ByVaidyanathan Subramaniam-February 14, 2019 1195 Today, Cpus is capable of carrying out tasks that were once considered very complex. The hardware can actually be pushed to its limits by different software games so a Cpu capable of handling modern games is indicative of an overall good performance. It is important to keep a few considerations in mind when selecting the best Cpus for gaming. The core counts and clocks are significant but this does not mean higher core counts indicate better performance in gaming. Many games also rely on single-thread code and having too many cores can have a negative impact if you don’t use the Cpu for other productive tasks as well. Even the performance of higher resolutions such as 1440p or 4 K gaming is increasingly dependent on the Gpu than on the cpu. Many Intel Cpus and several Amd Apus have integrated graphics, but if high-fidelity gaming is what you are after it is best not to focus on them. Because of its focus on clocks and single-thread performance, Intel has historically dominated the gaming space, while Amd’s stronghold was multi-core technology. Both Intel and Amd’s latest generation processors have taken the best of both approaches and there has never been a better time to invest in a good gaming processor.
1. Intel Core i9-9900 K Intel Core i9-9900 K
1196The Intel Core i9-9900 K is leading the pack in 2019 as best gaming Cpu. It belongs to the Intel Coffee Lake family and is developed as a response to Amd’s growing dominance in the mainstream desktop Cpu market on a 14nm++ FinFet manufacturing process. The Core i9-9900 K features 8 cores and 16 threads, and under a 95W Tdp shell, can boost turbo up to 5 Ghz. Overclockers will rejoice as this Cpu is enabled with multipliers, so you can overclock it depending on how much cooling you can provide. For optimum thermal efficiency a liquid-cooling solution is recommended. The Core i9-9900 K also delivers good multi-core performance that can actually compete with offers from Amd. This is easily one of the best Cpus available to stream and play at once, without breaking a sweat. The Core i9-9900 K is the best Cpu you can get for gaming today and there are no major trouble throttling issues to worry about with sufficient cooling. Good for gaming and video editing Cons: Expensive Not very energy-efficient
1197 Intel Core i5-8400 Cores / Threads: Base / Boost Clock (Ghz): 2.8/4.0 Tdp (W): 65 Chipset: Intel 300 Series Integrated Graphics: Intel Uhd Graphics 630 $292.57 The Intel Core i5-8400 is an exc. The 8400 is part of the Intel Coffee Lake family of the 8th generation and is produced on a 14m++ cycle. There is no room for hyperthreading, as it has 6 cores and only 6 threads. The base clock is at 2.8 Ghz which is somewhat on the lower end, but with adequate cooling, the boost clock at 4 Ghz is easily attainable. Pros: Perfect for gaming and efficiency Cons:
3 does not unlock. Amd Ryzen 5 2400 G
Amd Ryzen 5 2400 G Cores / Threads: 4/8 Basis / Boost Clock (Ghz): 3.6/3.9 L3 Cache (Mb): 4 Tdp (W): 65
4. Amd Ryzen 7 2700
Give 1199 Amd Ryzen 7 2700 Base / Boost Clock (Ghz): 3.2/4.1 L3 Cache (Mb): 16 Tdp (W): 65 Chipset: All Ryzen Integrated Graphics: None The Amd Ryzen 7 2700 is a scaled-down version of the Ryzen 7 2700X flagship. The differences are small though, and for a lot less money, you can basically get the same results. The Ryzen 7 2700 is one of the best gaming Amd processors and is also perfect for creative workflows due to its configuration of eight core 16 threads. The best part about the Ryzen 7 2700 is that given the slightly lower stock speeds, it leaves a lot of room for overclocking. Amd bundles a powerful Wraith cooler which is supposed to be appropriate for most overclocking scenarios but for even better results you can always use a watercooling rig. The Ryzen 7 2700 is unlocked absolutely. However, due to the low Tdp value of 65W, there is a thermal cap. Therefore, if you overclock it beyond a certain speed of the clock, you could reach into limits. But stable overclocks can easily be achieved up to 4.1 Ghz. For the Cpu’s asking price the Ryzen 7 2700 is a simple recommendation for the 2019 best gaming Cpu. Just make sure you pair up with a powerful, discrete graphics card that can play for the best results at or above 1440p. Pros: Great for gaming Good overclocking ability Cons: Tdp performance is somewhat lower than
