Building a high performance gaming PC require some components that are specifically designed for gaming. Graphics cards and CPUs are one of them. Gaming processors work great with streaming and running heavy software for work too. This list contains 5 of such CPUs for PC gaming in 2018.
Intel Core i5 8400:
The Intel Core i5 8400 is a 6 core processor that features blazing fast processing capabilities for a price that is affordable for most of the users. Before we dive deeper into the discussion I’d like to inform you that this processor is only compatible with motherboards that are based on the Intel 300 series chipsets so make sure your motherboard supports it before investing your money.
Now, this is because the coffee lake based 8th generation Core processors use the LGA 1151 socket as the seventh generation and they are not interchangeable.
The processor specs are pretty good for the price, to be more precise this processor has a native boost clock speed of 3.70 GHz but you can increase it up to 4.70 GHz if you turbo boost it. This increased clockspeed will really help in the processing tasks and will be greatly improved regardless if you’re gaming or working with programs.
This processor uses the Intel threading technology which delivers up to 12 way multitasking support, this is really impressive because your gameplay, as well as the productivity, will have a significant boost in performance and you will instantly notice the difference.
The i5 8400 comes with an integrated Intel u HD graphics 630 chipsets that can output 4k visuals through your motherboard’s DisplayPort and HDMI ports or even better if you connect the processor to a DisplayPort enabled monitor, the graphics card can produce a 4096 x 2300 resolution at 60 Hertz. To conclude the Intel Core i5 8400 would be an ideal choice if you’re looking for a quality Intel processor that offers a great value for its price tag.
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X:
Moving on at number four we have the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X. The AMD with their latest processors and graphics card have become a really tough competitor in the market as a proof we got the AMD Ryzen 7 2700 X which is continuously being purchased by customers in the market.
What are the benefits of having this processor in your PC? Well, the Ryzen 7 2700X has an 8 core and 16 thread configuration as its predecessor but where it differs is the processing speed which can be overclocked up to 4.3 GHz. In addition, thanks to the second generation Zen+ architecture this processor brings noticeable reductions in the L1 L2 and L3 cache latency or 13, 34 and 16 respectively in percentage.
According to the AMD the Zen + architecture gives a boost of 3% in the IPC throughput as well so I think that AMD has crafted a really cool processor but what got my attention is the presence of the Wraiths prism cooler which has an LED color control as well as the company’s new store AMI technology which will let you have a really quick access to all of your files and programs meaning if your PC has an SSD in a hard drive then this technology will enhance the performance even more.
On the other side, the Wraiths prism LED cooler packs for copper heat pipes switchable fan profiles 3 RGB zones and a very quiet output so you will barely notice any noise at all. Also, the AMD Ryzen processors including this one meet the oculus rift and the HTC vive recommended specifications so you can taste the benefits of the virtual reality and fully immerse yourself in every game you want to play.
The reviews about this processor have been really positive and the gamers who’ve been using it claim that this processor comes really close to the performance of the Intel Core i7 8700K. Overall I’m pretty impressed with AMD since they’ve done a fantastic job and I highly recommend you to consider this processor as your next purchase.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X:
Next, up at number three we have the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X which is a premium 12 core
desktop processor that is surely one of the best if not the best in its price range. However, keep in mind that we are currently reviewing the 12 core processor because you can find this processor as an 8 core or 16 core with a price that is slightly higher or lower.
Thanks to its 12 cores that operate at 3.5 GHz or 4 GHz frequencies you won’t have any troubles with streaming high-resolution content, compiling and testing scripts if you’re a programmer as well as rendering 3D scenes if you’re a designer.
AMD deserves my applaud here because this processor is unbelievably powerful, however, this processor has a thermal design power of 180 watts so you would have to look for an optional CPU liquid cooling solution in order to maintain the chip stability and heat at an optimal level.
Moreover, I’d also want to inform you that the Threadripper processors support quad channel memory configurations so you will have the greater memory bandwidth if you compare it with the dual channel design.
