Top 5 Best Gaming CPUs in 2022 – Processor Comparison

Here are the top 5 Best Gaming CPU in 2022 that your money can buy when building your next Gaming PC. Here we put to test both AMD and Intel Processors to answer the question of what processor to buy in 2022.

If you are here searching up which Gaming processor to buy in 2022 for your upcoming Gaming PC then you have stumbled upon the right blog post here. Since there are only two choices to pick from i.e. AMD and Intel, we have listed processors from both the brands, and recently with the release of AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D at CES 2022 we are confident that the gaming CPUs we chose for your 2022 build would last you for years to come whether you are gaming or creating content.

Choosing between both the brands can be tricky as both the processors have their range of performance benefits. AMD in the last couple of years had an amazing revival with their AMD Ryzen 5000 Series Processors beating out Intel, after a decade of dominance over AMD.

So whenever you are shopping for the best gaming CPU in 2022 you would want to get a processor which has a balance when it comes to features and performance in various scenarios. You would also consider a budget when building your PC as choosing the processor is the first step towards building a strong foundation. If you pair the best CPU with a not-so-powerful Graphics card, you will notice terrible performance both on gaming and content creation workloads.

Similarly, there is no point in buying the cheapest processor and pairing it with a mammoth of a Graphics Card. Also whenever you are shopping for a processor, these are the things that you should take note of. Intel makes better quality CPUs that are much more durable and last for a very long time.

But this is our opinion although it is rightly said that the most powerful ones aren’t the most durable ones. Secondly, for gaming, the clock speed is much more important than the total number of cores present on the processor. A higher CPU clock means snappier performance and workloads like Gaming will benefit more from it. Yes, it is advisable to have a multithreaded processor for content creation software like Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After effects, etc. but having the fastest clock speed results in more performance.

Another quick tip is to invest more money in a higher-end processor rather than investing in a high-end liquid cooler. Yes, liquid coolers are beneficial for overclocking but overclocking isn’t a cup of tea for everyone as it involves a lot of technical knowledge. Overclocking a processor is risky and voids the warranty if you break it during the overclocking process.

So here are the top 5 best Gaming CPU in 2022.

Best Intel CPU for Gaming in 2022 – Intel Core i9-12900K

SPECIFICATIONS
Architecture: Alder Lake
Socket: LGA 1700
Cores/Threads: 16 / 24
Base Frequency: 3.2Ghz
Top Boost Frequency: 5.2Ghz
TDP: 125W

The first choice in our Best Gaming CPU in the 2022 list is the Core i9 12900K Processor from Intel. Currently retails at around $589, this processor has the capability to outperform its competitor AMD Ryzen 9 5950X in Gaming and content-creation tasks.

The all-new Intel Alder Lake chips are the answer to AMD Ryzen’s 5000 Series chip which they released last year at CES 2021. It is a 16 core 24 thread processor with eight P Cores that support hyperthreading and eight E-cores that are single-threaded, thus making it a total count of 24 threads. The P Cores has a 3.2Ghz base clock while the frequency can reach up to 5.2Ghz with Turbo Boost 3.0.

While the single-threaded E cores have a 2.4Ghz base clock with a 3.9Ghz boost clock thanks to the Turbo Boost 2.0. the chip also features 30MB L3 Cache and 14MB L2 Cache. This flagship Intel processor makes an exceptional value for high-end gaming and streaming. This is the best CPU for gaming in 2022.

The processor supports all types of connectivity with the support for DDR4 3200Mhz RAM and up to DDR5 4800Mhz. It also features 16 lanes of PCIe 5.0 and additional 4 lanes of PCIe 4.0 for M.2 SSD storage. The processor has 125W TDP with 241W Peak Power Rating. But the newer Alder lake chips consume less power than the 11th gen Intel i9-11900K Processor.

