CPU guide for December 2022
12/12/2022
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Want to build a new PC, but not sure which CPU to use? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you need it for gaming or your workstation, this is where you’ll find the right CPU.
In 2022, Intel and AMD have been in a fierce battle with their new CPUs. For now, Intel has come out on top; albeit not as strongly as in previous years. Nevertheless, I’ve included at least one CPU by each manufacturer in each category of this guide.
The categories are: gaming, workstations and best all-rounder. As I didn’t test all CPUs myself, I relied on the results of various trade publications including AnandTech, Tom’s Hardware, Gamers Nexus, ComputerBase and TechSpot.
Gaming CPUs
For a short while, AMD was able to reclaim the crown as the best gaming CPU back in late September 2022. A few weeks later, Intel fought back and shook off their eternal competitor. And yet, AMD still remains a decent option. Especially since the new AM5 Socket will remain compatible with new processors for at least three more years. Unlike Intel’s LGA 1700, which is likely to be close to extinction after this generation. Here come the best CPUs in a nutshell. There’s more info below.
Best gaming CPU
Best value-for-money CPU
Best budget gaming CPU
Intel currently offers the best gaming CPU with the 13900K. In a review by my colleague Samuel Buchmann, it delivered the best frame rates across all games. In 1080p resolution, we’re talking nine per cent more FPS than AMD’s 7950X, which I tested.
In terms of price, the 13700K and 5800X3D are more attractive. Here’s my review of them.. They offer more FPS for your francs than any of the top CPUs. What’s more, both are also compatible with DDR4 mainboards, which reduces the price for the overall system.
At the lower end of the price range, you’ll find the Intel i5-12400(F) and AMD 5600X/5600G. Given their price, these CPUs really deliver impressive gaming performance.
Workstation CPU
Things are reversed when it comes to workstations. AMD is clearly ahead of the competition with their Threadripper processors. Intel simply doesn’t have anything to offer in the category «best workstation CPU».
However, specialised workstation processors are very pricey. These days, even standard desktop CPUs have many cores and perform well in workstation-specific tasks. Therefore, they should performance sufficiently for most applications. Meanwhile, Intel can also handle these kinds of tasks thanks to the quality performance and efficiency of its cores. Here come the best CPUs in a nutshell. There’s more info below.
Best workstation CPU
Best value-for-money workstation CPU
Best budget workstation CPU
Armed with 64 cores and 128 threads, the 5995WX is a beast. If you need many cores and threads for VFX or 3D animations, this is the best CPU out there. Yes, the price is still crazy high. A more reasonable alternative would be the 5975WX with 32 cores and 64 threads. Its performance should suffice for most people.
AMD and Intel’s consumer desktop flagships prove that you don’t necessarily need a workstation-specific CPU these days. Both the 13900K and 7950X offer enough cores to efficiently handle many computing-intensive tasks.
It may seem a bit out of place to say budget in the same sentence as 13700K and 7900X processor. After all, they tend to be in the higher price range in the consumer desktop segment. But you need a lot of power for a workstation, otherwise it wouldn’t be a workstation, but an office computer.
Best all-rounder at a fair price
This leading all-rounder offers better value for money than all other processors because of its performance in games and other programs. And the Intel i5-13600K fits the bill. Not only does it deliver good frame rates in games, but also impresses with other applications thanks to its 14 cores and 20 threads. Find out how well it performs in the review by Samuel.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
