Processors

The Intel Core Ultra 270K Plus is a fantastic CPU in specific professional environments, but finds itself in a highly awkward position for general consumers and gamers. This CPU is a master class in multi-core scaling and thermals, but is cannibalized by the incredible value of its own smaller sibling, Intel Core Ultra 250K Plus. If you want a CPU that can basically do everything, the Core Ultra 270K Plus is a must-have processor for the $299.

The Intel Core Ultra 250K Plus stands out as the best choice for anyone building an entry-level to mid-range PC in 2026. At an aggressive price of $199, it delivers unmatched multithreaded performance with its 18-Core Hybrid Architecture (6P Cores and 12E Cores). Exceptional efficiency and elite frame rates in gaming make it compelling. Compared to its direct $199 competitor, the AMD Ryzen 9 9600X, the 250K Plus provides far superior multi-threaded capabilities and competitive gaming performance.

Here are my picks for the Best Budget CPUs after thorough testing and consideration of various factors.

Building a professional video editing rig? This guide covers the best CPU for video editing based on rendering, playback, and overall value.

In this guide, we will walk you through our selection of the best CPU for streaming based on encoding performance, gaming prowess, and value.

In this guide, we will walk you through our selection of the best CPU for RTX 4090 based on performance, features, and value.

Our team has tested a bunch of different processors to bring you a detailed guide going over the Best CPUs For Gaming, ranging from entry-level to high-end.

Given how well the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT performed in our tests, we have rounded up the best CPUs to pair with these GPUs.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K offers decent performance at a considerable price range. It is equipped with the latest architecture and has great power efficiency. Moreover, it delivers satisfactory performance in multi-core tasks and handles everyday applications smoothly. However, its gaming performance, while adequate, doesn’t quite match up to competitors in the same price range. Therefore, users seeking balanced productivity can consider this an option. However, gamers should look elsewhere for better performance in highly demanding games.

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the new gaming champ, outclassing AMD's own Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU in our gaming charts. With its improved 3D V-cache design, combined with the Zen 5 architecture, the CPU improves gaming and productivity performance while becoming more efficient than its predecessor.

The Ryzen 9 9900X is AMD’s new flagship 12-core gaming chip but with lower base frequencies and a 120-watt rating. It impressed us in most benchmarks outside of gaming, and in gaming, the chip couldn’t even outperform the Ryzen 7 9700X. Its $449 price tag makes it compete with the 7800X3D and 13900K, but the former is a far better gaming CPU, while the latter is much better for both multi-threaded workloads AND gaming.

The best CPU for the AMD Radeon RX 7600 should cause the least amount of bottleneck while providing the most performance possible.