Introduction
There is a lot of information out there on this subject. On so many different forum pages and elsewhere, you’ll see a multitude of opinions and expert gamers talk about which processor is best for a PC set up. Before I built my first PC, I did a crap ton of research specifically on this subject! A lot of it was due to me hearing about all the different options and not knowing where to go with all that information.
It got to a point where I felt like I had so much information that it wasn’t even helping me make a decision at all. I felt completely overwhelmed and building my gaming PC took way longer than it needed to. Looking back, I spent too much research on individual parts to the point where I should have just gone with a set up that I knew would work for me.
This article is an accumulation of all the USEFUL research I did that helped me reach a decision for my gaming PC build. I put this article together to be a complete guide and hopefully, this will cut out a lot of useless dialogs that you see in other articles. If anything doesn’t make sense or you want to reach out directly, I leave my email in other articles and I’ll do my best to respond.
I’m not a professional gamer or computer programmer. I’m just an average guy who likes playing video games with friends.
How to Choose a Processor
Thes first thing I recommend doing is starting with these 3 questions…
Will you game on your PC more than any other activity?
If you plan to use your PC for productivity and gaming, then a normal processor will be just fine! A lot of people like getting setups that are an all-in-one solution. They like to be productive on their gaming PC and occasionally play games. Some people want to use their PC for hardcore competitive gaming and they rarely use it for things like computer science projects or graphic design. Take a second to think about those aspects.
A processor isn’t going to be that fundamental to playing games at max settings. Your graphics card is more important. Don’t let gaming experts tell you that a CPU is extremely important in playing games. Any modern desktop will have a CPU that can easily handle all of your gaming demands. There’s probably %5 of people in the workforce who know how to actually max out the capabilities of their computer’s processor. High-end processors don’t even use all of the “cores” that they come with. Even for hardcore programmers, they still only use a portion of their CPU’s capabilities.
What is your max price budget for the entire build?
My advice from experience is to decide on a price first! There’s actually a very important reason for doing this besides trying to save money on your build. Your CPU should only be 20-25% of the total cost of your build. If it’s any more than that, then your graphics card and other parts will have a hard time keeping up with its capabilities. You will be massively underutilizing the potential of your parts if you don’t upgrade ALL of them (which will drive up the price of your entire build).
How do you play games?
Some gamers like to put their PC graphics settings on ultra low so they get the smoothest gaming experience possible. This helps in competitive matches where the player wants the game to run as accurately and in real-time as possible. Other gamers like to play open world or single-player games and enjoy the high quality graphics of the environment. This is where overclocking becomes an option for a lot of people. There are a ton of resources on what overclocking is and not all CPUs are designed to do this. If you don’t know what overclocking is and don’t really care to break the bounds of your CPUs processing abilities, then don’t get a processor that can be overclocked (more details on this in the below sections)
Finding the Right Price
As we already mentioned before, the goal is to get the best value for what you pay for. The last thing you want is a CPU that’s way overqualified for your needs. Everyone has a different set up and situation so it’s easy to automatically go with what someone else says. You want the greatest amount of performance per dollar spent. You have to account for the value your system adds and needs to be able to handle your GPU demands.
Remember: Your CPU should be 20-25% of the total build cost. If your max budget cost for the entire build is $1000 (like mine was), then you shouldn’t spend any more than $25o for your CPU. This allows you to invest the most amount of money into your graphics card. Your graphics card will be the single most important component that makes or breaks your set up. At the time I bought my GTX 1070, I paid around $400 for it and my CPU was actually pretty cheap. I’ll link to my PC build parts at the bottom of this article if you’re interested in those details.
Try this: go on the PC Partpicker website after you have determined your max price for the entire build.
Multiply that number by .20. This number will be your max price for when you search for processors on the site. Set the max price point to this number and start seeing which CPUs come up. Take a look below at the CPU references in the below sections to see which model or brand would be most appropriate for you.
I would like to reiterate that a CPU is honestly not that important to your set up. I looked back at my previous order on Amazon to see which exact parts I ordered. My PC’s processor is the AMD Ryzen 5 1600! The last time I checked the price it was only $100! My entire budget price was only $1000 so my CPU’s cost was more like 10% of the whole thing! It works perfectly even for hardcore video editing, design, and gaming of all kinds. I’ll talk more about this processor in the below section as well. I didn’t even know AMD and Intel had this huge rivalry and I didn’t even care to know either.
Ninja Tip: Never buy a CPU that’s older than 1 generation!
CPUs get better and better almost every year. If it’s more than two years, you are not only overpaying for the processor but also handicapping the capabilities of your entire build! You want your system to last for many years to come without ever feeling the need to upgrade. The last thing you want to do is start that timer two or more years sooner!
Why I Chose AMD RYZEN 5 1600 and Love It!
In short: the AMD Ryzen 5 1600 is the best all-around processor for productivity and gaming needs.
Since building my computer and spending thousands of hours on it playing video games, video editing, and other work, I love every part I decided to go with. My computer runs super fast and I love being on it whenever I have an opportunity. I’m not a super gaming nerd but I’m glad I went with all the parts that I did. If you’re curious about my PC build, here is the link to my exact set up and how I did it.