Give 1200 Amd Ryzen 3 2200 G Cores / Threads: 4/4 Base / Boost Clock (Ghz): 3.5/3.5 Tdp (W): 65 Chipset: All Ryzen chipsets Integrated Graphics: Amd Radeon Rx Vega 8 $100.00?$15.01 $84.99 For the value-conscious gamer Amd Ryzen 3 2200 G is an essential graphics: There are no fancy core counts or overclocking stuff here but there is enough muscle in the processor to get the job done. What’s more, you’ll also get a relatively powerful Radeon Rx Vega 8 Gpu integrated that allows you to play comfortably at 1080p in modern games as long as graphics quality isn’t too demanding. The Ryzen 3 2200 G sports four cores and four threads. This means that there is no space for Smt or hyperthreading. It also has no turbo boost, and runs on a 3.5 Ghz fixed clock. That said, both the Gpu and Cpu are unlocked so that you can try overclocking them both as long as you are within acceptable thermal limits.Intel Core i7-9700 K Cores / Threads: Base / Boost Clock (Ghz): 3.6/4.9 L3 Cache (Mb): 12 Tdp (W): 95 Integrated Graphics: Intel Uhd Graphics: 630 $409.99?$20.00$389.99 The Intel Core i7-9700 K is one of Intel’s best bets in the Processor gaming market. It is a departure from Intel’s traditional naming scheme in many ways, because it does not provide hyperthreading. Thus unlike the 9900 K which offers 8 cores and 16 threads, in the 9700 K you are limited to only 8 cores and 8 threads. Not having high number of threads should not pose much of a problem as the Core i7-9700 K is aimed as a gaming Cpu and there are not too many games designed for multi-threaded operations. The 9700 K offers excellent value for gaming at a much lower cost for those who believe the 9900 K is very high. Since the performance of the 8700 K and the 9900 K is basically the same Cpu it is not very different when it comes to single-core scores. However in the 9700 K lack of hyperthreading poses a problem when it comes to multi-core performance. That said, if you’re strictly a player, it won’t matter a thing, and the 8 threads are actually capable of some decent productivity. The Core i7-9700 K easily beats it the former when it comes to gaming at 1080p as compared with the Amd Ryzen 7 2700X. The differences are small at 1440p and above, and are more Gpu dependent. The Core i7-9700 K is unlocked with a multiplier, so you can still overclock it. If you ensure adequate throttling cooling is not observed so quickly. Pros: Perfect for gambling No load throttling
7. Intel Core i9-7900X
1202 Intel Core i9-7900X Base / Boost Clock (Ghz): 3.3/4.5 L3 Cache (Mb): 13.75 Tdp (W): 140 Chipset: Intel X299 Integrated Graphics: Intel Uhd Graphics 630 The Intel Core i9-7900X is a very powerful processor which actually falls into the Hedt group. But as long as you can understand its massive price tag, it also makes for a good Cpu for gaming. Being a Hedt platform, it comes with the advantages of having lower Pci-e lane counts higher core numbers and much more capacity for overclocking than consumer processors. Although having more core numbers may sometimes be counterproductive to gaming, this processor’s benefit is that you can easily deploy a quad-Sli or quad-CrossFire setup and still have enough Pci-e lanes to connect multiple Nvme Ssds in Raid setups. These systems are better used with liquid refrigeration to maximize the potential for overclocking. The i9-7900X core has 10 cores, and 20 threads. They’ll definitely come handy during creative workloads but the output in games isn’t too different from that of the Core i7-8700K. Thus, unless you’re really in both content creation and gaming, it makes sense to go in this category for some of the other processors. Pros: Strong for innovative pros High Pci-e lane count Cons: Not really better than the Core i7-8700 for most games
Tdp (W): 95 Chipset: Intel 300 series Integrated Graphics: Intel Uhd Graphics 630 $429.99 It may be an older generation by now but the Core i7-8700 K is still a powerful gaming Cpu and will easily take any game you throw at it and many upcomi. The Core i7-8700 K has 6 cores and 12 threads that should be adequate for most single and multi-thread workflows to be performed efficiently. The base clock is 3.7 Ghz and thanks to Turbo Boost it can boost up to 4.7 Ghz. Since this is a processor of the “K” series it is absolutely unlocked as a multiplier so you can overclock it to boost more output. Pros: Good performance in gaming Capable of multicore performance Cons: None as such
