Best Desktop CPUs for Gaming in 2022
We’re now halfway between the complete release of lower-end Alder Lake and Zen 3 back in the first quarter, and the release of Raptor Lake and Zen 4 later this year. With competitive balance now more or less equal between Team Blue and Team Red, we now assess once again, which are the best desktop CPUs to buy for Gaming.
For this particular article, we shall focus on CPUs that are better optimized for a modern gaming rig. These can be your choice for a custom built gaming system. Whether it’s a 30-series, 6000 series, or even the future 40-series and 7000 series you are aiming for, these CPUs would remain relevant for their respective categories for many years to come.
Best Desktop CPUs for Gaming First Half of 2022 Overview
- Honorable Mention: Intel Core i3 10100F
- Entry Level Budget: Intel Core i3 12100F
- All-Rounder: Ryzen 5 5600 (non-X), Intel Core i5 12400F
- Bang for the Buck: Intel Core i5 12600K
- High-End Gaming: Ryzen 7 5800X3D
- Discounted: Intel Core i5 11400F, Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 7 5800X
NOTE: Where shown, PassMark’s Average CPU benchmark scores are here for your reference only. PassMark updates these based on contributions from end users therefore these are subject to change.
Honorable Mention: Intel Core i3 10100F
Also known as the spiritual successor to the mythical unicorns Ryzen 3 3300X and Ryzen 5 1600AF. The Core i3 10100F was highly popular for very budget-conscious PC builders, but almost never really discussed in-depth in the mainstream after its initial launch (apart from a few outliers that reference the CPU as late as the end of 2021).
The Core i3 10100F has been one of the cheapest CPUs that are widely available (never sold out, unlike the Ryzen 3 3100) for modern PC gaming since 2020. Even though it is technologically outdated now with the slow transition to PCIe 4.0 on motherboards and post 14nm++ architecture launches, it continues to provide an excellent gaming experience to those who simply wish to have a good entry-point to triple-A PC gaming.
Keep in mind that the Core i3 10100F is essentially a Core i7 7700 function-wise. It is very much still capable of handling GPUs such as the GTX 1660 Super, RTX 3050, or even the RX 6600, all of which have very respectable 1080p high-setting and high-FPS performance.
Best Entry Level Budget Desktop CPU : Core i3 12100F
| Intel Core i3 12100F | |
|---|---|
| Process Node | Intel 7 |
| Architecture | Alder Lake |
| Socket Type | LGA 1700 |
| Cores | 4 (4 P-core, 0 E-core) |
| Threads | 8 |
| Base Clock | 3.3 Ghz |
| Boost Clock | 4.3 Ghz |
| (L3) Cache | 12 MB |
| TDP | Base 58W, Max 89W |
| MSRP | $120 |
Ryzen 3 4100? Outdated architecture. Ryzen 3 5300G? Unicorn OEM-only CPU. Ryzen 3 4350G? Good luck with finding one in the market. And so, we are left with nothing but the Intel Core i3 12100F as the sole recommendation for an entry level budget machine. This has the added benefit of being the current-generation CPU in the first half of 2022.
Yes, four cores are far from dead yet. If it has at least eight threads, and is built on the latest CPU architecture, then it can still provide kickass performance for modern gaming builds. Of course, we can’t exactly say it’s sensible to go full GPU-bound using high-end stuff in 4K with this processor. It is still targeted at lower-end builds after all. But, if you are simply looking for the cheapest PCIe 4.0-compatible CPU that would play the latest games, the Core i3 12100F is the best entry level budget option, even if B660 motherboards remain somewhat expensive.
GPU Pairing Recommendation: Geforce RTX 3050, RTX 3060, Radeon RX 6600
See PassMark Average CPU Mark below (correct at time of writing):
Best Bang for the Buck Desktop CPU : Ryzen 5 5600 (non-X) / Core i5 12400F
| AMD Ryzen 5 5600 | Intel Core i5 12400F | |
|---|---|---|
| Process Node | TSMC 7nm | Intel 7 |
| Architecture | Zen 3 (Vermeer) | Alder Lake |
| Socket Type | AM4 | LGA 1700 |
| Cores | 6 | 6 (6 P-core, 0 E-core) |
| Threads | 12 | 12 |
| Base Clock | 3.5 Ghz | 2.5 Ghz |
| Boost Clock | 4.4 Ghz | 4.4 Ghz |
| (L3) Cache | 32 MB | 18 MB |
| TDP | Max 64W | Base 65W, Max 117W |
| MSRP | $200 | $200 |
We have all agreed universally that the added multitasking allowance of six-core processors makes these the universal sweet spot when it comes to pure gaming. From a cost perspective, these are the highest you can get without breaking the bank. In other words, without relying on linear increases in performance in exchange for higher costs.
Unfortunately, while the Ryzen 5 5600X has remained the long-time champion in this category, it was finally dethroned by these two CPUs that can provide same-ish performance but were introduced at a third of the 5600X’s MSRP (non-discounted). That being said, when the 5600 and 12400F are pitted with each other, you’re hardly going to find any significant differences when it comes to raw FPS. So the entry goes to both of them.