The Ryzen 5 1600 comes with 6 cores but after doing some more research I now understand that I’m probably not using all the cores. But at the same time, I also got his for $100 so I don’t know how much better of value I could get for all the awesomeness my gaming PC provides.
Ryzen 5 1600 comes with a spire cooler that sits on top of it. That’s why the package is heavier than you would initially anticipate. It’s super easy to set up once you actually start building. Don’t go with RGB lighting on your spire cooler, it just needlessly adds to the price and you can invest that saved money elsewhere (again just my opinion).
Remember: you can always upgrade your CPU in the future if for some reason you know you need a better one. There is no need to future proof your set up because if you don’t utilize its full capabilities now, you won’t be doing that in the future and by then you’ll need to upgrade your CPU anyway because it’ll become super outdated many years down the line anyway.
I’ll be the first one to admit that I am not a pro gamer! I don’t professionally code or surf unreasonable amounts of webpages at once. I don’t stream games on Twitch while I play a super demanding game. Last year was the first time I built a gaming PC. It was only a few months before that where I was watching Youtube videos and researching this topic. I knew there was a rival between AMD and Intel, and that Intel usually beat out AMD just by a little bit. But 2019 was the year AMD made a comeback with its Ryzen series and now they’re actually a better option (in my opinion). You’re not wrong for choosing either one! I’ll explain why I chose the one that I did:
I watched a Youtube video of a $1000 PC build and I copied it exactly. I didn’t even put a whole lot of research in it after I found a video I liked because the dude talking was super genuine and wasn’t trying to sell my anything. I showed my PC build to a couple of people who were computer enthusiasts and they said it looked good. The PC Partpicker website analyzed my parts list and found no combatibility issues so I was good to go! The reviews on this CPU were great. At the time of purchasing this processor, I didn’t even know this was one of the most well-reviewed processors out there! If you look at any forum page like Reddit, Quora, or Youtube, a lot of people talk about this exact processors.
Determining the Functions of Your CPU
If you do mostly professional work, graphics design, multi-screen programming, or A TON OF MULTI-TASKING, then a Ryzen 2700 will be a good option. This processor is better for that type of work but it will also be able to balance gaming. If your budget is $1000, then do not go above the price and capability of this processor. I chose this one because it is a leg up from the 2600 series, which would fit the budget of a $1000 build or higher. If you know you’re going to be that person that actually needs a more legit CPU because you actually do a lot of multi-tasking (I mean a lot), then the 2700 series will absolutely crush all your needs.
The intel equivalent is a lot more expensive. It has the same capabilities as the 2700 series but it’s not going to be noticeably different than its rival. The Threadripper series is also just as good as the 2700 series. If you come across that CPU, just know that they are very similar in comparison.
If you plan to game on a 144hz monitor or higher resolution, then you need to go with an i7 or AMD equivalent. More than half of the gaming community plays on 1080p resolution (according to Steam statistics) but the people who game at higher resolutions means that their entire system will need to be able to handle it, especially their graphics card and CPU. If you’re planning to game on 1440p at 144hz, then you should be looking at graphics cards such as the GTX 1080. Accompanying this graphics card should be a slightly better CPU such as the i7.
Trying to save on CPU price for 1440p gaming is a hit or miss depending on which games you play. I did a lot of research on intel i5 series and everyone said that it will struggle with demanding games like Battlefield 4. They perform well in all other aspects but you might experience some framerate drops if you game on a high-end monitor.
If you plan to game on ultra settings at 60fps on a regular 1080p monitor, then even an i3 or Ryzen 2600 series will crush that. This is the resolution I game at and my CPU isn’t even the top of the line CPU for my price point but it still crushes all my gaming needs.
If you still haven’t found a CPU that catches your eye, then take a look at some of the examples of what CPU I would recommend for each price point. I put this one together in conjunction with some other people’s recommendations to make sure it all checked out.
| 60fps Ultra —> | i3 8100 + GTX 1060 |
| 60fps ultra and 144+fps low/medium —> | i7 8700k + GTX 1060, OR i5 8400/R5 2600 but only if you can’t afford the 8700k |
| 1440p ultra 144fps —> | i7 8700k + GTX 1080/ti |
| 4k60fps —> | i3 8100 +1080Ti |
The most important takeaway from this table is figuring out which type of CPU you’ll need for your gaming needs (i3, i5, or R series). I wouldn’t worry too much about the numbers like 8100 or 8700. It’s more important than the number after the “i” is congruent with what the above table recommends. When browsing online, you’ll wont really have to worry about buying a model that is older than 1 generation since those won’t be on the shelves or on page 1 of Amazon. Looking at reviews of CPUs is a good way to determine if they will work well with your set up.
Product Examples For Each Gaming PC Budget
For $500 and under
If this is around your price point, then my guess is that your gaming needs aren’t going to be super demanding. Games like Sims and strategy games typically fall into this category. I would be a little careful of expecting this system to be able to run Ghost Recon Wildlands or something as demanding as that for this price. If you like to play Nintendo games on an emulator, this is also a great price point and you’ll be able to get a suitable CPU.