9. Amd Ryzen 5 2600X
Amd Ryzen 5 2600X Cores / Threads: 6/12 Base / Boost Clock (Ghz): 3.6/4.2 L3 Cache (Mb): 16 Tdp (W): 95 Integrated Graphics: No $149.99?$13.10$136.89 Amd Ryzen 5 2600X is the one to be used when you’re looking for the best Amd gaming processor. It’s cheaper than the Ryzen 7 2700X flagship but delivers good efficiency for both games and multi-threaded devices. The Ryzen 5 2600X provides 6 cores and 12 threads and supports the same high-end capabilities as the 2700X like Precision Boost Xfr2 etc. If you already own the Ryzen 5 1600X, the changes over the previous generation are not that large to justify an upgrade. It does make for a great upgrade over older processors of generation however. The 2600X makes for one of the best Cpus for home use and can do gaming exceptionally well given the lower core count. The Ryzen 5 2600X comes with the Wraith Spire cooler included, like most Amd Cpus. The Wraith Spire in the 2700X is not as bright as the Wraith Prism, as lacking Rgb illumination. However the overall cooling performance is good and you may not have to go for an aftermarket cooler in most cases. Additionally, the Wraith Spire ensures minimal throttling and good efficiency over long load times. For the Ryzen 5 2600X, playing at 1080p and 1440p is an easy task as long as you have the correct graphics card. 4 K Gaming is also decent but you may run into Cpu bottlenecks because of the lower clock speeds compared to Intel’s offerings. That said, the Amd Ryzen 5 2600X is one of the market’s greatest value for money Cpus and the price-performance ratio is unbeatable. Pros: Good value for money Fantastic
10 for all-round jobs. Amd
1205 Amd Athlon 200GeIntel Core i7-9700 K Cores / Threads: Base / Boost Clock (Ghz): 3.6/4.9 L3 Cache (Mb): 12 Tdp (W): 95 Integrated Graphics: Intel Uhd Graphics: 630 $409.99?$20.00$389.99 The Intel Core i7-9700 K is one of Intel’s best bets in the Processor gaming market. It is a departure from Intel’s traditional naming scheme in many ways, because it does not provide hyperthreading. Thus unlike the 9900 K which offers 8 cores and 16 threads, in the 9700 K you are limited to only 8 cores and 8 threads. Not having high number of threads should not pose much of a problem as the Core i7-9700 K is aimed as a gaming Cpu and there are not too many games designed for multi-threaded operations. The 9700 K offers excellent value for gaming at a much lower cost for those who believe the 9900 K is very high. Since the performance of the 8700 K and the 9900 K is basically the same Cpu it is not very different when it comes to single-core scores. However in the 9700 K lack of hyperthreading poses a problem when it comes to multi-core performance. That said, if you’re strictly a player, it won’t matter a thing, and the 8 threads are actually capable of some decent productivity. The Core i7-9700 K easily beats it the former when it comes to gaming at 1080p as compared with the Amd Ryzen 7 2700X. The differences are small at 1440p and above, and are more Gpu dependent. The Core i7-9700 K is unlocked with a multiplier, so you can still overclock it. If you ensure adequate throttling cooling is not observed so quickly. Pros: Perfect for gambling No load throttling
7. Intel Core i9-7900X
1202 Intel Core i9-7900X Base / Boost Clock (Ghz): 3.3/4.5 L3 Cache (Mb): 13.75 Tdp (W): 140 Chipset: Intel X299 Integrated Graphics: Intel Uhd Graphics 630 The Intel Core i9-7900X is a very powerful processor which actually falls into the Hedt group. But as long as you can understand its massive price tag, it also makes for a good Cpu for gaming. Being a Hedt platform, it comes with the advantages of having lower Pci-e lane counts higher core numbers and much more capacity for overclocking than consumer processors. Although having more core numbers may sometimes be counterproductive to gaming, this processor’s benefit is that you can easily deploy a quad-Sli or quad-CrossFire setup and still have enough Pci-e lanes to connect multiple Nvme Ssds in Raid setups. These systems are better used with liquid refrigeration to maximize the potential for overclocking. The i9-7900X core has 10 cores, and 20 threads. They’ll definitely come handy during creative workloads but the output in games isn’t too different from that of the Core i7-8700K. Thus, unless you’re really in both content creation and gaming, it makes sense to go in this category for some of the other processors. Pros: Strong for innovative pros High Pci-e lane count Cons: Not really better than the Core i7-8700 for most games
