Best CPU for gaming in 2024: Top 10 picks for top performance (March)
A closer look at the market's leading processors, comparing each for gaming performance, price, and overall value for money
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Looking for the best CPU for gaming in 2024? Then you have come to the right place. At WePC we’ve tested hundreds of the world’s best CPUs, from budget offerings to monster sixteen-core powerhouses. The first thing we learned? It’s not all about the specs With the Intel 14th Gen now readily available, you can read our 14th Gen review to see what we thought, we’re best positioned to provide expert advice on picking the best CPU for gaming that’s right for you. When it comes to picking the best CPU for gaming, you’re choosing between two chipmakers – AMD and Intel.
We keep this article constantly updated every month, looking at user reviews combined with our own testing to bring you, what we believe to be, the most in-depth CPU buying guide around. With the 14th Gen now out, the likes of the Intel 13th Gen, which reviewed well in our Intel 13900K verdict, could see drastic price reductions. If you’re on a lower budget we recommend checking out our Best CPU under $200 guide, where we run through our best picks for 2024. If you happen to pick Team Red as your CPU of choice, you might want to check out our best AMD motherboard article.
- 02Our Intel choice
Today’s best CPU deals
- AMD Ryzen™ 9 7900X3D – Save 17% NOW!
- Intel Core i9-13900KF Gaming Desktop Processor – Save 15% NOW!
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900X – Save 51% now!
- AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D – Save 18% now!
- Intel Core i9-13900K – Save 17% NOW!
- Intel Core i7-13700K – Save 12% NOW!
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600 – Save 27% NOW!
- INLAND Micro Center AMD Ryzen 5 5600X with MSI MPG B550 – Save 7% now!
- Micro Center AMD Ryzen 5 4600G with MSI B550 – Save 16% now!
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Best CPU for gaming 2024
The list below takes into account the launch of the 14th Gen Intel CPUs that have just launched, and we have added to the list accordingly, despite negative opinions, we do believe that there is some value to be had in the 14th generation CPUs. For now though, we would strongly recommend either the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, or the Intel Core i9-13900K. This is thanks to their amazing performance in games.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Cores:
16
Thread:
32
Boost speed:
5.7 GHz
Cache:
144 MB
TDP:
120W
- 3D V-cache makes for fantastic gaming performance
- Less limited thanks to dual CCD config
- Relatively efficient
- Expensive
- Locked to auto overclocking, no manual
The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the pinnacle of CPU gaming right now. the 7950X3D features 16 CPU cores and 32 threads, all clocked at 5.7GHz. The advantage bestowed upon the 7950X3D is the fact it has a much larger cache than any other CPU on the market right now.
Having V-cache is great but it does have its limitations. V-cache is incredibly sensitive to high voltages and temperatures. This means that part of the CPU has to be restricted to keep everything running properly. The great thing about the Zen 4 version of the X3D CPUs is that the 3D V-cache is only built on one of the two CCDs. This means that only half of the CPU is restricted and subject to the limitations the 3D V-cache imposes.
The 7950X3D is up to 40% faster in some gaming scenarios, and it’s easy to see how when you compare the success of the 5800X3D. This CPU will set you back a fair amount, but it will also gain far more than what it costs in gaming and computing performance. There’s not much more to be said than that. This is the undisputed best AMD CPU for gaming this year. Just make sure you have the right cooling system in place as the CPU can run hot. You can check out our best cooler for the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D if you need a few ideas.
Intel Core i9-13900K
Intel Core i9-13900K
Cores
24
Threads
32
Base speed
P-cores 3 GHz / E-cores 2.2 GHz
Boost speed
P-cores 5.8 GHz / E-cores 4.3 GHz
Cache
36MB
TDP
125 W / 253 W boost.
- Powerful single and multi-core performance
- High boost speeds
- improved L2 cache capacity
- 32 logical processors
- pricey
- runs VERY hot
The i9-13900K is a very powerful CPU capable of toppling the competition, Its 24-core and 32-threads dominate in both single and multi-core workloads. Cementing the 13900K at the top of multi-threaded performance for the first time in years. You can read our full Intel 13900K review here, where we gave it a positive write-up.
The 13900K has a TDP of 125 W base and 253 W boost, now that’s a massive jump in TDP over Alder Lake. But it’s also a massive jump in performance. The 13th-generation Raptor Lake CPUs see improved single-core performance of up to 15% and multi-core performance of up to 41%. The best part is you don’t even have to upgrade your motherboard to access all of this performance, but upgrading has its benefits.
L2 CPU cache is doubled this time around, giving the CPU swift access to larger, faster storage. This enabled the CPU to keep processing instructions quickly without developing a backlog to slow it down. The 13900K is seriously fast, with a boots core speed of up to a massive 5.8 GHz, the fastest core speed on the market at the time of writing.
All of this performance does have a downside, however, the 13900K runs incredibly hot under immense stress. We don’t expect you to ever reach the levels of usage that we did in our stress test, but we did manage to get the 13900K to throttle up to 13%. using a 360mm AIO.
Intel Core i9-14900K
Intel Core i9-14900K
Core configuration:
24 (8+16)
Threads:
32
P-Core Speed:
5.8GHz (boost) 3.2GHz (base)
E-Core Speed:
4.4GHz (boost) 2.5GHz (base)
DDR5 support:
Yes @ 5600MHz
TDP
125W base 253W PL1 & PL2