Best CPUs According to 53 Experts

Updated Mar 4, 2026

Best for most
Intel Core i5-12600K Processor
Intel

Core i5-12600K

$185

critic score
89
based on 8
critic reviews
Upgrade pick
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
AMD

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

$600

critic score
91
based on 8
critic reviews

All cpus

Intel Core i3-12100F Desktop Processor
Intel

i3-12100F

$94

critic score
92
based on 3
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Processor
AMD

Ryzen 9 5900X

$446

critic score
92
based on 5
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Processor
AMD

Ryzen 9 5950X

$329

critic score
91
based on 5
critic reviews
Intel Core i7-12700KF
Intel

i7-12700KF

$260

critic score
90
based on 4
critic reviews
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AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor
AMD

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

$970

critic score
88
based on 5
critic reviews
Intel Core i5-12400F Processor
Intel

Core i5-12400F

$123

critic score
88
based on 3
critic reviews
Intel Core i3-12100F Processor
Intel

Core i3-12100F

$75

critic score
88
based on 3
critic reviews
Intel Core i7-13700K Processor
Intel

Core i7-13700K

$370

critic score
88
based on 3
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Processor
AMD

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

$730

critic score
87
based on 6
critic reviews
Intel GHz Core i7-12700K Desktop Processor
Intel

Core i7-12700K

$260

critic score
87
based on 5
critic reviews
Intel Core i7 i7-12700F Dodeca-Core 2.10 GHz Processor
Intel

Core i7-12700F

$260

critic score
87
based on 3
critic reviews
Intel Desktop Processor 24 Core 3.0GHz i9-13900K
Intel

i9-13900K

$380

critic score
87
based on 6
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Processor
AMD

Ryzen 7 7700X

$400

critic score
87
based on 4
critic reviews
Intel Core i5-11400F Processor
Intel

Core i5-11400F

$210

critic score
87
based on 5
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D Processor
AMD

Ryzen 7 5700X3D

$428

critic score
87
based on 3
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 4.5 GHz Socket AM4 8-Core Processor
AMD

Ryzen 7 5800X3D

$625

critic score
86
based on 6
critic reviews
Intel Core i5 i5-12600K Deca-Core 3.70 GHz Processor
Intel

i5-12600K

$197

critic score
86
based on 6
critic reviews
Intel Core i9-9900K CPU 1151
Intel

Core i9-9900K

$399

critic score
86
based on 4
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 3600

$84

critic score
86
based on 6
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 8600G Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 8600G

$159

critic score
85
based on 5
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 6 Core Processor
AMD

5600G

$171

critic score
84
based on 5
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX
AMD

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX

$9,880

critic score
84
based on 4
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 5600G

$134

critic score
84
based on 4
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X processor
AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

$22,000

critic score
84
based on 7
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 7600

$330

critic score
83
based on 4
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 8600G
AMD

8600G

$187

critic score
83
based on 6
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 7700 Processor
AMD

Ryzen 7 7700

$400

critic score
83
based on 4
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 9 7900 Processor
AMD

Ryzen 9 7900

$275

critic score
83
based on 5
critic reviews
Intel Core i7-6700K Processor
Intel

Core i7-6700K

$170

critic score
82
based on 6
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 9 9900X 12-Core
AMD

Ryzen 9 9900X

$600

critic score
82
based on 7
critic reviews
Dell Intel Xeon Platinum 8380 Fourty Core Processor
Intel

Xeon Platinum 8380

$9,123

critic score
82
based on 3
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 7500F Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 7500F

$171

critic score
82
based on 3
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 6-Core Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 9600X

$390

critic score
81
based on 3
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 16-Core Processor
AMD

Ryzen 9 9950X

$760

critic score
81
based on 4
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 3400G Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 3400G

$75

critic score
81
based on 4
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-Core Processor
AMD

Ryzen 7 5800X

$360

critic score
80
based on 5
critic reviews
Intel Core i3 i3-14100F
Intel

Core i3-14100F

$140

critic score
80
based on 4
critic reviews
bx8071514700k Intel Core i7-14700K Processor
Intel

Core i7-14700K

$560

critic score
80
based on 4
critic reviews
Intel Core i5-13400F
Intel

i5-13400F

$151

critic score
80
based on 5
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 8-Core
AMD

Ryzen 7 9700X

$490

critic score
80
based on 5
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X 12-Core
AMD

Ryzen 9 7900X

$275

critic score
80
based on 5
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D
AMD

Ryzen 5 7500X3D

$360

critic score
80
based on 4
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X 8-Core
AMD

Ryzen 7 5700X

$200

critic score
79
based on 4
critic reviews
Intel Intel Core i7-7700 Processor sr338
Intel

Core i7-7700

$2,405

critic score
79
based on 4
critic reviews
Intel Core i5-13400F Processor
Intel

Core i5-13400F

$146

critic score
79
based on 5
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 5700G Processor
AMD

Ryzen 7 5700G

$200

critic score
78
based on 7
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D Hardware Bundle
AMD

Ryzen 7 9850X3D

$590

critic score
78
based on 7
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 8700G Processor
AMD

Ryzen 7 8700G

$229

critic score
78
based on 6
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 8400F 6-Core Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 8400F

