10 Best Processors from Intel and AMD
Currently, we are living in an era of Intel’s new and highly improved “I” series processors, the series originally initiated back in 2008 with Intel’s Nehalem architecture.In the span of next 2 years, Intel then released Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7. Going from entry level processors to high-end ones, respectively.
On the other hand, Intel’s lifelong rival, AMD has made a lot of progress with their processors too. Thanks AMD for the effective and competitive pricing policy, AMD has managed to turn into a fan favorite among the gamers who prefer to use best performance CPUs at a small budget. Here we are going to take a look at the 10 best gaming processors in 2016/2017. The list of processors includes high, mid and low-end processors with all the necessary details to help the gamers decide for themselves which one suits their requirements.
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1) Intel Core i7-7700K
About – Editor’s Choice High End Gaming CPU in the Market
Intel recently launched it’s much awaited the 7th generation line of processors that goes by the Kaby Lake name, for those who don’t know, this generation of processors is also based on the LGA 1151, making it compatible with the Z170 series of motherboards.
However, Intel didn’t hold back from making things even interesting and introduced the Z270 chipset for the Kaby Lake platform. Today, we are going to take a look at Intel’s latest consumer level flagship processor, the Intel Core i7 7700K.
For those who don’t know, this is the highest clocked version that offers a base clock of 4.2 gigahertz and boosts really high. In addition to that, you also get the same 91w TDP and the same 14nm architecture. The good thing here is that thanks to the higher clock speed, you can actually push your CPU to 5.0 gigahertz with just proper cooling.
Overall, the Intel Core i7 7700K is a really good performance with a lot of overclocking headroom, and the same, impressive 91w TDP, and while it may not be a worthy upgrade over the 6700K, anyone who’s upgrading from a somewhat modest processor should be glad to know that this is a great choice.
2) Intel Core i7-6700K
About – Editor’s Choice The Best Gaming Processor
The 2nd on the list is Intel’s latest and greatest; the Core i7 6700K. The four core/eight thread processor is a beast at whatever is thrown at it. The processor clocks at 4.0 GHz stock frequency that easily boasts up to 4.2 GHz when there’s an intensive task going on.The “K” represents an unlockable core that means that the processor is capable of overclocking like a breeze.
Speaking of performance, according to several hours spent benchmarking on different processors, the conclusion was drawn that the 6700K performs equals to the $1,000 Core i7 5960X. The processor managed to outperform 5960X in Far Cry 4 and was bested by the 5960X by just 2 frames in Shadow of Mordor.
This goes to show how the i7 6700K is the best bang for the buck and considering how we are talking about gaming specific processors, goes toe-to-toe with the $1,000 5960X while being priced around a modest $337.
3) Intel Core i5-7600K
About – Despite not being a massive jump from Skylake, Intel’s release of their Kabylake generation of processors proved to be successful, especially for people who have been waiting since Sandy Bridge for something substantial. The Core i5 7600K, and Core i7 7700K proved to be two of the most impressive chips in the list.
There’s no denying that Intel has done some improvements, however, you do need to keep in mind that most of the improvements are incremental, and in many cases, you may not even notice the performance differently. The processor requires a 95w TDP and can be overclocked rather well.
As far as the gaming performance goes, you should know that the performance remains on par with the 6600K even when overclocked. While the processor may seem to have no value at all, the good thing is that this is basically best choice for people who are sitting on Sandy Bridge, and even Ivy Bridge, and are looking for an upgrade.
There’s no denying that the 7600K is a solid performer, and will serve games really well. However, do keep in mind that if you’re looking for something that’s really good at video editing, and rendering, you may need to dish out some more money just so you get the i7 7700K which also gives hyper threading into the mix.
If you’re looking strictly from a gamer’s perspective, things couldn’t get better than Intel’s Core i5 7600K.
4) Intel Core i7-5820K
About – Back in 2014, Intel came up with Haswell-E lineup of processors, The Haswell-E series run on X-99 platform and has full support for DDR4. The processors released were; Core i7 5820K, 5930K and 5960X.These processors were meant for extreme enthusiasts or people who wanted more than gaming.
While the 5960X is still considered to be the most powerful of the bunch, the $1,000 price tag is the reason it wasn’t a smart move to add it to the list.The 5820K delivers spectacular gaming performance; perfectly maxing out every game thrown at it while having a dedicated graphics card. With that being said, the only downside of the Haswell-E series is the massive power draw.
All 3 processors share the same TDP of 140W as opposed to the modest 91W TDP of Skylake and even lower of Haswell.
