Best intel processor for gaming 2022
1. Intel Corei9-12900K
Best intel processor for gaming
SPECIFICATIONS
- Architecture: Alder Lake
- Socket: LGA 1700
- Cores/Threads: 16 (8P+8E) / 24
- Base Frequency: 3.2
- Top Boost Frequency: 5.2
- TDP: 125W
TODAY'S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+Fastest gaming
processor you can buy
+Competitive pricing+DDR5 and PCIe 5.0
+Leading single-threaded performance
+Multi-threaded performance
+Overclockable
+Competitive pricing+DDR5 and PCIe 5.0
+Leading single-threaded performance
+Multi-threaded performance
+Overclockable
REASONS TO AVOID
-No bundled cooler
-Requires LGA1700 motherboard
-Platform pricing
-Requires LGA1700 motherboard
-Platform pricing
The Intel Core i9-12900K is the quickest gaming processor on the planet. At $589, it even outperforms AMD's $799 Ryzen 9 5950X in gaming and even heavily-threaded content material introduction tasks, making it a top-notch fee for high-end recreation streaming, too. It's additionally the uncontested chief in x86 single-threaded performance.
The 12900K additionally helps modern connectivity with help DDR4-3200 or up to DDR5-4800 memory, alongside sixteen lanes of PCIe 5.0 and an extra 4 lanes of PCIe four from the chip for M.2 SSDs.
The chip comes with eight P-cores that guide hyper-threading, and eight single-threaded E-cores for a complete of 24 threads. The P-cores have a 3.2 GHz base, and top frequencies attain 5.2 GHz with Turbo Boost Max three (this characteristic is solely lively on P-cores). Meanwhile, the E-cores have a 2.4 GHz base and stretch up to 3.9 GHz with the aid of the widespread Turbo Boost two algorithms. The chip is additionally outfitted with 30MB of L3 cache and 14MB of L2.
This 12900K has a 125W PBP (base) and 241W MTP (peak) electricity rating, however, we recorded a substantial decrease in strength consumption than its prior-gen counterpart, and you get industry-leading overall performance in exchange.
You'll want to purchase a successful cooler for the chip, and you may additionally want a new 600-series motherboard. You can locate a huge choice of high-end motherboards that aid DDR5 memory, and even though you will solely discover lower-end and mid-range DDR4 motherboards, there may be nonetheless masses of decisions available. Most game enthusiasts will revel in the decreased charge and similar overall performance of DDR4, however, you can step up to the greater high-priced DDR5 if you want to get right of entry to greater reminiscence throughput.
2. Intel Core i7-12700K
best intel processor for gaming.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Architecture: Alder Lake
- Socket: LGA 1700
- Cores/Threads: 12 (8P+4E) / 20
- Base Frequency: 3.6 GHz
- Top Boost Frequency: 4.9 GHz
- TDP: 125 / 190W
TODAY'S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+Price
+Matches 12900K gaming performance
+Single- and Multi-threaded performance
+Class-leading gaming performance
+PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 memory
+Overclockable
+Power efficiency improved
+Matches 12900K gaming performance
+Single- and Multi-threaded performance
+Class-leading gaming performance
+PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 memory
+Overclockable
+Power efficiency improved
REASONS TO AVOID
-Only Z690
motherboards for now
-No bundled cooler
-Platform pricing
-Draws more power than Ryzen
-No bundled cooler
-Platform pricing
-Draws more power than Ryzen
At $409, the 12700K absolutely beats the $390 Ryzen 7 5800X and even unseats the expensive $550 Ryzen 9 5900X, all whilst turning in truly the equal gaming overall performance as the fastest gaming chip on the planet, Intel's very own $589 flagship Core i9-12900K — however for $180 less.
In 1080p gaming, the $409 Core i7-12700K is a marvelous 12% quicker than the Ryzen 7 5800X and 7.5% quicker than the Ryzen 9 5900X that holds the title as AMD's quickest gaming chip. The chip has serious chops in productiveness work, too: In lightly-threaded apps, the 12700K is ~17% quicker than the 5800X and 5900X. In threaded work, the Core i7-12700K is 2.5% quicker than the Ryzen 9 5900X, even though the 5900X does carve out a few wins in heavily-threaded apps. The opposition isn't always even shut with the Ryzen 7 5800X — the 12700K is 40% quicker in threaded work.
The Core i7-12700K lands with the equal $409 pricing as the previous-gen Core i7-11700K, however, it comes with 33% extra threads. The Core i7-12700K has eight P-cores (high-performance) and 4 E-cores (Efficiency), for a whole of 20 threads. The P-cores run at a 3.6 / 5.0 GHz base/boost whilst the E-cores weigh in at 2.7 / 3.8 GHz. In addition, the chip is fed with the aid of 25MB of L3 cache and 12MB of L2.
The 12900K additionally helps modern connectivity with aid DDR4-3200 or up to DDR5-4800 memory, alongside sixteen lanes of PCIe 5.0 and an extra 4 lanes of PCIe four from the chip for M.2 SSDs. The 12700K has a 125W PBP (base) and 190W MTP (peak) electricity rating. Still, we recorded a drastic decrease in energy consumption than its prior-gen counterpart, and you get ultra-competitive overall performance in exchange.
You'll want to purchase a successful cooler for the chip, and you may additionally want a new 600-series motherboard. You can locate a large choice of high-end motherboards that assist DDR5 memory, and even though you will solely discover lower-end and mid-range DDR4 motherboards, there may be nonetheless masses of determination available. Most game enthusiasts will revel in the decreased charge and same overall performance of DDR4, however, you can step up to the extra steeply-priced DDR5 if you won't get entry to greater reminiscence throughput.
