the company has committed to using AM5 for at least another generation of chips.

Read our AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D review.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D isn't, on the face of it, the best value choice of CPU right now, as the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is the same price and offers faster performance in almost every way. Meanwhile, the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is $100 cheaper but still offers reasonable gaming performance and obliterates the 7500X3D in multi-threaded workloads.

However, if your primary goal is simply the very fastest frame rates in competitive games, the 7500X3D beats them both and is AMD's cheapest offering to hit the extreme frame rates that its top X3D chips can muster. In our CS2 benchmark, the 270K Plus and 250K Plus could manage just over 300fps at 1080p with high detail settings, but the 7500X3D hit 449fps.

If you have a 360Hz+ gaming monitor and absolutely want to max out your gaming performance on a budget, the 7500X3D is the chip to do it. Just be aware that it's not all that amazing at anything else.

Read our full AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D review for the full picture.

For those needing a single chip that can handle CPU and GPU duties, perhaps for building a small system, or if you're just on a tight budget where spending another $200 on a graphics card just isn't an option, look no further than the Ryzen 5 8600G. With six Zen 4 cores and a Radeon 760M integrated GPU, it can do everything itself for under $190.

The 8600G shines brightest in less demanding games, but it's still capable of playing the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 at 30fps if you're comfortable with playing at 1080p using low settings. It's compatible with FidelityFX Super Resolution, too, which can help boost frame rates further through upscaling and frame generation.

You'll need to pair the 8600G with DDR5 RAM clocked at 6,000MHz or above to get the most performance out of its integrated graphics, which is a bit of a problem with current DDR5 RAM prices. While this does add to the total cost of putting together a system, though, you can use the same RAM if you upgrade your CPU in the future.

If you plan to upgrade to a dedicated graphics card sooner rather than later, the 8600G isn't an ideal processor, as it's not as fast as equivalently priced CPUs without powerful integrated graphics and has a limited number of PCIe lanes. However, it will still get the job done and, unless you're upgrading to a particularly fast graphics card, chances are it will still be your GPU that holds back gaming performance, rather than this CPU.

Read our AMD Ryzen 5 8600G review.