GPU Pairing Recommendation: Geforce RTX 3060 Ti, Radeon RX 6650 XT
See PassMark Average CPU Mark below (correct at time of writing):
Best Cost Effective All-Round Desktop CPU : Core i5 12600K
| Intel Core i5 12600K | |
|---|---|
| Process Node | Intel 7 |
| Architecture | Alder Lake |
| Socket Type | LGA 1700 |
| Cores | 10 (6 P-core, 4 E-core) |
| Threads | 16 |
| Base Clock | 2.8 Ghz (E-core), 3.7 Ghz (P-core) |
| Boost Clock | 3.6 Ghz (E-core), 4.9 Ghz (P-core) |
| (L3) Cache | 20 MB |
| TDP | Base 125W, Max 150W |
| MSRP | $300 |
With the addition of four more Skylake-based E-cores, the Core i5 12600K is essentially considered a pseudo-Core i7 processor. In fact, it manages to catch up fairly well with the Core i7 12700K in certain productivity workloads. You are hardly able to tell the performance difference in gaming between the two as well. And while one can argue that the FPS gains for its cost don’t line up as much as the 12400F, in our opinion being an excellent all-rounder already makes up for its apparent MSRP disadvantage.
After all, as its title declares, cost efficiency is its best feature. It is a high-end SKU that is offered at the upper mid-tier level. Because of its architecture, it fits where the typical Core i7s and Ryzen 7s slot in. However, since it’s a Core i5, it becomes a much more economical substitute.
GPU Pairing Recommendation: Geforce RTX 3070 Ti, Radeon RX 6800
See PassMark Average CPU Mark below (correct at time of writing):
Best High-End Gaming Desktop CPU : Ryzen 7 5800X3D
| AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D | |
|---|---|
| Process Node | TSMC 7nm |
| Architecture | Zen 3 (Vermeer-X) |
| Socket Type | AM4 |
| Cores | 8 |
| Threads | 16 |
| Base Clock | 3.4 Ghz |
| Boost Clock | 4.5 Ghz |
| (L3) Cache | 96 MB |
| TDP | 105W |
| MSRP | $450 |
We’ve previously concluded how as a product, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D was a tad bit too late for many people who already switched to Zen 3. To add to that, with the looming release of the Ryzen 7000 desktop CPUs, announced at Computer 2022 we might as well skip over this one. But from a pure performance standpoint, the 5800X3D actually stands as the best high-end gaming CPU for its price. It provides considerable FPS margins compared to the Core i7 12700K, and can even go toe-to-toe with the Core i9 12900K, which is a CPU that is at least more than $100 its MSRP.
So yeah, even at its experimental level, the 5800X3D is one of the best gaming CPUs for the first half of 2022. It was able to provide a teaser of sorts to the future potential of 3D V-Cache technology, while providing a luxury upgrade option to those older Ryzen system users who held onto their systems after all this time.
GPU Pairing Recommendation: Geforce RTX 3080 Ti, Radeon RX 6950 XT
See PassMark Average CPU Mark below (correct at time of writing):
The sample data for AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is still low. Please check PassMark for the latest Average CPU Mark score.
Best Price-Dropped Desktop CPU : Ryzen 7 5800X, Core i5 11400F
| AMD Ryzen 7 5800X | Intel Core i5 11400F | |
|---|---|---|
| Process Node | TSMC 7nm | Intel 14nm++ |
| Architecture | Zen 3 (Vermeer) | Rocket Lake |
| Socket Type | AM4 | LGA 1200 |
| Cores | 8 | 6 |
| Threads | 16 | 12 |
| Base Clock | 3.8 Ghz | 2.6 Ghz |
| Boost Clock | 4.7 Ghz | 4.4 Ghz |
| (L3) Cache | 32 MB | 12 MB |
| TDP | 105W | 65W |
| Current Retail | $310 | $150 |
So, still finding the current generation CPU costs a little too high? Then consider the mid-tier and professional-tier, the Core i5 11400F and Ryzen 7 5800X respectively. These are currently available at good discounted deals and will certainly be your next best options.
Even though Rocket Lake was effectively a disaster at the higher-end, it still proved its worth with its very cost-friendly non-K Core i5 SKU. Performance-wise, the Core i5 11400F slightly surpasses the Core i7 9700, and thus manages to ever so slightly catch up with the Core i5 12400F. Discount deals today for this CPU can go as low as $150, so with the cheap (but capable) B560 motherboards, it can still provide very competitive gaming performance. Best of all, it supports PCIe 4.0!
As for the Ryzen 7 5800X, this now becomes your alternative all-rounder AMD option to compete directly with the Core i5 12600K. Zen 3-based eight cores and sixteen threads are definitely nothing to dismiss about. It may be inferior to the 5800X3D, but when it comes to combined play and productivity, it is still poised to be relevant for the next few years.
GPU Pairing Recommendation: Radeon RX 6600 XT and above
See PassMark Average CPU Mark below (correct at time of writing):
Almost Made it But Didn’t: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 7 5700X
Finally, we mention two CPUs that almost made it to the best gaming CPU list, but were inevitably removed in favor of other SKUs. The Ryzen 5 5600X was ultimately removed from the list because of the existence of the Ryzen 5 5600, which offers a very similar performance, but is more readily available (no discounts!) within the competitive price range of the Core i5 12400F.
The Ryzen 7 5700X is the complete opposite. You’d usually be more than likely to find a discounted Ryzen 7 5800X nowadays. Given the minuscule performance bump in additional productivity tasks, the 5800X inches out just very slightly as the better option. Oh and, also because the Ryzen 7 5800X3D exists.
See PassMark Average CPU Mark below (correct at time of writing):
