Wanting to know which is the best CPU for your gaming rig for 2021? Just a beginner and want to know which is the best CPU for your PC? It can be overwhelming deciding to know exactly which brand to choose. There are many things to consider, affordability, compatibility amongst others. Today we will discuss which CPU’s are my pick for the best gaming processors for 2021.
POWERFUL AND AFFORDABLE
With quad-core capability this 8-thread chip is very solid and reasonably priced, ensconced with Zen 2 architecture it will enable a heightened gaming experience. It has a 4.3 GHz clock boost rate it provides quick responses to gaming applications. You may consider getting a more powerful cooler than the spiral cooler included especially if you are over-clocking. AMD Ryzen 3 3300X supports Windows 10 (64-bit version) RHEL x86 (64-bit) as well as Ubuntu x86 (64-bit) due to its low-end pricing it also leaves the door open for a more suitable graphics card.
LETS ROCK!
The Intel core i7–10700K boasts among other things excellent gaming performance, high over-clocking performance and minimal cooling requirements. It is in the affordable bracket coming in at under $400 it also comes complete with 8-core capability and 16 threads that function at 3.8Ghz processor base frequency and a 5.9GHz max. turbo frequency. Which is ideal for high-load gaming requirements. It also contains a 128GB memory as well as a memory bandwidth of 45.8GB.
GREAT AFFORDIBILITY BUT THERE IS A CATCH
For best all round value for a desktop CPU the Intel i5–10400F is hard to beat, launched in April 2020 it has a 6 core with 12 thread capability. It operates on 2.9Ghz but is capable of boosting up to 4.3GHz. The only real draw-back with the Intel i5–10400F is that it is in fact a locked-chip, which means it cannot be overclocked. In contrast with the Ryzen series in which every CPU is unlocked. It is equipped with 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 2.9GHz. There are no integrated graphics with the i5–10400F this is why the cost of the CPU is so affordable. It is capable of 2666MHz of RAM speed another cost-cutting measure. it should be noted that the Intel i5–10400F is only compatible with the LGA socket motherboards as the position of the notches has been altered.
BEST CPU FOR BEGINNERS
In terms of best entry-level chips, the Intel i3–10100 is in that category, but unfortunately the price for this CPU can vary wildly depending on where you shop. This quad-cored CPU is supported by 8 threads and a 3.6GHz base clock that can be overclocked to 4.3Ghz. One advantage it has over its AMD counterpart the Ryzen 3 3300X, is availability. The obvious chink-in-the-armour is it is only compatible with a handful of motherboards, the Intel B460, H410 and the H470 which is a definite disadvantage compared to its Ryzen equivalent.
BUT WHAT EXACTLY DOES A CPU DO ANYWAY?
Before we hand out the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, lets delve into what exactly a gaming CPU is and what does it actually do. After all when it all boils down it is just a computer processor, right? Well, yes and no. The way it earns the title ‘gaming’ CPU has to do with gaming performance versus the capability of your graphics card. It is the graphics card that contributes to the frames per second giving quality of appearance to game your playing. Explained simply if your CPU is not up to the task your graphics card will not be utilizing its full potential, your game will appear choppy and some of the graphics will look fuzzy and not clearly defined. This is due to lost GPU utilization. This is why it is important to match the correct CPU with the right graphics card.
AMD DOES IT AGAIN
This game-focused CPU was released in November of 2020, as a 6-core and 12-thread CPU it sits in the mid-market range for such products. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X has a slight advantage over its predecessor the Ryzen 5 3600X in that it has a single eight-core design as opposed to the two four-core design of the Ryzen 5 3600X. Which increased travel time for any commands that required all six cores to function simultaneously. AMD still reigns supreme when it comes to socket compatibility though, especially for gamers who are looking to get maximum bang for their back when building their gaming rigs. The Ryzen 5 5600X comes with the Wraith Stealth cooler as standard with their 5000 series CPU’s. One major draw-back is the lack of availability currently being experienced with the Ryzen 5 5600X, hopefully this may change as stocks are replenished. The Ryzen 5 5600X has a base clock of 3.7GHz and an overclocking maximum boost of 4.6GHz and can be directly compared with the Intel Core i5 10600K.
A CPU WITH GAMING MUSCLE WITHOUT EMPTYING YOUR WALLET
The processing cores have a major role in high-performing CPU’s, once upon a time a quad-core CPU was ample for the average desktop PC. In terms of outright popularity and across-the-board compatibility, The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 stands alone. But how exactly did it happen this way? 15 years ago, a dual-core CPU was more than enough to support the vast majority of compatible games. After a series of disastrous releases from AMD with multi-core threading being the norm and single-core CPU’s being a thing of the past. So consequently, the software available at the time had to be altered to accommodate only dual or quad-core computers and therefore the gaming software was developed for this exclusively. Intel continued to release intergenerational CPU’s with minimal to no improvements. Enter the AMD Ryzen series with its revolutionary core layout and double the capability with roughly the same price as Intel. But it was not all smooth sailing for AMD, teething problems with production and availability issues plagued the company during 2017. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 however is unique as it has 6 cores is very affordable (around the $220 mark) comes complete with its own cooler although you will need a more powerful cooling unit if you’re over clocking. The real advantage of AMD CPU’s over Intel CPU’s is compatibility, Intel’s compatibility was compromised when they introduced a brand-new socket which meant only 2 generations of compatibility exist currently whereas AMD has full compatibility across all generations.
BEAST OF A CPU TAKES TOP SPOT
This processor released in late 2020 is truly in a class of its own. its the fastest Zen 3 CPU that AMD has unveiled thus far. The Ryzen 9 5950x features 16 cores and 32 threads, a base clock of 3.4Ghz and a whopping 4.9Ghz boost clock. The only ‘fly in the ointment’ or ‘flies’ as the case may be is price and availability. In all honesty the average gamer may not need a CPU this powerful or expensive, but if you are writing code for creating games or what have you then this CPU is truly a beast. Technically the Ryzen 9 5950x is not specifically designed for gaming but deliver exceptional frame rate for game development. Power consumption is another one of the Ryzen 9 5950x strengths, AMD have given the Ryzen 5000 series CPU range a massive performance increase with better clock speeds and thread performance with basically no change to power usage. In conclusion, at around the $800 mark Ryzen 9 5950x one of the more expensive CPU’s out there, but in terms of competition from its nearest competitor the Intel core i9 10980xe its all one-way traffic with the Intel CPU chip simply unable to foot it with its AMD rival, save for overclocking capabilities, which to be fair is a close-run thing. It is also worth noting that there is up to a 40% improvement of capability when compared to its contemporary, the Ryzen 9 5900x.
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