On the downside, you need to buy a proper cooler for the Intel Core i9 12900K Processor. You would also require to get a new 600 series motherboard. The newer 600 series motherboards are now available that supports DDR5 memory although if you are on a budget you can also go for a lower DDR4 motherboard. But our suggestion is to get the newer motherboard with the DDR5 memory as it would serve as a more future-proof upgrade than the DDR4 motherboards which are almost on the verge of discontinuing in 2022.

Intel made a smart move and coupled Alder Lake with a list of advantages at a very aggressive price. Because of the excellent pricing and performance, the new Intel chips finally made a comeback and gave them an overall lead over AMD’s Ryzen 5000 Series chips but right now the supported Z690 motherboards involve a high platform cost and are the only option available now for people building with an Alder Lake System.

So here are some of the Gaming benchmarks of the Intel Core i9 12900K Processor.

GAMES	Frames Per Second (1080p)	Frames Per Second (1440p)
Borderlands 3	138	97
Far Cry 5	145	138
Hitman 2	87
Project Cars 3	177	132
Red Dead Redemption 2	114	109
Shadow of Tomb Raider	130	128

Best Gaming CPU in 2022 – AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D Processor

SPECIFICATIONS
Socket: AM4
Cores/Threads: 8 / 16
Base Frequency: 3.4Ghz
Top Boost Frequency: 4.5Ghz
TDP: 105W

The second choice in our Top 5 Best Gaming Processors in the 2022 list is the Ryzen 7 5800X3D Processor from AMD. The brand stepped up to talk about the all-new advanced-cache stacking technique which improves communications with graphics cards up to 15 times thus offering additional performance above the last year’s AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Processor.

AMD recently announced their all-new V-Cache Processors. These processors feature the same specs as the last year’s AMD Ryzen 7 5800X but with 96MB L3 Cache. This is where their V-Cache advanced stacking technique comes in. As they announced last year that they have been working on stacking memory in form of cache. This year we will get to see those in action.

So what is AMD V-Cache? The concept of the V-Cache is taking an 8 Core Ryzen 7 5000 Series chip which already has 32MB L3 Cache and stacked on top of it another 64MB L3 Cache making it a total of 96MB L3 Cache. AMD has already been working with TSMC to develop this newer way of stacking the L3 cache.

The main 7nm chip measures around 82mm². The other measures are only around 36mm² and it sits directly above the cache so that it doesn’t cover the cores. The cores are left uncovered because of thermal reasons. So the TSMC manufactured 7nm 64MB chip is placed on the top of 32MB directly. AMD also stated last year that they are going to mass produce this processor for both consumers and enterprises in general.

Some of you may ask in the comments why AMD only added the V-Cache feature in the Ryzen 7 and not on other Ryzens like the Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 9. It is because AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is massively popular for both gamers and content creators and since this is the first time AMD is launching such a processor in the market. They want to test out how the processor performs in different real-life scenarios.

We will get to know it all when the processor launches in March or April. Because Ryzen 9 requires two chips adding the extra v-ram would require an extra cost in silicon and packaging. Because of the global chip shortage, AMD says it is the best way to improve your Gaming performance while also not costing a ton more. Although AMD says that there are future versions of V-Cache processors that will be extended to the other Ryzen family as well.

Some of you might already ask why the frequencies are lower than the last-gen AMD Ryzen 7 5800X? This is because the extra cache adds more watts to the power consumption both in idle and under load. The frequency is kept lower intentionally but it is still unlocked for overclocking. The processor is rated at 105W TDP but can go up to 142W for motherboards that can support it.

As the focus is primarily on gaming. The extra cache does help in communication with the installed graphics card which offers more performance. In terms of productivity, the scenario remains the same. AMD claims the Ryzen 7 5800X3D to be “World’s Fastest Gaming Processor” but we have yet to see how it performs when it launches.

