10 Best CPUs for Gaming UK 2024

The Core i5-12600K hits that perfect spot for gamers between performance and price, hitting some impressive boosted clock speeds for its price bracket. Its benchmarks even outperform some of the more expensive AMD options.

If you're opting for an entirely new build instead of an upgrade, picking up this CPU alongside a similarly priced compatible motherboard will have you happily gaming through the next generation, The mix of performance and e-cores also means this will double up as a great work CPU too!

If you're looking to build a mid-range machine on a budget, then the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is your best option out there. It comes with a fan cooler included, and there are some seriously impressive compatible motherboards on the market for a steal.

Overall, this is an explosive little CPU capable of reaching impressive speeds when pushed to its highest clock speeds. If you're pairing with an AMD GPU, you'll see some serious gaming performance at even the lower end of the cost spectrum.

It should be no surprise that the most expensive CPU on our list also delivers the best performance, with the highest clock speeds and numbers of cores out of all the products we've featured. For gaming, it should comfortably see you through the next generation of releases at 4K.

It is really worth the investment for those who also work with video editing, streaming, or 3D rendering, as the increased performance will be really noticeable. It's simply the fastest chip currently on the market.

For those looking for an Intel build on a budget, the Core i5-12400 is well worth considering. It's a current-generation card that is widely available at an impressively low price that won't bottleneck modern games when paired with a good graphics card.

If you're happy to do some fiddling and push this CPU to its limits, you'll find a great CPU here that can punch well above its weight with some overclocking. The performance is not to be sniffed at either, especially considering the price.

The Ryzen 5 5600G is an interesting proposition for those looking to build a gaming PC for the lowest price possible. Its integrated graphics means you won't have to invest as heavily into an expensive GPU.

You won't be hitting those ultra-high-definition settings at uncapped frame rates, but if your sights are set a little lower, you'll be able to run a large selection of titles at modest settings. If you're waiting for the GPU market to stabilise a little, this is a fantastic stop-gap that will still deliver great performance once your dedicated card arrives.

The Ryzen 9 5950X is AMD's answer to Intel's high-performance i9, offering the same number of cores but boasting a higher number of threads. If you're looking for a high-performance machine capable of running both games and programs simultaneously, then this is the CPU for you.

It's hard not to compare it against the i9's higher clock speeds and noticeably lower price, however, if you're sold on an AMD build, this is the best AMD chip for gaming on the market today.

Taken on its own merits, the i7-12700KF is another incredible, current-gen CPU from Intel. Its 8 performance cores and 4 e-cores mean that you won't have any issues playing high-performance games while watching videos or streaming on your second monitor.

This CPU is fantastic in a vacuum, but when compared to the i5 and i9, it feels like the price to performance ratio isn't quite where it should be. If this sits in your budget nicely, it's well worth picking up, but you can make some serious savings by opting for the i5 or get a significant performance boost by investing a little more in the i9.

Sitting in the same price bracket as the i7 Intel CPUs is AMD's Ryzen 9 5900X, boasting a boosted clock speed of 4.8 GHz, with 12 cores and 24 threads. In terms of performance, its architecture makes it one hell of a gaming processor.

Just like the i7, however, it sits in the strange spot between the slightly more expensive options and the more budget-friendly ones. As the price continues to drop, though, this is well worth picking up when you find it in your price range.

If you're looking to save money on an Intel build, you may want to consider the 10th generation Core i5-10400F as both the CPU and compatible motherboards are available at a fraction of the price of the current 12th generation.

It's not the most future-proof option on our list, but the performance per pound is well worth it if you enjoy playing less-resource intensive games like Minecraft or League of Legends rather than the newest AAA titles.

The Ryzen 7 5700G is similar to the Ryzen 5 5600G in the fact that it has integrated graphics, meaning that you don't need a dedicated GPU to run games and video content effectively. It's especially good if you haven't decided exactly what graphics card you want or are waiting for it to arrive in stock.

It props up our list solely because we believe the Ryzen 5 5600G to be a better purchase in nine out of ten situations. If you want to spend extra for a little more power, or the 5600G isn't available, this won't disappoint.