The CPU is often thought of as the learning ability of your PC . From crop the web to gaming , almost every work load will depend on the speed of your mainframe for a smooth and seamless experience . But what is the best processor you’re able to find ?
Our team of experts have exhaustively test all of the a la mode desktop processor from AMD and Intel , using benchmark tests to get an precise gauge of performance . While performance is surely important , there are plenty of other authoritative factors to consider , so we ’ve made sure to also test the the likes of of power consumption and thermic performance .
Every processor that meet a high score in our review is consider for this listing . We ’ll also be reviewing plenty more screen background central processing unit as they become available , so we ’ll be continuously updating this list to keep you up to day of the month .
Ca n’t find a central processing unit to your liking ? Then ensure to check out ourBest Gaming CPUlist , as well as ourBest Intel Processorguide .
Best CPU at a glance
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How we test
Learn more about how we test CPUs
We always review multiple CPUs at once to compare data , using consistent factor for fair examination where possible .
We habituate a mix of both semisynthetic and in - secret plan benchmarks to gauge execution , while also considering additional features and pricing .
We also measure the like of power consumption and eyeshade temperature under accent to get an idea of public presentation efficiency
Intel Core i9-14900K
Pros
Cons
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Intel Core i7-14700K
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Intel Core i5-14600K
Trusted Score
According to our tests , theIntel Core i9 - 14900Kis the most potent consumer desktop processor you may buy . It surpass at both gaming and content creation , defecate it an excellent all - rounder for any task .
It take in an stupefying 24 cores , although they are made up of a mixture of performance core and king - effective centre thanks to Intel ’s hybrid design . Nevertheless , this absurd number of cores enables the C.P.U. to juggle multiple complex workloads simultaneously , which is especially utilitarian if you ’re a professional Jehovah working with vivification or 4 kB video recording .
Our gambling bench mark tests also saw it systematically beat the competition . It ’s avowedly not too much more muscular than the introduce Intel Core i9 - 13900 K since they ’re based on the same computer architecture , but the i9 - 14900 K shares the accurate same price percentage point , make it expectant value for money .
The Intel Core i9 - 14900 K sure enough is n’t perfect , as our mental testing show it to have a high temperature and power draw under stress . But if you ’re happy to indue in a top - notch tank and PSU , then you ’ll be treated to the rank good performance you may get from a consumer central processing unit .
Reviewer : Zak StoreyFull review : Intel Core i9 - 14900 K review
More than anything the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D proves that you do n’t want to spend a ton of money to get a great performing CPU for gaming . With a starting cost tag of £ 439/$449 but uncommitted regularly for a pace that far undermines that if you do a second of bargain hunting beforehand , the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is sodding for high - close gamers on a budget .
Even though the 7800 technically posture at the submission degree portion of the X3D folk of CPUs , we were pleasantly surprised to find that it performed at a much better spirit level than expected . In fact , it actually has a fair amount in common with theRyzen 7 7700Xwhen talking about performance .
When it occur to our semisynthetic tests , the Ryzen 7 7800X3D was able to nock 3,656 peak in PCMark 10 , a solid 14,791 in Geekbench and an telling 17,938 in Cinebench R23 , multi - core modal value .
commentator : Zak StoreyFull recap : AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D limited review
Unless you ’re dead made of money , the chances are that your bet on PC also gets used for workplace and productiveness during the day . With that in brain , it helps to have a well - rounded central processor that can wield both type of tasks with ease , which is exactly where the Intel Core i7 - 14700 K comes in .
For starters , the CPU ’s computer hardware is more or less rare compare to what you ’d usually find in Intel ’s fourteenth propagation chipsets . Inside you ’ll find 12 Gracemont effective - cores , each with a individual thread , alongside eight Raptor Cove performance - burden , complete with hyperthreading .
What this leads to is a functioning output that is so faithful to the more expensiveIntel nitty-gritty i9 - 14900Kalternative that it makes the $ 180 price deviation between them seem quite unnecessary unless you desire the absolute upright . For example , we recorded an impressively high single - core performance in both Cinebench and Geekbench , reach out 2,039 and 2,836 severally .
The one key downside to suffer in brain is that this processor can run quite hot when pushing it to its very terminus ad quem , and it managed to reach 100C several time during our stress tests , so you ’ll definitely want to mate it with a sufficient CPU tank .