Best Mid-range Gaming CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

SPECIFICATIONS
Socket: AM4
Cores/Threads: 6 / 12
Base Frequency: 3.7Ghz
Top Boost Frequency: 4.6Ghz
TDP: 65W

The third processor on our best gaming CPU in the 2022 list is the mid-range king AMD Ryzen 5 5600X. With six cores and twelve threads, the 5600X is your go-to for the best performance and most power-efficient Processor from the red team.

The all-new AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Processor features 6 cores and 12 threads which are powered by the Zen 3 Architecture and built on the 7nm processes. It features an improved boosting algorithm along with an improved memory overclocking and thanks to the reworked cache topology, it delivers a new level of power efficiency. It features a 32MB L3 Cache which is half of what we get on a higher-end Ryzen 9 5900X which has two more cores enabled.

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is priced at $299 dollars and is available globally with every online and offline retailer and seller. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X ships with a Wraith Stealth Cooler and it is good enough to prevent overheating and thermal throttling. The processor also has a 65W TDP and that is impressively low for a gaming CPU in 2022. It is a fully unlocked processor which means it is ready for overclocking.

Although you do need a good all-in-one liquid cooler to run this processor at higher speeds. The processor is also capable of supporting up to 3200MHz DDR4 RAM although you can also run faster 3600MHz DDR4 RAMs with this processor.

With the global chip shortage and increased demand for high-performance systems after the pandemic, AMD was forced to raise the price of all the new Ryzen 5 5600X chips by 50$ but that didn’t stop the enthusiasts from buying this processor even at the inflated prices.

Although it is rightly said that AMD is always known to have a lower price range than its competitor for all their product lines, the prices of the entry-level Zen 3 Processor are uncomfortably high for a lot of people. Despite such poor reception because of the inflated prices, the processor offers more than enough performance for all your gaming and content creation activities.

These are some of the Gaming metrics of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Processor when paired against a similarly priced Intel Core i5 11600K Processor.

GAMES	Ryzen 5 5600X (FPS)	Ryzen 5 5600X (FPS)	Intel Core i5 11600K (FPS)	Intel Core i5 11600K (FPS)
	Full HD, 1920 x 1080	2K, 2560×1440	Full HD, 1920 x 1080	2K, 2560×1440
Borderlands 3	133	126	138	156
Hitman 2	149		146
Project Cars 3	210	126	195	140
Red Dead Redemption 2	121	110	110	109
Shadow of Tomb Raider	103	101	102	104

Here are some of the key metrics of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X best Gaming Processor.

Test Setup w/ RTX 3090	1080p	1440p
Geomean (Score)	166	153
99th Percentile (FPS)	111	110

3D Mark Strike DX11 Physics	26176
3D MarkTimeSpy DX12	8682
VRMark	358

CPU for Gaming – Intel Core i5 12600K Processor

SPECIFICATIONS
Socket: LGA 1700
Cores/Threads: 10 (6P + 4E) / 16
Base Frequency: 3.7Ghz
Top Boost Frequency: 4.9Ghz
TDP: 125W

The fourth processor on our top 5 best Gaming CPU list in 2022 is the Intel Core i5 12600K. This is a Hexa-core processor with 12 threads and 4 extra efficiency cores which makes a total of 16 cores on the chip.

At a slightly lower price than the former AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, this $289 Intel processor takes a leading gaming performance at the price that it comes at. The processor offers up to 38% more threads and with a 7% performance bump than the higher-priced AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Processor. Intel is always known to have the best single-core speeds, so once you couple that with the performance cores, this processor becomes a powerhouse of performance.

The Intel Core i5 12600K comes with a total of six cores with hyperthreading P-cores that runs at a 3.7 base clock and can boost up to 4.9 GHz and the four efficiency cores run at 2.8 base clock and 3.6 GHz boost Clock, to make a total of 16 threads. That is paired along with 20MB of L3 and 9.5MB of L2 cache. 