$159

critic score
76
based on 3
critic reviews
Intel Core i7-8700 Processor
Intel

i7-8700

$115

critic score
76
based on 3
critic reviews
Intel Core i7-11700 CPU
Intel

Core i7-11700

$174

critic score
75
based on 3
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 7600X

$199

critic score
74
based on 4
critic reviews
Intel Core i9-13900KS
Intel

Core i9-13900KS

$600

critic score
74
based on 3
critic reviews
Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF Processor
Intel

Core Ultra 5 245KF

$140

critic score
73
based on 3
critic reviews
Intel Core Ultra 5 Desktop Processor 245K
Intel

Core Ultra 5 245K

$1,736

critic score
72
based on 3
critic reviews
Intel Core Ultra 7 265K Processor bx80768265k
Intel

Core Ultra 7 265K

$480

critic score
72
based on 4
critic reviews
Intel Core i9-14900K Processor
Intel

Core i9-14900K

$595

critic score
72
based on 5
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 3 3200G / 3.6 GHz processor
AMD

Ryzen 3 3200G

$52

critic score
72
based on 3
critic reviews
Amd Ryzen 5 5500 AM4 Tray
Amd

Ryzen 5 5500

$67

critic score
70
based on 4
critic reviews
Intel Core i9-11900K 3.5GHz Socket LGA1200 Processor
Intel

Core i9-11900K

$379

critic score
70
based on 6
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 5500

$85

critic score
69
based on 4
critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 4500 / 3.6 GHz Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 4500

$80

critic score
69
based on 4
critic reviews
Intel Core i9 i9-14900K bx8071514900k
Intel

i9-14900K

$730

critic score
68
based on 3
critic reviews
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Processor
Intel

Core Ultra 9 285K

$779

critic score
68
based on 4
critic reviews
Intel Core Ultra 5 225F Processor
Intel

Core Ultra 5 225F

$138

critic score
59
based on 3
critic reviews
Intel Core i5-12400 Processor
Intel

i5-12400

$213

score pending
95
2 critic reviews
Intel Core i5-12400
Intel

Core i5-12400

$176

score pending
90
2 critic reviews
Intel Core i7 i7-14700F Icosa-Core 3.40 GHz Processor
Intel

Core i7-14700F

$330

score pending
86
1 critic review
Intel Xeon Gold 6138 2.0GHz 20-Core Processor
Intel

Xeon Gold 6138

$61

score pending
85
2 critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 9600 3.8 Ghz 32mb L3 Cpu
AMD

Ryzen 5 9600

$410

score pending
85
2 critic reviews
Intel Core i9-12900KF Unlocked Desktop Processor
Intel

Core i9-12900KF

$287

score pending
84
2 critic reviews
Intel Core i5-12600KF 3.7 GHz 10-Core LGA 1700 Processor
Intel

Core i5-12600KF

$180

score pending
83
2 critic reviews
Lenovo AMD EPYC 7552 48-Core 2.2GHz Processor
AMD

EPYC 7552

$6,980

score pending
80
2 critic reviews
Intel Core i5-6400T 2.20 GHz Processor cm8066201920000
Intel

Core i5-6400T

$27

score pending
80
2 critic reviews
Intel Xeon Gold 6248 20-Core Server Processor
Intel

Xeon Gold 6248

$750

score pending
80
2 critic reviews
Intel Core i7-14700KF Processor
Intel

Core i7-14700KF

$175

score pending
80
1 critic review
Intel Core i5-14600K Processor
Intel

Core i5-14600K

$276

score pending
79
2 critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 5 8500G Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 8500G

$140

score pending
78
1 critic review
Intel Core i7 i7-4700 i7-4785T Quad-Core 2.20 GHz Processor cm8064601561714
Intel

Core i7-4700/i7-4785T

$63

score pending
75
1 critic review
Intel Core i7-13700F Processor
Intel

Core i7-13700F

$370

score pending
75
1 critic review
Intel Core i3-4130 Desktop CPU
Intel

Core i3-4130

$20

score pending
75
2 critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT 16 Core Desktop Processor
AMD

Ryzen 9 5900XT

$330

score pending
75
1 critic review
Intel Core Ultra 5 225 Processor
Intel

Core Ultra 5 225

$187

score pending
75
1 critic review
Intel Xeon W9-3475X Processor
Intel

Xeon W9-3475X

$3,054

score pending
75
2 critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 8700F Processor
AMD

Ryzen 7 8700F

$190

score pending
75
1 critic review
Intel Core i5-14400F Processor
Intel

i5-14400F

$200

score pending
72
2 critic reviews
Intel Core i3 i3-13100 Quad-Core 3.40 GHz Processor bx8071513100
Intel

Core i3-13100

$140

score pending
72
1 critic review
BX8071514400 Intel Core i5-14400 Desktop Processor 735858547574
Intel

Core i5-14400

$220

score pending
70
2 critic reviews
Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF
Intel

Core Ultra 7 265KF

$465

score pending
65
2 critic reviews
AMD Ryzen 7 5700 Processor
AMD

Ryzen 7 5700

$200

score pending
65
1 critic review
AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT Processor
AMD

Ryzen 5 5600GT

$107

score pending
65
1 critic review
Intel Celeron G3930 Processor
Intel

Celeron G3930

$35

score pending
65
2 critic reviews
Intel Core i5 i5-9600 Hexa-Core 3.10 GHz Processor
Intel

i5-9600

$92

score pending
60
1 critic review

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