Tdp (W): 95 Chipset: Intel 300 series Integrated Graphics: Intel Uhd Graphics 630 $429.99 It may be an older generation by now but the Core i7-8700 K is still a powerful gaming Cpu and will easily take any game you throw at it and many upcomi. The Core i7-8700 K has 6 cores and 12 threads that should be adequate for most single and multi-thread workflows to be performed efficiently. The base clock is 3.7 Ghz and thanks to Turbo Boost it can boost up to 4.7 Ghz. Since this is a processor of the “K” series it is absolutely unlocked as a multiplier so you can overclock it to boost more output. Pros: Good performance in gaming Capable of multicore performance Cons: None as such
9. Amd Ryzen 5 2600X
Amd Ryzen 5 2600X Cores / Threads: 6/12 Base / Boost Clock (Ghz): 3.6/4.2 L3 Cache (Mb): 16 Tdp (W): 95 Integrated Graphics: No $149.99?$13.10$136.89 Amd Ryzen 5 2600X is the one to be used when you’re looking for the best Amd gaming processor. It’s cheaper than the Ryzen 7 2700X flagship but delivers good efficiency for both games and multi-threaded devices. The Ryzen 5 2600X provides 6 cores and 12 threads and supports the same high-end capabilities as the 2700X like Precision Boost Xfr2 etc. If you already own the Ryzen 5 1600X, the changes over the previous generation are not that large to justify an upgrade. It does make for a great upgrade over older processors of generation however. The 2600X makes for one of the best Cpus for home use and can do gaming exceptionally well given the lower core count. The Ryzen 5 2600X comes with the Wraith Spire cooler included, like most Amd Cpus. The Wraith Spire in the 2700X is not as bright as the Wraith Prism, as lacking Rgb illumination. However the overall cooling performance is good and you may not have to go for an aftermarket cooler in most cases. Additionally, the Wraith Spire ensures minimal throttling and good efficiency over long load times. For the Ryzen 5 2600X, playing at 1080p and 1440p is an easy task as long as you have the correct graphics card. 4 K Gaming is also decent but you may run into Cpu bottlenecks because of the lower clock speeds compared to Intel’s offerings. That said, the Amd Ryzen 5 2600X is one of the market’s greatest value for money Cpus and the price-performance ratio is unbeatable. Pros: Good value for money Fantastic
10 for all-round jobs. Amd
1205 Amd Athlon 200GeNot everyone needs to play at ultra-high resolutions and as long as they have a powerful Gpu, most users can get by fine with an entry-level Cpu. The best part about the Amd Athlon 200Ge is that this processor has an integrated Vega 3 Gpu core that can play games with good detail in less demanding terms. Depending on the complexity of the game and resolution, popular games such as the League of Legends Dota 2 World of Warcarft Dirt etc. can actually be played at various levels of detail. Adding a discrete Gpu will of course give even more value, and the Athlon 200Ge’s low core count and high speed will play its part in a smooth gaming experience. The Athlon 200Ge is available with 2 cores and 4 threads and operates at a 3.2 Ghz base speed. There’s no boost clock but for most everyday efficiency workflows this pace should be enough. In addition, this processor can also produce a good Pc media center or a streaming device. The best part is it is designed for the same Am4 socket as the other Ryzen Cpus, and it can be powered by all Ryzen motherboards. It is without doubt one of the best gaming Amd processors in the budget category. Pros: Great value for money Integrated Vega 3 graphics Cons: None as such So that was our thoughts on the best Cpu to purchase in 2019 for Gaming. Until splurging on one, try to consider your goals so you can save time and money to get them to work up to speed. Notice also that it’s important to add a good discrete graphics card to the gaming Cpus above to get the most out of your setup.