How to Choose a CPU: The Complete Guide to Picking a Processor
About the CPU:
The CPU is probably the most important component, so it’s important to consider thoroughly when picking one. There are two main brands to choose from: Intel and AMD. There are many generations of CPU’s (Intel is on its 10thgeneration, and AMD’s Ryzen processors are on their 4th), but if you’re on any sort of budget it’s best to get a processor that’s a generation or two old since the improvements made in a generation are usually small. Within each brand, there are four main categories to choose from:
· The 9 category-Intel’s Core i9 and AMD’s Ryzen 9 processor. These are the most powerful processors available, and consequently the most expensive. You will only ever need an i9 or Ryzen 9 for pushing extremely high framerates or resolutions on the most demanding of games, or for extreme multitasking such as streaming and running games simultaneously.
· The 7 category-Intel’s Core i7 and AMD’s Ryzen 7 processor. These are extremely powerful processors and are capable of running games at very high framerates when paired with a good graphics card, and capable of running many programs at the same time with no trouble. The i7 or Ryzen 7 is typically the best processor choice for a gaming rig, as these can get 240 frames per second in all but the most CPU-heavy games. They may also be the best option for you if you plan on having a very large number of programs running simultaneously.
· The 5 category-Intel’s Core i5 and AMD’s Ryzen 5 processor. These are still very strong processors and can pull at least 144 frames per second in most games when paired with a good graphics card. An i5 or Ryzen 5 is good if you’re looking to build a gaming rig on a budget, or if you need to run office-type software (like word processors, Internet browsers, or spreadsheets) at maximum speed.
· The 3 category-Intel’s Core i3 and AMD’s Ryzen 3 processor. These are the cheapest processors, but also the least powerful. These are typically the best choice only if you’re looking to build a PC for basic office-type functions as described above, such as email and Internet browsing. These can still handle a reasonable workload, but will slow down if you have too many programs running at the same time. These aren’t usually suitable for a gaming PC.
It’s worth noting that there is some overlap between these categories. This means that the best i3 is probably better than the worst i5, the best i5 is probably better than the worst i7, and the same for the i7 and i9. As a general rule, however, when comparing same-generation processors, the i9 is the best, followed by the i7, i5, and i3 in that order. The same applies to Ryzen processors.
Which is better: AMD or Intel?
It’s difficult to say definitively which is better; AMD and Intel both manufacture excellent processors, but you will typically get better value (meaning performance per dollar) by buying an AMD chip. Intel’s processors generally get a little bit higher performance per core, so if you’re looking to build a top-level gaming PC an Intel would be the best choice (according to an experiment conducted by Tom’s Hardware, the Intel Core i9–10900K and Core i7–10700K were the two most powerful processors on the market by a relatively large margin). In summary, if you’re looking to build a higher-end gaming rig an intel processor is preferable, but for a low to mid-range PC, an AMD CPU would be more economical.
Conclusion:
When choosing a CPU then, it’s best to choose based on these general guidelines. Once you have narrowed your choice down to a category, you need to decide which specific processor you want (for example, there are 12 9th-generation i7 processors). When building a gaming rig, one of the easiest ways to decide what kind of performance you want from your PC, and run benchmarks on https://www.userbenchmark.com/ to test different CPU/Graphics card combinations. For example, if you are looking to run Modern Warfare on low settings at 144FPS, try different combinations of CPU and GPU to see how cheap you can get your build while still getting the quality you want. Consider the benchmark an overestimate and leave some margin for error, so if you want 144 frames, look for a CPU-GPU combination that gets at least 180 in order to play it safe. Games can become less optimized over time (see Fortnite Battle Royale for a great example of this), so it’s best to leave some wiggle room. If you’re building an Office PC and don’t intend to buy a graphics card, double-check that the processor you want has integrated graphics before you order it. Without integrated graphics, your processor can’t create an image on the screen, rendering it worthless (Sorry).
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