Best CPU For Gaming 2020: The Best CPUs Out There For Your PC Gaming Needs In 2020, Including High-End And Budget Options

Your gaming computer needs an improvement and the first thing you should check is whether your Central Processing Unit (CPU) is up to date. Not only do you have to update the graphics card from time to time or improve the RAM of your computer, but you have to find out the best CPU for gaming 2020 as well.

Choosing a good model means getting the most out of your investment: maximum power for games, smooth FPS, and consistent performance. But we can't always dig deep into our wallets, so you have to consider the best CPU for gaming 2020 budget options as well. And we will talk about some of them.

Last year we ended up seeing a general price drop in high-end processors, especially because of the pressure from AMD against Intel thanks to its Ryzen brand that has been gaining among the gamers more used to always choosing an Intel Core i7 or even a Core i9. Naturally, gamers now look for the best AMD CPU for gaming 2020.

Right now you can choose the best CPU for gaming and streaming for less than you think. Although it is still one of the most important investments you should make, so keep on reading to find out the top 10 CPU for gaming 2020.

Best CPU for Gaming 2020 - Price/Performance

1. AMD Ryzen 5 3600

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is not only a good multi-core gaming processor, but it also has a very good price/performance ratio. In 2019 the Ryzen 5 2600 was one of the best gaming CPUs, and this remains a solid choice for building a budget-oriented PC. The Zen 2 architecture adds more than enough to justify buying the latest and greatest CPU.

2. AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

The Ryzen 3600X is a very good CPU and it proves once again that AMD is on the right track. While there is definitely a strong argument to buy the cheaper of the two 7nm Ryzen 5 processors, the X version has higher clock speeds and more capable cooling than its cheaper sibling.

3. AMD Ryzen 5 2600

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is not only a good gaming CPU but it is also incredibly well-priced. The Ryzen 5 3600 will manage to grab the top spot thanks to Zen 2 and 7m, but while the Ryzen 5 2600 is still in stock, its low price keeps it a tempting offer.

4. Intel i5 8400

It is difficult to choose an affordable alternative to Ryzen to rank as an option for the best CPU for gaming 2020. While the i5 8400 has marginally superior gaming performance, it should be in conjunction with an affordable motherboard.

Chipsets of motherboards for Intel as H370 and B360 are available, but the only problem here is that we are paying for a processor that is more expensive than Ryzen AMD.

5. Intel i5 9600K

We currently have many excellent alternatives in this price range, so to be honest there is no need to spend more on an i5 9600K. But where the Intel i5 9600K is relevant is in overclocking. The Coffee Lake processor is capable of offering the same level of performance as multithreaded processors such as the Ryzen 5 12-wire.

The problem is that to have the ability to overclock you need a high-end motherboard with a Z370 or Z390 chipset, and that means that you will have to spend more money to get there. In short, the i5 9600K is a good alternative to AMD Ryzen, but it will be more expensive and you will be forced to overclock to get the most out of it.

Best CPU for Gaming 2020 - High-End

6. Intel Core i9 9900K

This is one of the last ninth-generation CPUs released by Intel for its Core i9 version, specially designed for games, creation, and productivity.

This Intel Core i9–9900K has 8 cores, 16 threads, and a frequency of 3.6GHz, with the capacity to go up to 5GHz. It supports 2666Mhz DDR4 memory and is possibly one of the most powerful processors on the market right now with value for money in the Intel range.

7. AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

AMD has managed in recent years to catch up with Intel and more recently outperform the Intel Core processors in a way that no one expected. Right now the AMD Ryzen CPUs are great value for money in a way that Intel has not responded effectively.

This AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is an example of this. Launched in mid-2019, it is perfect for gaming. With 12 cores and 24 threads, it reaches a clock speed of 3.8GHz and is capable of reaching up to 4.6GHz.

8. AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

An improvement on the Ryzen 9 3900 series, the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X model is recommended to come with liquid cooling or equipment with perfect ventilation to avoid overheating it more than necessary.

This processor has 16 cores and 32 threads, with which it reaches a clock speed of 3.5GHz that is capable of going up to 4.7GHz in turbo mode. For RAM it is compatible with DDR4 modules up to 3200MHz.

Best CPU for Gaming 2020 - Most Affordable

9. AMD Ryzen 3 2200G

We are now on a tight rope, where every penny counts. And to tell the truth the AMD 2200G is amazing. We can find it at a very affordable price, with good overclocking results, and with integrated Vega graphics.

And the performance of a quad-core processor with a Vega GPU is surprisingly effective, so it is one of the best CPU for gaming 2020 budget options. It does not matter if you are going to mount a dedicated GPU or not, the 2200G is very worthwhile as a base for an economical gaming PC.

10. AMD Ryzen 3 1300X

Offering very robust gaming performance, AMD's 1300X was the best cheap gaming processor when it was first released in 2017, with easily overclockable quad-core Zen architecture and a very good price starting point. And this has only been overcome by the Ryzen 3 2200G.

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