This Intel Processor supports 16 lanes of the latest generation PCIe 5.0 interface along with an additional four PCIe 4.0 lanes for a faster M.2 SSD port. The cutting-edge connectivity doesn’t stop there, though: The all-new Intel Core i5-12600K also supports both DDR4 or DDR5 memory. Users will not only enjoy the lower price and performance of DDR4 but also can step up to the more expensive DDR5 platform if they need access to more memory throughput. 

The all-new Intel Core i5 12600K comes with a TDP of 125W, but the processor sucks significantly less power than the last generation processor while delivering much more performance in gaming. Because the consumes less power it works with a wide variety of standard air and water coolers but you need to make sure that those coolers support the newer socket LGA 1700.

Here are some of the Gaming benchmarks of the processor.

GAMES	1080p	1440p
Borderlands 3	94	89
Hitman 2	79
Project Cars 3	160	144
Red Dead Redemption 2	110	101
Shadow of Tomb Raider	115	114
Far Cry 5	117	116

Cheapest Gaming CPU in 2022 – AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Processor

SPECIFICATIONS
Socket: AM4
Cores/Threads: 6 Cores/ 12 Threads
Base Frequency: 3.9Ghz
Top Boost Frequency: 4.4Ghz
TDP: 65W

The fifth processor on our Top 5 Best Gaming CPUs in 2022 is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Processor. This is an APU and not a CPU and it is one of the cheapest and the best Gaming Processors that you can buy that doesn’t even need a Graphics Card.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5600G Processor is a Hexa core processor with twelve threads. It also features 7 Graphics Cores and runs at a base clock of 3.9Ghz with a max boost clock of up to 4.4Ghz. It has a total of 3MB L2 Cache and 16MB L3 Cache. The processor is built on the 7nm FinFET manufacturing process. The advantage of buying this processor is that it doesn’t require a graphics card to run.

The integrated Radeon Graphics is good enough to handle even the latest titles at ease with low to medium settings. this processor was mainly targeted towards users who are building a small form factor entertainment PC or even an entry-level Gaming PC. As we all know due to the global chip shortage, the prices of the graphics card have skyrocketed like anything.

So that’s where AMD pinched in with their Zen3 APUs which gives commendable performance over the last generation APUs like the Ryzen 5 3400G for example. This is $259 processor comes shipped with the AMD Wraith cooler. The processor is unlocked and fully overclockable if you wish to do it.

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is good enough to pull off impressive numbers in games even without a GPU crushing the higher-priced Intel i5 at a significant margin. The processor performs well when you use it with an iGPU and also when you use it with a dedicated Graphics Card. As these APUs have dedicated Vega Graphics on them, you can enjoy graphics-based applications really well. The only limitation is the PCIe 3.0 connectivity.

Here are some of the benchmarks of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Processor

GAMES	1080p	1440p
Borderlands 3	82	79
Hitman 2	69
Project Cars 3	118	110
Red Dead Redemption 2	100	86
Shadow of Tomb Raider	87	85
Far Cry 5	97	94

Best Gaming CPU in 2022 – Verdict

So which processor to buy for gaming in 2022? In order to answer this question, you have to first decide for what purpose you will be using the processor. If you want purely for high-end Gaming and content Creation then we would suggest you should look for AMD Ryzen 7 58003DX or the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X as both will offer the very best gaming performances when it comes to high-end AMD Lineup.

Similarly, for Intel, you would also get the Intel Core i9 12900K which now ships with their latest Laminar Coolers would provide the best single-thread performance out of the box. If you are more into gaming solely, then go for the mid-tier AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or the Intel Core i5 12600K Processor. Both of these provide fantastic performance when paired with any GPU of your choice and without breaking the bank.

And if you are looking for something which is entry-level then you can check out the AMD Ryzen 5600G and the 5700G APUs. You can also check out the Intel Core i5 12400 or the Intel i3-12100 Processor if you are on the blue team. This sums up our top 5 best Gaming CPUs in the 2022 list. Feel free to drop in your suggestions if we missed out on something.

That’s all folks!

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