Another great thing about the Ryzen 1920X is that AMD has filled the processor with a total L1 cache of 1.125 megabytes, the L2 cache with 6 megabytes and the L3 cache with 32 megabytes with the intention to ensure that a large amount of data can be transmitted quickly between the cores and the drives.
But that’s not all since this processor is based upon the Zen architecture it means that it delivers 52% more improvement in IPC throughput according to the manufacturer so I think that you won’t find any remark regarding the performance. All in all the Ryzen Threadripper 1920X would be a top option if you’re looking for a processor that is known for outplaying most of the processors in this price range.
Intel Core i7 8700K:
The Intel Core i7 8700K is a 6 core processor that is in competition with the AMD Ryzen CPU and provides a glorious feedback in terms of the performance even though it has fewer cores. It features 6 Cores 12 threads configuration and still produces higher frequencies than the AMD’s Ryzen 7 processors. According to the gamers if you pair this processor with a GTX 1080 graphics card then you can expect to have the better and consistent gameplay compared to the Ryzen 7 1700X.
Before we dive deeper with our review I would like to inform you that the 8th generation processors are only compatible with Intel 300 series motherboards even though the eighth generation coffee Lake CPUs use the same socket as the sixth and the seventh gen CPUs.
The reason behind this is the electrical incompatibility with the Intel’s 100 and 200 series motherboards. Moving on the units chip has an unlocked feature that will let you overclock it and get the best possible performance which means that the processor’s native clock speed is 3.70
GHz but thanks to the Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technology you can increase its performance to up to 4.70 GHz and get up to 12 megabytes of cache memory.
Moreover thanks to the Intel hyper-threading technology you can enjoy the benefits of having a 12 way multitasking support. Also, when it comes to the gaming I’d like to mention that this processor has an integrated Intel HD 630 graphics card which will let you play 4kK UHD videos without any noticeable blur and if you edit photos, for example, you will never find any issues.
But of course, gaming requires a better graphics card so if you pair it with GTX 1070Ti or 1080 you can have a quality lag free gaming experience. Finally, the i7 8 700 K has an integrated memory controller that will drastically enhance the read and write performance so it will create a higher memory bandwidth and lower latencies for your ultimate experience. To conclude the Intel Core i7 8700 K is worthy of considering and if you ever decide to purchase it you would never regret your decision.
Intel Core i9 7920X:
Finally the last on our list is the Intel Core i9 7920X. It is a real powerhouse thanks to its 12 physical cores and 24 threads that will elevate your gaming and user experience to a whole new level. Let’s start first with the speed, well this processor has a 2.9 GHz base clock speed which can be upgraded to 4.4 GHz with a turbo clock so you can enjoy the undistributed blazing fast performance.
In addition one of the most notable things about this processor is the 140 watt of thermal design power. The 16.5 megabytes of the L3 cache and the quad channel ddr4 2666 MHz memory support. So when you combine these specs you know that it is a real beast.
Let’s take the processing power aside for a minute because there is something that I’d like to mention. This unit is compatible with motherboards that offer an LGA 2066 socket. Moving on this processor is pretty useful for streaming 4k content as well for VR gaming, video editing, 3D modeling etc. Those who have been using this processor for VR claimed that they had high frame rates during their gameplay but just don’t forget to pair it with a strong graphics card in order to get the best performance.
If you seek a better core performance you can take an advantage of the Intel turbo boost max technology 3.0 and then you can instantly feel the difference in the performance regardless of what you’re doing. However, take in mind that this unit doesn’t come with an included heatsink or fan so you would have to purchase one separately.
Moreover, the Intel smart cache offers a power saving feature that will dynamically flush memory. Intel Core i9 792 X may not be the most affordable option that you can find in the market but if you purchase it once you wouldn’t have to invest in an upgrade for a long period of time.
So this was our list of the best gaming CPUs, I hope you enjoyed our roundup. Tell us your opinions about these chips in the comments section below.