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After all, a new board on Intel's or AMD's mainstream platforms can set you back as little as $50. If, say, you're replacing a Core i3 by getting an Intel Core i7-10700K off Craigslist in exchange for $50 and a six-pack of Samuel Adams, by all means go for it.īut in most cases, if you have a midrange or better CPU on a given dead-end platform, unless you're getting a new chip cheaply, you'll get more bang for your buck buying a new motherboard and processor on a current platform.

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(Late-model mainstream AMD CPUs, on the company's AM4 socket, have broken that cycle for the moment.) What that means: Unless you're upgrading from a low-end chip early in a platform's lifecycle to a high-end CPU at the very end, you're not likely to gain too much from an in-place CPU upgrade on a dead-end platform.Īgain, we reiterate: This is a rough guide! There are edge cases on every line. In recent years, chip sockets or chipsets are only compatible for a generation or two of CPU, and once that year or two passes, the next platform is no longer compatible with the ones that came before. In most cases with Intel boards, upgrading to another chip that works in the same socket as your current one will have limited upside. Often, 'In-Place' Upgrades Are a Waste of Time That's because a motherboard upgrade requires at least partial system disassembly, and sometimes replacing further parts to make the upgrade work. If you're willing to swap out the motherboard to step up to a newer or more powerful class of processor, that project becomes, in effect, building your own PC. If you're upgrading an existing desktop PC, your CPU upgrade options, by definition, will be limited: by the architecture, socket, and compatibility of the motherboard installed in the PC.

1: Upgrade or New Build?Īnswering this question will set you on a narrow path or a broad one. So, the first big one: Are you upgrading a PC, or building a new one from scratch?Ĭonsideration No. The best way to look at a CPU buy is to take the considerations in a logical order, which will narrow the field as you make your choices. Intel Core i5-12600 10-Core Unlocked Desktop ProcessorĪMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-Core Unlocked Desktop Processor Intel Core i9-12900K 16-Core Unlocked Desktop Processor Intel Core i7-12700KF 12-Core Unlocked Desktop Processor (Spoiler: For consumers, Intel Core i9-10980XE Extreme Edition or AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, priced at one or four grand respectively.) It's possible to objectively measure CPU performance across a range of applications and usage cases, and if you're not bound by mere mortal concerns such as budget, it's easy enough to get a pretty good idea of what 'best' means. Which of the two big chipmakers should you go with: AMD or Intel? Are you trying to maximize speed or value? Does the maximum number of cores matter more, or does clock speed? Are you upgrading, or building a whole new PC? Are you gaming? Not gaming? Still awake?Īll these questions are crucial in landing the right chip, and what that means: No single CPU is the absolute best across the board for all users, assuming money matters. Indeed, buying a desktop processor is akin to a whole forest of decision trees.

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Trying to figure out the best CPU for your next PC upgrade or DIY build? With apologies to Robert Frost, it's the classic two roads that parted in the wood-if the wood were a shopping-results page at Newegg or Amazon, and the road kept dividing endlessly.

Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. ( Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test everything we review (Opens in a new window).)

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