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When building a gaming PC, getting a capable processor is an important aspect because you don't want your CPU bottlenecking your performance and stopping your build from reaching its full potential.
You don't have to spend a lot to get a competent gaming processor that will run games at high FPS in the highest settings if paired with an equally strong GPU.
Buying a new CPU is a big step as you will need to build your PC around it by getting a motherboard that supports it, compatible RAM, and a PSU that is powerful enough. This article will list the best processors you can get today for gaming for under $500.
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Note: The prices listed are the latest from Newegg and Amazon.
Top five processors for gaming below $500
1) Intel Core i5-12600k - $280
The 10-core CPU is one of the best mid-range options for a gaming build. Its hyper-threading architecture makes a single physical processor appear as multiple logical processors.
It can actively execute twice as many threads by rapidly switching back and forth between two copies of the component. It has 16MB of L3 cache, which is a decent amount that helps load games faster. It also has an excellent overclocking ceiling.
If paired with a good PSU and CPU-cooler, it can reach up to 4.9GHz and run games in high resolution and FPS. The box does not include a CPU cooler, so you will need to get a good cooler that can keep the processor stable when overclocking.
2) Intel Core i9-10900KF - $360
This excellent 10th gen i9 processor can run most games at 2K resolution while getting high FPS. The only downside of this CPU is that it gets extremely hot while overclocking, so getting the best air-cooler or liquid-cooling is recommended.
This chip has one of the highest overclocking ceilings at 5.3GHz, and with some workarounds, even higher clocks can be achieved.
The difference between this processor and Intel i9-10900K is that this one does not offer integrated graphics, so if you have a capable GPU, there is no need to spend more to get integrated graphics.
3) Intel Core i7-12700K - $377
One of the best Alder Lake processors by Intel will have no problem running the most graphic-intensive games with the highest FPS.
This chip has the highest price-to-performance ratio with a competitive price. This chip has an enormous 25 MB of L3 cache, which is suitable for games and intensive editing programs.
Getting this processor means that you have safely future-proofed your system as it will be relevant for many years to come as it supports DDR5 RAM and PCIe 4.0 storage. It does not come with a CPU-cooler included.
4) AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D - $449
The chip was released in April this year and is the fastest AMD gaming CPU on the market. The difference between this chip and the Ryzen 7 5800X is that this CPU does not offer to overclock, but according to AMD, it is 15% faster on average even though it runs lower-clocked than its predecessor.
It is integrated with a 3D V-cache, which means it has a cache vertically stacked, enabling the CPU to increase the total amount of memory without needing to increase the size of the die. Hence, it has the highest amount of L3 cache of any CPU, with 64MB and 32MB of 3D V-cache.
5) AMD Ryzen 9 5900X - $488
If you're looking for a power-efficient CPU that's overclockable and packed with the latest technology, this one is for you. It has one of the best multi-threaded performances and a high boost clock; all with a low TDP.
This CPU is best for 2K resolution gaming if paired with a strong GPU and competent components, but it can also run games at 4K at playable frame rates. If you're willing to spend more, you can get the slightly faster Ryzen 9 5950X.
With support for PCIe 4.0 storage, it is a CPU built to last, and for its price, there aren't many other chips that offer incredible performance.
Disclaimer: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
