The Best Processors for Desktops

You have lots of choices for CPUs when you’re upgrading (or building) your desktop computer. Here are our suggestions to help you get the most performance from your system.

One of the biggest pluses of desktop computers is that nearly all of their components are within your control. You probably know that if you’re building a PC from scratch, you can choose the hardware that fits within your price range and usage patterns, but your freedom doesn’t stop there. Being able to upgrade your system by swapping out older or slower parts for newer and speedier ones is a huge thrill, and can have an enormous impact on every aspect of your computing life. And with no piece of hardware is the difference likely to be more profound than with your processor.

With a minimal time investment, changing your processor (aka CPU, or Central Processing Unit) can give you the light, limber feel of a new computer—and you don’t have to sacrifice everything else you’re already familiar with in order to get it. But because the dueling consumer processor manufacturers, Intel and AMD, have so many options, even considering the task can be daunting. It may be difficult to know what you have now and whether your prospective choice will jibe with it, and sifting through the dozens of options across several generations of releases may seem like more trouble than it’s worth.

Don’t give up so easily—a better computing experience can be just minutes away. The most important piece of information you need is what sort of socket your PC’s motherboard uses; this will be the best gauge of what else you can use. The easiest way to find this is by downloading the free utility CPU-Z. Just run it, then on the first tab (CPU) look for the field that says “Package”—the information about your motherboard’s socket is right there.

What follows are our selections for the best processors for some of the most popular and widely distributed sockets out there. (If you have a much older computer, it’s possible you may not find yours here.) Any of these will give you more speed and processing capabilities, and add another few years to your PC’s lifespan. Looking for still more detailed information about choosing the best CPU for you? Check out our story, “How to Buy a Processor.”

FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUP

The Fastest of the Fastest (Socket: LGA2011)

Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

$999 list
%displayPrice% at %seller%Intel routinely pushes the envelope on its flagship processor releases, and this behemoth, the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, is one of the best examples we’ve seen lately. Its clock speed (3.3GHz) may not be the absolute fastest you can find, but its six cores, 12 processing threads, and 15MB cache ensure, well, extreme performance, particularly in heavily threaded applications. Its price may be daunting—and, like all of Intel’s LGA2011 processors, does not include the necessary cooler—but right now you can’t do better than this. Read the full review ››

Intel Core i7-3930K

$583 list
%displayPrice% at %seller% Okay, so the aforementioned Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition trumps the Core i7-3930K in raw numbers. The dirty little secret about this dazzling powerhouse is that most users will never notice what they’re not getting. Running just 100MHz slower (3.2GHz) and possessing 3MB less cache, but otherwise identical in terms of capabilities (you get the same number of cores and threads), the Core i7-3930K gives you an eye-popping percentage of the highest-end chip’s capabilities at nearly half the price. If you want top-notch performance but don’t need to live on the bleeding edge of the bleeding edge, this is a terrific way to go. Read the full review ››

Intel’s Mainstream Workhorses (Socket: LGA1155)

Intel Core i7-3770K

$332 list
Just because you don’t have half a grand to spend doesn’t mean you have to settle for second-best performance. Intel’s new third-generation Core (aka “Ivy Bridge”) line of processors delivers fine speed and power usage for everyday users, and is typified by the top-of-the-line Core i7-3770K. With four cores, eight threads, 8MB of cache, and Intel’s much-improved HD Graphics 4000 integrated video, this 3.5GHz chip will provide a major, affordable boost to either your Sandy Bridge (Series 6) or Ivy Bridge (Series 7) motherboard—yes, this CPU works in either kind. You may have to update your motherboard’s BIOS first, but it’s worth it. Read the full review ››

Intel Core i5-2500K

$216 list
%displayPrice% at %seller% The Intel Core i5-2500K may be the choice of the last generation (in other words, Sandy Bridge), but it’s still available and still a potentially excellent deal. Only marginally slower than competing chips, with a 3.4GHz clock speed, 6MB cache, and four cores but only four threads, it won’t have the same wide-ranging benefits in highly threaded applications. And because it uses Intel’s older (and less robust) integrated graphics, it’s best if you also have a discrete video card. But its price-performance profile remains hard to beat, even more than a year after its release. Read the full review ››

AMD’s Fusion Champ (Socket: FM1)

AMD A8-3870K Black Edition

$115 list
%displayPrice% at %seller% Many of AMD’s product releases over the last year or so may have been overshadowed by Intel’s, but the company has made enormous strides with its Fusion initiative, which unites superior graphics capability and processing prowess on the same die—and with results comparable to, and often better than, what its competitor has done. At the current forefront of this particular movement is the quad-core A8-3870K Black Edition, an Accelerated Processing Unit (or APU) clocked at 3GHz and has 4MB of dedicated cache and a knock-out low price (just $115). Throw in some fine overclocking potential, and you’ve got a major contender on your hands that can drive a system for a fraction of what you’ll pay if you go the Intel route. Read the full review ››

A Six-Core Oldie but Goodie (Socket: AM3 or AM3+)

AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition

$205 list
Released in late 2010, AMD’s Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition is practically ancient by tech industry standards. But it’s still out in the wild (if getting increasingly difficult to find), so if you’ve been holding on to your AM3-based system for a while, don’t discount it because of its age. With six processing cores, a speedy 3.3GHz clock, and 6MB of cache, it’s one of AMD’s most impressive, do-everything CPUs. You’ll definitely want a separate video card for use with this, but its handsome stats and rich overclockability make it a force to be reckoned with, even today. Read the full review ››

By Matthew Murray, PCMag