Reviewer : Zak StoreyFull review : Intel Core i7 - 14700 K recap
TheAMD Ryzen 9 7900Xis our top recommend central processing unit from AMD . It ’s not the fast option , beaten by the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D , but we believe it represents the best balance of performance and affordability . TheRyzen 7000 Seriesruns on AMD ’s Modern Zen 4 architecture that not only institute a operation boost , but also corroborate forDDR5and PCIe 5.0 , enabling you to upgrade to the up-to-the-minute and greatest RAM and SSDs .
AMD claim the Ryzen 9 7900X has a max boost clock stop number of 5.6GHz . The only part that seemingly has n’t been upgraded is the amount of cores and threads from the previous gen – there ’s still 12 cores and 24 threads .
Those specs did n’t seem to defy back multi - core execution though . In Cinebench R23 , a program which simulates CPU - heavy and intensive tasks such as rendering , AMD ’s late flagship chip managed to beat off Intel ’s older genesis Alder Lake chip ( thei9 - 12900 K ) by some margin . The AMD chip has since been taken over by the Intel Core i9 - 14900 K in footing of performance , but the Ryzen 9 7900X consumes considerably less power under stress , make it the more effective option .
In testing , the Ryzen 9 7900X offered salient performance for both gambling and acute originative workload . If you require even more swiftness , then AMD also proffer theRyzen 9 7950Xwhich packs more cores , while the Intel Core i9 - 14900 K tops the charts for all of our benchmark tests .
Reviewer : Ryan JonesFull review : AMD Ryzen 9 7900X reappraisal
If you ’re firm to AMD and want the most powerful chip that the company has to provide , then look no further than theAMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D. This takes the excellent performance big businessman of the precedingAMD Ryzen 9 7950X , and then boosts it with the cleverAMD 3D V - Cachetechnology that further boosts performance for supported applications and games .
In general , the Intel Core i9 - 14900 K saw a faster public presentation than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D in our bench mark tests . This was the case for both contented creation and play workload , although it fare better for the latter scenario thanks to its fantabulous exclusive - core functioning and 5.7GHz easy lay clock hurrying .
Select game will also be given a enceinte operation boost by the AMD 3-D V - Cache technology , potentially even leapfrog its Intel competitor . But this is very dependent on the game , and there ’s no well-situated way to know which games will benefit beforehand .
Arguably the Ryzen ’s biggest trump card is its superb might efficiency , as our tryout showed that it drew far less power than the Intel Core i9 - 14900K. It also impressed in condition of thermal performance , remaining relatively cool under stress . The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X arguably propose better value , but if you want the immobile possible AMD chip , this is it .
Reviewer : Zak StoreyFull review : AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D review
TheIntel Core i5 - 14600Koffers remarkable value for money , even exceed more expensive desktop central processor such as the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X.
Its single - core operation is especially impressive , with our benchmark results evince it to excel at gambling . This is no one - trick crib either , with its 14 core and 20 threads ensuring a great operation for multi - threaded workloads such as 3D animation and editing 4 chiliad video . It ’s still far behind the Intel Core i9 - 14900 K in this regard , but it ’s in a league of its own at its price point .
The Intel Core i5 - 14600 K also declare oneself support for DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 , which have in mind you ’ll be able-bodied to team up this processor up with the latest and great RAM and SSDs to drive up the overall performance cap of your PC .
So if you ’re looking for a versatile desktop processor that can handle both contented founding and gambling at mellow speeds , but without spending a huge chunk of your savings , then the Intel Core i5 - 14600 K is the current salutary pick .
reader : Zak StoreyFull review : Intel Core i5 - 14600 K reappraisal
Test Data
Full Specs
We recommend having at least 8 GB of RAM for world-wide tasks , but if you ’re looking to encounter game or edit video etc , then we suggest upping that to 16 GB of RAM and beyond .
It really depends on your work load . Having high oftenness upper is obviously very of import , specially for intensive tasks such as gaming and content creation . But it ’s also authoritative to have multiple heart and soul to improve the efficiency of multi - tasking , especially when using apps such as Adobe Premiere Pro .
Yes , a more potent central processing unit can have a positivistic impact on your FPS when play , but a GPU will be more influential here .
