The best AMD processors are so much more than affordable alternatives to Intel’s offerings. With the Ryzen 3rd Generation and more recently the Ryzen 5000 series, AMD has proven that it can deliver the kind of power and performance to make anyone, regardless of budget, give AMD chips a serious consideration.
So, are the best AMD processors the king of the CPU mountain? No, they’re not, at least yet. But they offer stiff competition, especially with the striking showing in the high-end range with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X. And, it also helps that AMD is able to make these powerful CPUs that go toe-to-toe with its rivals, but with a more affordable price tag than the competition.
AMD is, however, gunning for Intel in the ever-ongoing AMD vs Intel battle. And, to help you choose the best AMD processor for you, we’ve gathered our top picks from the current offerings here. If you’re looking for a quality processor, you’ll find one here.
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The best AMD CPUs at a glance
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
- AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
- AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X brings the biggest gen-on-gen jump in a single performance in years, making it a terrific upgrade. This latest release from AMD is not just a stronger processor across the board. It’s also an incredibly powerful processor for gaming and creative work full stop. The fact that you won’t need a new motherboard is just a nice perk.
Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Showcasing an impressive multi-threading performance as well as competitive performance in even the most intense single-threaded applications, this mid-range chip cannot help but take the throne as the best AMD processor for gaming. And, AMD Ryzen 5 3600X doesn’t just stop there: it takes that budget-minded stage of performance to a new level, with increased IPC (instructions per clock) performance, along with a higher clock speed – while staying at the same price point.
Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Intel no longer has the monopoly on gaming CPUs. Rocking 8 cores and 16 threads, along with much stronger single-core performance, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is among the best CPUs for gaming – as well as less demanding creative work – right now. And it comes with a much more approachable price tag compared to most of Intel’s offerings, making it a much better value.
Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is so great that in our review, we went as far as to call it the baddest cat in town when it comes to processors that don’t land in the HEDT (high-end desktop) category of processors. Built on AMD’s 7nm Zen 2 architecture, it has a whopping 16 cores and 32 threads, making it excellent for heavily threaded computer work. If you’re looking for one of the best AMD processors that can handle both processing tasks and high-end gaming, the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is a strong contender.
Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Launched alongside the even more potent Ryzen Threadripper 3970X, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X may have the same core count as its predecessor. However, it comes with a brand-new architecture that delivers performance gains as well as PCIe 4.0, making it among the best processors in the Threadripper arena. The 3960X delivers dramatically improved single-threaded performance and has successfully reduced its predecessors’ idiosyncrasies that affect their own performance. It may come with a higher price tag and require the TRX40 motherboard – not to mention, a powerful cooler – but it’s certainly worth the fuss if you can maximize its skills to your advantage.