These are my top recommendations:
- Core i3 8100: Super affordable price and comes with 4 cores. You won’t need any more than that. This processor is best paired with an EVGA 650 GQ or equivalent. This graphics card is a good example of the best value you can get with your other parts. This CPU and GPU will help you create an extremely quiet build as well if that’s important to you.
. - Ryzen 5 2600x: This one is a leg up in comparison to the Ryzen processor that I currently use. For the price of this CPU, you should plan ot get a GTX 1080 minimum. A 1070 would be better paired with a 1600 series like the one I have. Compared to the 1600 series at 3.2Ghz, this one has 4.2 Ghz of processing power. This processor is great if you also plan to do productivity work in conjunction with gaming.
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For $1000 and under
This is the best sweet spot for pricing you could get in. You can get a fantastic graphics card that is also supported by affordable prices. I was able to build my most ideal set up with a gold power supply and a GTX 1070 (perfect for 1080p gaming).
These are my top recommendations:
- Core i5 8500K / 8600: This one will require you to get a z-series motherboard and a cooler. The cooler will come with it but just make sure you get the correct type of motherboard. You might go a little bit over the $1000 mark after factoring in the price of these components but if you want a strict $1000 budget, then go with the 8500 series (a little cheaper)
. - Ryzen 5 1600: This was the one I purchased myself. It’s a lot cheaper than the other processors but it’s the best all-around solution for all your gaming and work needs. See the above section for more details on this processor.
For $2000 and under
This price point gets exciting for a couple reasons. You can start looking at processors that crush 1440p or higher resolution. CPUs in this range are really good for Twitch streaming while playing high demand games (even if they’re online).
These are my top recommendations:
- i5 8500K: This one is really fast and it comes with the overclocking feature if you’re into that. It has high ratings or versatility and it’s ability to multitask. The last time I checked, this one was actually available to buy since some of the other ones weren’t.
. - i7 9700K: More cores and more processing power. If you have super demanding work needs or play indie games with high graphics and not a lot of polishing, then this one will handle those no problem.
. - Ryzen 7 2700x: This is the AMD equivalent of the CPUs mentioned above. It comes with the automated clock boost feature for better overclocking. If you want to save some $, then don’t go with the LED feature.
Other Useful Information
This section contains the other important info that you should know about in regards to CPU stuff. It’ll make you just a little bit more informed about how everything works.
Don’t try to future proof your set up. I mentioned this one earlier. You can always upgrade your set up in a few years (or longer). You’ll be sacrificing on something now (which could be your $$$) for something you think you’ll be utilizing in the future. If you’re not going to utilize the capabilities of your CPU now, you probably won’t until it’s time to upgrade the rest of your set up. By then, you’ll probably be looking at a new processor anyway.
Most games don’t use more than 1 or 2 cores. This doesn’t mean you can’t get a 6 core CPU, but it goes to show you that CPU processing power doesn’t make a huge difference for gaming unless you game at high resolutions with extremely fast response time (144hz and above).
Why is there a K in the product name? If you see a K anywhere in the product name of an Intel CPU, that means it can be overclocked. If you don’t plan to do this, then get an intel CPU without the K letter. This will save you a good amount of $ just by being aware of this.
Why is there an X after AMD? This also lets you know that that CPU has an overclocking feature. Technically, all AMD processors can be manually overclocked. The X in the product name means it comes with a better, automated boost clock. If you think you’ll want to overclock your PC from time to time, I would still recommend getting a non-X version of AMD because you can still do it manually (and you’ll save some $).
CPUs aren’t available all the time. Just like graphics cards, CPUs have some seasonality and certain models are sold out for a couple months. When I finally had enough money to buy my entire build, I had to wait another month after Black Friday for availability to open up. This can be the case with some CPUs. If you can I would wait until they become available and check the online stores regularly. You’ll eventually see them open back up if you’re patient. It’s worth doing this instead of impulsively getting a different CPU altogether.
Before you buy, make sure you run a compatibility test on the PC Partpicker website. Some CPUs will have to be paired with a Z series motherboard. I don’t know why this is, but the only way for the average person to know is if they use the compatibility checker with their CPU, motherboard, and graphics card models.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a lot of information that you can use to make the best CPU purchase possible. I do a lot of research on topics related to gaming and home theater set ups. There is way too much information and it’s easy to get overloaded. My goal was to help you better understand how easy it can be to make a CPU purchase decision so you don’t need to scratch your head anymore.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out at entertainmentden.ns@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to respond! If you don’t have anyone that can look over your PC build, then feel free to email that to me and I’ll try to respond! I’ve done a lot of research on this topic and I used to be intimidated by the thought of building a computer. I can tell you from experience that it’s not as hard as it seems!
My final parting words of wisdom: don’t overthink your PC parts list and just take action to build it! It’s actually a forgiving process and if you have a buddy to help you then I recommend that! Check out this link if you need some help with that! Thanks again for reading and be sure to check back regularly for the next article!