10 best CPUs for budget gaming in 2023

When shopping for a CPU, there are a lot of factors to consider such as clock speed, the number of cores, and most importantly, compatibility with the motherboard and other components. In 2023, there are a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to picking your ideal CPU. For most gamers and content creators, it's not necessary to go for high-end PC components or even the latest ones.

With increasing competition and improvements in technology, brands like AMD and Intel have been innovating budget CPUs that can handle the latest games or heavy tasks thrown at them.

In this article, we'll explore a list of CPUs that can run any game on your PC without leaving a dent in your wallet.

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Get your game on with these 10 budget CPUs of 2023

The CPUs in the list here are from the budget segment. While some chips are entry-level for gaming, others are inclined towards streaming with gaming.

10) AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Processor

It is one of the most popular chips from the Ryzen 5 series due to its fast FPS performance under budget. This component comes with six cores and 12 threads, which can handle multitasking and games with ease. It also supports PCIe Gen 4, and high-speed DDR4 memory. All of these factors make the Ryzen 5 3600 an ideal option.

	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Architecture	Zen 2
Core count	6
Thread count	12
Base clock	3.6 GHz
Boost clock	4.2 GHz
Cache	32 MB
Maximum turbo power (MTP)	65W
Integrated graphics	None

Pros

1. Improved gaming performance compared to the previous generation
2. Budget-friendly
3. Supports existing AM4 motherboards

Cons

1. Overclocking has no significant gains
2. No integrated graphics
3. Underperforming for heavy multi-tasking and productivity

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9) AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Processor

AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is pretty identical to its last-gen processors and newer variant in terms of specs. It's the overall best-budget AMD CPU for gaming and content creation. This chip from the Zen 3 lineup also comes with a six-core 12 thread which handles any type of gaming while also delivering more than enough performance in content creation.

	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Architecture	Zen 3
Core count	6
Thread count	12
Base clock	3.5 GHz
Boost clock	4.4 GHz
Cache	32MB
Maximum turbo power (MTP)	65 watts
Integrated graphics	None

Pros

1. Excellent budget-friendly processor
2. Performs great in day-to-day tasks
3. Good upgrade choice for Ryzen 3000
4. Supports existing AM4 motherboards

Cons

1. No integrated graphics

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8) Intel Core i3-12100F

This is a four-core and twelve-thread Intel processor that benefits from the improved Alder Lake architecture, boosting its single-core and multi-core performance levels. Currently, it is one of the best processors on the market for under $200.

Thus, gamers who are looking for a good, budget-friendly yet high-performance chip can go for this.

	Intel Core i3-12100F
Architecture	Alder Lake
Core count	4 (4P + 0E)
Thread count	8
Base clock	3.3 GHz
Boost clock	4.3 GHz
Cache	12 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Maximum turbo power (MTP)	89 W
Integrated graphics	None

Pros

1. Supports DDR4 and DDR5
2. Great gaming performance
3. Low power consumption
4. Supports memory overclocking

Cons

1. No integrated graphics
2. No Turbo Boost 3.0 (only 2.0)

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7) AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

This CPU is one of the most popular budget-friendly APUs in the market and won't make a dent in your wallet. It is a six-core, 12-threaded processor based on TSMC's 7nm FinFET process node. The chip has a base clock of 3.9 GHz and can boost up to 4.4 GHz. It also comes with a solid Radeon RX Vega 7 graphics engine that provides decent FPS gameplay even at 1080p.

	AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Architecture	Zen 3
Core count	6
Thread count	12
Base clock	3.9 GHz
Boost clock	4.4 GHz
Cache	16MB
Maximum turbo power (MTP)	65W
Integrated graphics	Radeon™ Graphics

Pros

1. One of the best price-to-performance ratio
2. Zen 3 Architecture
3. Overclockable
4. Great iGPU
5. Strong gaming performance

Cons

1. No integrated graphics
2. PCIe 3.0 connectivity

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6) Ryzen 5 5600X

This CPU has six cores and 12 threads, with a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.6 GHz. It is also overclockable, and with a proper cooler, it can reach clocks of up to 4.85 GHz. The chip can handle any game in medium to high settings at 1080p if paired with a strong GPU.

