As your demand for high-quality gaming experiences grows, finding the best CPU for gaming becomes essential.
When selecting a CPU for gaming, the most important characteristics are the clock speed (or frequency), number of cores and threads, cache size, and type of memory it supports. Additional considerations like integrated graphics and overclocking needs may also influence your selection.
This article will discuss these key CPU characteristics and, based on them, provide an overview of the best Intel CPUs for gaming
.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Gaming CPU
Cache Size
A CPU's cache is a small amount of memory, close to the CPU cores, containing recently used data.
Games performance can improve as cache size increases, as it will reduce delays when retrieving commonly used game assets from memory.
An L3 cache capacity of at least 20 MB is ideal for game performance.
Core Count
Increased core counts can improve the performance of games that use them, but most modern games don't benefit from having more than 6–8 cores. We've experienced the best performance by prioritizing a higher single-core boost frequency, then on a higher multi-core boost frequency, rather than focusing on core count alone. Remember that cache sizes often increase along with core counts, so if you want to increase your L3 cache, you may need to get a CPU with more cores.
Clock Speed
We've experienced that single-core performance is essential for some games, as many don't take full advantage of multiple cores.
Boost frequencies are only achieved under ideal circumstances. The safest strategy for consistent gaming performance with a basic cooler is to get a higher base clock speed processor. However, with adequate cooling, you may be able to maintain speeds near the max boost frequency.
Higher vs. Lower Base Frequencies
We've found that lower base clock speeds result in lower power consumption.
A CPU's base frequency refers to the clock speed at which its cores run under normal operating conditions. However, the actual clock speed of the CPU can vary depending on the workload and the system power state.
A lower base frequency can lead to better power savings overall since the clock speed decreases when the load is low, resulting in lower power consumption. However, a CPU may run slower than the base frequency to conserve power or reduce heat generation. For example, modern CPUs use technologies like Intel SpeedStep or AMD Cool'n'Quiet to dynamically adjust the CPU's clock speed based on the system's workload and power state.
A CPU with a lower base frequency may generate less heat under normal operating conditions, enabling it to boost some cores to higher frequencies while remaining within its thermal limits. This lower base frequency results in better performance than a CPU with a higher base frequency, which may not be able to sustain its boost frequency for long periods due to thermal throttling. However, this is mostly only relevant if your system's cooling solution can only partially dissipate the heat produced by all cores being fully boosted.
DDR Support
Faster PC memory can improve game performance and frame rates, but using the fastest RAM may not have as much of an impact as upgrading your CPU and graphics card or adding more RAM.
Learn more about DDR in DDR4 vs. DDR5? Which You Should Buy.
The Best Intel CPUs for Gaming
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
36 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 16 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
3.70 GHz P-core base frequency
5.70 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.50 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 6400 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 285K in our article, Is the Core Ultra 9 processor 285K Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 285K.
Intel Core Ultra 9 285:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core Ultra 9 285 CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
36 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 16 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.50 GHz P-core base frequency
5.6 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.40 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 6400 MHz can be excellent for performance
Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 285 in our article, Is the Core Ultra 9 processor 285 Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 285.
Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core Ultra 7 265KF CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
30 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 12 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
3.90 GHz P-core base frequency
5.50 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.40 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 6400 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 265KF in our article, Is the Core Ultra 7 processor 265KF Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 265KF.
Intel Core Ultra 7 265K:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core Ultra 7 265K CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
30 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 12 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
3.90 GHz P-core base frequency
5.50 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.40 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 6400 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 265K in our article, Is the Core Ultra 7 processor 265K Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 265K.
Intel Core i9-14900KS:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-14900KS CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
36 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 16 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
3.20 GHz P-core base frequency
6.20 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
6.20 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 14900KS in our article, Is the Core i9-14900KS CPU Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 14900KS.
Intel Core i9-14900K:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-14900K CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
36 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 16 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
3.20 GHz P-core base frequency
6.00 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.60 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 14900K in our article, Is the Core i9-14900K CPU Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 14900K.
Intel Core i9-14900KF:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-14900KF CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
36 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 16 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
3.20 GHz P-core base frequency
6.00 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.60 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 14900KF in our article, Is the Core i9-14900KF CPU Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 14900KF.
Intel Core i9-14900:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-14900 CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
36 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 16 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.00 GHz P-core base frequency
5.80 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.40 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz can be excellent for performance
Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 14900 in our article, Is the Core i9-14900 CPU Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 14900.
Intel Core i9-14900F:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-14900F CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
36 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 16 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.00 GHz P-core base frequency
5.80 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.40 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz can be excellent for performance
Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 14900F in our article, Is the Core i9-14900F CPU Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 14900F.
Intel Core i7-14700K:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-14700K CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
33 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 12 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
3.40 GHz P-core base frequency
5.60 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.50 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 14700K in our article, Is the Core i7-14700K CPU Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 14700K.
Intel Core i7-14700KF:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-14700KF CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
33 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 12 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
3.40 GHz P-core base frequency
5.60 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.50 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 14700KF in our article, Is the Core i7-14700KF CPU Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 14700KF.
Intel Core i7-14700:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-14700 CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
33 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 12 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.10 GHz P-core base frequency
5.40 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.30 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz can be excellent for performance
Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 14700 in our article, Is the Core i7-14700 CPU Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 14700.
Intel Core i7-14700F:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-14700F CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
33 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 12 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.10 GHz P-core base frequency
5.40 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
5.30 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 5600 MHz can be excellent for performance
Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
You can learn more about the 14700F in our article, Is the Core i7-14700F CPU Good for Gaming?
Check out our recommended Motherboards
, CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and RAM to pair with the 14700F.