5) Intel Core i5-6600K
About – The Best Under $250
Next up on the list, we have the Core i5 6600K. It would be safe to say that the moderately priced processor is 6700K’s younger brother who’s equally capable of performance. The processor comes clocked at 3.5 GHz and has the capability of boosting up to 3.9 GHz.
Speaking of performance, while the 6700K takes a lead in stuff like rendering, and video editing. When it comes to sheer gaming performance, the almost $100 price point isn’t that justifying, to begin with. The 6600K manages to rub shoulders with the 6700K in almost every game you play.
What’s even interesting that the 6600K is also powerful than the mighty 4790K in some titles. That being said, all three processors managed to run games above 60 frames per second so unless you have a fancy monitor with 144Hz frequency, running games at 60 frames per second won’t be an issue.
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6) Intel Core i5-4690K
About – Popular Haswell Process For Gaming
Despite being 2 generations old, the Haswell Refresh Core i5 4690K is still a comparatively strong processor. The processor has a frequency of 3.5 GHz and manages to boost up to 4.2 GHz without any overclocking.
On the performance end, it shares a similar story to the 6600K. The processor goes on par with the 6600K but manages to get left behind in some CPU intensive games. However, when being compared to the 4790K which happens to carry a $100 premium, the 4690K performs eloquently on games and is on par with its elder brother.
Yes, the 4790K is overall a stronger, faster processor but when you compare the gaming performance, the difference is minimum to even notice. Even under full load and a stock cooler, the processor didn’t show any signs of instability or thermal throttling. You can buy this amazing processor for just around $235.
7) Intel Core i5-6500
About – The Best Under $200
Moving down to the mid-range, we have the Intel Core i5 6500. Unlike its elder siblings, this particular processor is meant for gaming at respectable settings and frame-rates. However, one should keep in mind that this processor doesn’t come with an unlocked multiplier. Overclocking is still possible to an extent but it doesn’t do wonders.
Moving on, the performance of this processor is respectable enough. The chip comes clocked at 3.2 GHz and unlike the 6600K and 6700K, it does have the stock Intel heat sink fan in the box. That being said, the frame-rate still manages to fly above 60 frames per second on maxed out settings and 1080p resolution which is more than adequate for the gamers who are on a tight budget. Price around $199
8) Intel Core i5-4590
About – Now we have a processor that costs about $200.
The Intel Core i5 4590 comes clocked at 3.3 GHz and has 6MB cache. Normally, not a lot would be expected from this performance mostly because of no overclocking capabilities and the price-tag. However, the testing reveals an entirely different story.
In Batman: Arkham Origins, the Core i5 4590 managed to score a respectable 85 frames per second. In case you are wondering what the 4790 scored, it was 85.5. Just .5 frames more than the processor that can be purchased around $239.
Now the big question; why but a $300+ processor when you can game with a $200 processor? Well, the real problem comes in when you run a CPU intensive task or a game. Games like Witcher 3 and Grand Theft Auto V suffer on a 4590 due to lesser processing power. Overall, the Core i5 4590 is a solid processor that can work perfectly fine in modern games. The price point is a sweet spot for gamers who are on a tight budget.
9) AMD FX-8350
About – best AMD processor for gaming under $150
AMD hasn’t released anything high end in a while, but it would have been unfair to exclude the AMD FX-8350 Black Edition from the list and here it is. The processor just costs around $147 and comes with 8 cores. Beefy, eh? As compared to Intel processors, the FX-8350 manages to do really solid.
The processor got paired with Nvidia’s GTX 770 and the results were not bad. In all the tested games, the FX-8350 managed to maintain a VERY playable frame-rate above 40 at all times with all settings maxed out. The games were running on 1080p as it is still the standard resolution.A lot more than its Intel counterparts. Keeping these issues aside, the FX-8350 Black Edition is certainly a good processor with respectable performance and multiple numbers of cores.
10) AMD FX-8320 Black Edition
About – AMD has somewhat become a perfect choice for gamers who are low on budget, after the FX-8150, the AMD FX-8320 is the perfect choice for a low-budget performance. Simply put, AMD is basically giving away an 8 core processor for a price lesser than $126.
The AMD FX 8320 Black Edition coupled with a capable graphics card can do wonders for gaming at medium to high settings in games which are CPU intensive. The performance of this processor is commendable enough, in the testing process, the processor managed to run all the games perfectly fine.
However, due to the excessive amount of heat generated, the tests showed thermal throttling, something that can easily be taken care of by using an aftermarket cooler.
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