	Ryzen 5 5600X
Architecture	Zen 3
Core count	6
Thread count	12
Base clock	3.7GHz
Boost clock	4.6GHz
Cache	32MB
Maximum turbo power (MTP)	65W
Integrated graphics	None

Pros

1. Great gaming performance
2. Excellent value for money
3. Supports overclocking

Cons

1. Overclocking has no significant gains for gaming

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5) Intel Core i5-12400

Intel Core i5-12400 offers an excellent price-to-performance ratio. It packs six cores and 12 threads which will give a decent gaming performance under the $200 mark. The single-core performance from Intel Core i5-12400 is much higher than the Ryzen 5 5600 in some multi-core performance tests, making it a decent budget-friendly CPU for gaming.

	Intel Core i5-12400
Architecture	Alder Lake
Core count	6
Thread count	12
Base clock	2.5 GHz
Boost clock	4.40 GHz
Cache	18 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Maximum turbo power (MTP)	117 W
Integrated graphics	Intel® UHD Graphics 730

Pros

1. Great price-to-performance ratio
2. Low TDP
3. Strong gaming performance

Cons

1. No overclocking

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4) Intel Core i5-13400F

This is the successor to the popular Core i5 12400 but is from the 3rd-gen Raptor Lake lineup, which makes it faster while costing almost the same. With support for DDR4 memory and cheaper H610 motherboards, this Intel chip has an excellent price-to-performance ratio and is a solid pick for gamers on a budget.

	Intel Core i5-13400F
Architecture	Intel 13th gen Raptor Lake
Core count	10 (6P+4E)
Thread count	16
Base clock	2.5 GHz
Boost clock	4.6 GHz
Cache	20 MB Intel Smart Cache
Maximum turbo power (MTP)	148 W
Integrated graphics	None

Pros

1. Great price-to-performance ratio
2. Strong gaming performance

Cons

1. 148W TDP makes it very power-hungry

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3) AMD Ryzen 7 5700G

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G, from the Ryzen 5000G series, is an upgrade over the previous Ryzen 4000G processor series. It comes with eight cores and 16 threads, making it the best APU in the market from AMD. The chip is a great pick for gamers without a GPU, as the octa-core GCN 5th generation onboard graphics processor can run most AAA titles in 1080p smoothly.

	AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Architecture	Zen 3
Core count	8
Thread count	16
Base clock	3.8GHz
Boost clock	4.6GHz
Cache	16MB
Maximum turbo power (MTP)	65W
Integrated graphics	Radeon™ Graphics

Pros

1. Solid value for money
2. Smooth gaming performance on integrated graphics

Cons

1. Eight cores will be overkill for some people

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2) AMD Ryzen 7 7700X

This is one of the best gaming CPUs on the market, offering an excellent balance between performance and price. This processor delivers more than a 35% performance boost compared to the last-gen 5700X while being more power efficient. It can handle multitasking and the latest AAA games with ease, making it an excellent pick for gamers who want to build future-proof PCs on a budget.

	AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
Architecture	Zen 4
Core count	8
Thread count	16
Base clock	4.5GHz
Boost clock	5.4GHz
Cache	32MB
Maximum turbo power (MTP)	105W
Integrated graphics	AMD Radeon™ Graphics

Pros

1. Similar gaming results compared to high-end processors
2. DDR5 and PCle 5.0
3. Solid single-core performance

Cons

1. No DDR4 compatibility, DDR5 is required

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1) Intel Core i7-12700K

This is a high-end CPU based on the Alder Lake architecture. It's a great choice for gamers looking for a mid-to-high-tier CPU with a performance boost over i5-12600K. The Intel Core i7 12700K comes with 20 threads and 12 cores, which guarantees high performance in the most recent AAA games.

	Intel Core i7-12700K
Architecture	Alder Lake architecture
Core count	8
Thread count	20
Base clock	2.7GHz
Boost clock	5.0GHz
Cache	25 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Maximum turbo power (MTP)	190W
Integrated graphics	Intel® UHD Graphics 770

Pros

1. Integrated GPU
2. DDR5 and PCle 5.0
3. Solid value for money

Cons

1. No DDR4 compatibility, DDR5 is required

It is an excellent CPU for gamers and streamers due to its powerful and efficient performance, which is made possible by its 3.80 GHz base clock frequency and 5.0 GHz boost clock frequency.