3. Intel Core i5 12600K
The best CPU for gaming right now
SPECIFICATIONS
- Cores: 6+4
- Threads: 16
- Base Clock: 3.7 GHz P-core, 2.8 GHz E-core
- Boost Clock: 4.9 GHz P-core, 3.6 GHz E-core
- Overclocking: Yes
- L3 Cache: 20 MB
- Processor Base Power: 125 W
- PCIe 5.0 lanes: 20
TODAY'S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+The best CPU for
gaming in 2021
+Faster than the Core i9 11900K
+A more efficient Alder Lake chip
+Faster than the Core i9 11900K
+A more efficient Alder Lake chip
REASONS TO AVOID
-Still more power-hungry than Ryzen
-Doesn't play nice with some games
-Doesn't play nice with some games
Intel's twelfth Gen Alder Lake processors are a fundamental return to structure for Intel. Its underlying hybrid graph was once viewed as a gamble when it was once first announced, with its combo of overall performance and environment-friendly cores now not of course bringing a whole lot to the computing device experience. It's a gamble that has actually paid off though, and the gaming overall performance supplied by way of Intel's contemporary CPUs is nothing quick of incredible.
The Core i5 12600K is the standout processor for game enthusiasts due to the fact it now not solely gives excellent gaming overall performance throughout the board, however, it does so at a charge factor that is not going to decrease you to tears. It no longer solely beats the in a similar way priced 5600X in exceedingly tons each game, but it outperforms the $750 Ryzen 9 5950X in lots of checks too. That it soundly beats the Core i9 11900K is simply the icing on the cake. Not awful for a $320 mid-range chip.
As this is a new platform, you will want to choose up a new motherboard and probable new reminiscence whilst you are at it—Alder Lake helps DDR5 as properly as DDR4. That ability the preliminary outlay may additionally be a bit extra than you planned, however, the overall performance is really worth it, and it is not a power-draining beast either, so you might not want an outlandish cooler to get the most from it. Throw in a future-looking guide for PCIe 5.0 and we have a new gaming CPU king. Long stay the king.
4. Intel Core i5 11600K
best intel processor for gaming
SPECIFICATIONS
- Cores: 6
- Threads: 12
- Base clock: 3.9 GHz
- Turbo clock: 4.9 GHz (single-core)
- Overclocking: Yes, 4.9 GHz typical all-core
- L3 cache: 12 MB
- TDP: 125 W
- PCIe 4.0 lanes: 20
TODAY'S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+Undercuts 5600X on
price
+High-end gaming performance
+Solid multithreading chops
+High-end gaming performance
+Solid multithreading chops
REASONS TO AVOID
-iGPU is still quite weak
The Core i5 11600K is my preferred chip of the new Rocket Lake generation, which marks a nostalgic return to the historic days of Intel CPU launches. The pinnacle processor was once constantly a respectable halo product, however, the i5 used to be the place the price/performance metrics definitely bought a new generation. Okay, with the 11900K being an irritating chip, perhaps it is no longer a whole return to the historic days, however, the 11600K is nonetheless an awesome six-core, 12-thread gaming processor.
It's additionally low priced too, with a rate tag nicely below the Ryzen 5 5600X and overall performance figures that have it buying and selling blows with AMD's in any other case first-rate Zen three-chip. The Cypress Cove 14nm backport may additionally have made it fantastically power-hungry, however, that does not end it from being a notable gaming CPU and one that can provide a lot of processor silicon for no longer a lot of cash.
And PCIe four help on Intel 500-series motherboards. Though that is of doubtful advantage at the second as our trying out has no longer so a long way long past nicely with supported PCIe four SSDs. That will with any luck change, however, even so, this is nonetheless one of the first-rate low-priced gaming CPUs around.
5. Intel Corei5-11400
best intel processor for gaming
SPECIFICATIONS
- Architecture: Rocket Lake
- Socket: LGA 1200
- Cores/Threads: 6/12
- Base Frequency: 2.6GHz
- Top Boost Frequency: 4.4GHz
- TDP: 65W
TODAY'S BEST DEALS
VIEW AT AMAZON
REASONS TO BUY
+Solid gaming and
application performance
+PCIe 4.0+Bundled cooler
+Memory overclocking
+PCIe 4.0+Bundled cooler
+Memory overclocking
REASONS TO
AVOID
-Power consumption
The Core i5-11400 is the high-quality price range chip on the market, generally, due to the fact, AMD's solely competing chip comes in the structure of the two-year-old Ryzen 5 3600 that cannot compete with the extra modern-day 11400. In gaming, the $182 Core i5-11400 supplies a blowout victory over the Ryzen 5 3600 that frequently retails for $200 or more. In fact, you can select up the graphics-less Core i5-11400F for $157, which is a steal given this degree of gaming performance. (Remember, the 11400F will operate the equal as the non-F model, however you lose QuickSync.)
Taken as a whole, the Core i5-11400 has a higher combo of overall performance during our full suite of utility tests, too. The 11400's giant lead in single-threaded work is impressive, and its solely deficiencies in threaded work come when it is topped with its inventory cooler. The 11400 roughly suits the 3600 in threaded work with a higher cooler, even with the energy limits strictly enforced, whilst eliminating these limits offers the 11400 uncontested lead.
The Core i5-11400 helps the PCIe four interface. Additionally, B-series motherboards, which make the great pairing with this chip, guide each reminiscence overclocking and lifting the energy limits, each of which yields massive dividends with this chip whilst additionally giving fanatics room to tinker. You'll have to neglect the greater energy consumption if you go with the Core i5-11400, especially if you get rid of the electricity limits. Intel's inventory cooler is additionally generally nugatory for enthusiasts, so you need to price range for a higher cooler.