The meaning of the “best processor” for most of the people means the best price for their computer, depending on the purpose. Is not it logical to spend 50 dollars for the processor for some demanding game, or you must be crazy to buy a processor for 300 dollars and use it only for word processing. To achieve the best investment of your money and find out which processor for imx8 is best – read this article.
There are many options available on the market from AMD, as well as from Intel, and the concept of the best price-quality ratio of the processor at the same time is a very controversial topic. Obviously, these things depend on each other – and they are inseparable – as well as the important role played by the rest of the system specification. Also, important role plays the fact that there are different options depending on the stage when you are buying: you’re building a new computer or upgrading an existing one (and install the processor to the motherboard). And don’t forget that some of us feel more confident in this matter when it comes to overclocking, while others may be tempted to buy the best processor because of which they may burn the whole computer.
From category: Buyer's Guide
In order to simplify the information and make it understandable to everyone, we decided to narrow the list down to the best processors on the market. We chose the cheapest, mid-range and also high-end processors. Just keep in mind that prices change all the time (thanks to dynamic pricing on Amazon). And also is there is always a well-known question: Intel or AMD? So let’s not hesitate and proceed with the presentation of the best processors of the year from 3 different price categories (Amazon).
LOW-COST
AMD SEMPRON 3850, $35.42
First, we start with AMD Sempron 3850, the cheapest quad-core processor from AMD. It’s based on the Kabini core, built on a 28nm process, which explains why its TDP reaches only 25V, nearly the 1/7 of FX-9590. Obviously, the fact that it only works on 1.3 GHz is also important. If you add the fact that it’s supported by AMD Radeon HD 8280 GPU (basic, but decent), you will understand that it’s better than most systems on the market based on Baytrail. The best part surely is the price. It’s cheap because of the price of only $35.42 on Amazon, especially because the price includes the cooler. It’s a shame only that he has only one memory channel. It’s should be noted that this processor isn’t the cheapest on the market, but by its performance, it’s the best for this price.
INTEL CELERON G3900, $42.18
The first Intel representative in the ranking of inexpensive processors for PC 2016 is Celeron G3900. It’s positioned as office solution, but despite the fact that it has only two cores, their performance is quite good. It works at a frequency of 2.8 GHz, with 2 MB of cache capacity. The chip is produced on thin 14 nm technology process, so declared 51-watt consumption, in reality, it never reaches. In practice, it consumes 10 to 30 watts of power. Celeron G3900 is installed in a motherboard with socket 1151, supporting DDR3L and DDR4 memory.
With its office purpose CPU, the processor is much better than its expectations. For games, it’s also nice, but not for the most demanding. To proper play, there is a built-in video card Intel HD 510 from which it’s not possible to expect too much (playing WoT at minimum settings). But if you insert in something like Radeon RX 460 – the normal gameplay in GTA 5 or The Witcher 3 is a reality.
AMD ATHLON 5150, $45.62
Another budget processor in 2016 is the one of the cheapest quad-core CPU AMD Athlon 5150. This – entry-level processor is intended for noiseless multimedia and office apps in a compact package. AMD Athlon 5150 has four cores running at 1.6 GHz. The cache memory of the second level is 2 MB. The processor produced in not too fresh 28 nm process technology, but nevertheless heat level is only 25 watts. The CPU is designed to be installed on a motherboard with the AM1 socket, works with DDR3 memory.
Based on the AMD Athlon 5150, you can build the cheap computer for simple tasks, such as working with documents and surf the web, as well as watch movies, all that indicated by the budget of about 46 dollars. It’s equipped with integrated graphics Radeon R3, which is enough for multimedia and office tasks, not enough for the games. However, the low graphics processor can run WoT graphics at the minimum details.
INTEL PENTIUM G4400, $62.22
Intel Pentium G4400 is the best processor for anyone who looking for a cheap CPU to build a universal budgetary PC. At a price of 62 dollars, from newer SkyLake Core i3 (which costs about 130 dollars), it lags behind by only 20-30%. The processor has 2 cores with a frequency of 3.3 GHz and 3 MB of cache memory. Produced by the standard chip technical process in 14 nanometers, with the consumption up to 54 watts of power in theory and in practice – only 20-30 watts. It’s installed in a motherboard with a socket 1151, works with DDR3L and DDR4 memory.
In the combination with the card-level of Radeon RX 460 or GeForce GTX 1050 – the processor is able to pull out all modern games at medium, high, and sometimes on the highest setting. Only occasionally affected by the lack of HyperThreading, multi-threaded tasks and possible downfall of performance. Because of that, it’s not possible to consider Intel Pentium G4400 as a budget analog of Core i3. For an office or a multimedia PC, the processor is good because it has Intel HD 510. Its graphics capabilities are not enough for new games, but for the simple tasks integrated core is quite good.
INTEL PENTIUM G3258, $66.99
There are cheaper Intel processors on the market, as Celeron G1840, the cheapest we found. Nevertheless, Pentium G3258, probably the best option on the market of low-cost processors for a good reason. This is an excellent overclocker, the price is 67 dollars, Haswell microarchitecture, 3MB L2 cache, two cores with a frequency of 3.2 GHz, two threads adjustment with a TDP of 53B. This makes it special, though that it has unlocked clock multiplier, in essence, it’s a way to thank the community of Intel enthusiasts (G3258 was launched to mark the 20th anniversary of the Pentium brand). Do not buy it unless you don’t want to run it at 3.2GHz. Buy a decent cooler in the market, and you should be able to overclock it beyond 4GHz. Just make sure in its compatibility with the motherboard and do not overexert it too much (watch the temperature).
MID-RANGE
AMD FX-6300, $89.99
AMD FX-6300 hit the top list of mid-range processors for the PC in 2016 due to the fact that it’s a six-core processor with a relatively small price. It cannot be considered as an ideal gaming solution, however, the money invested in it speak for itself. Its 6 cores clocked at 3.5 GHz, while the cache is 6 MB for the second level and 8 MB – for the third. The chip produced in 32nm technology process, therefore, it isn’t very cold and emits 95 watts of heat. The processor is designed to be installed in the motherboard with socket AM3 +, but it’s also supported by many motherboards with AM3.
Due to the good compatibility with the old boards, a large number of cores (though not very powerful), as well as a capacious cache, the processor for the price is quite good. From Intel solutions (like i3-6100) it lags behind in tasks that require the fast core, but where the multithreading is important – FX-6300 leads. In the combination with the card-level of GeForce GTX1050, the processor is able to pull all modern games at medium to high (sometimes even better) settings.
AMD ATHLON X4 860K, $104.93
The next hero in the top list of mid-range processors is AMD Athlon X4 860K. It’s a solution for those who need a computer that can handle with games. It has 4 cores running at frequencies up to 3.7 GHz, and thanks to the unlocked multiplier – he quietly accelerated to about 4.5 GHz. On board, CPU has 4MB of cache, produced in 28nm technology. The level of power consumption of the chip is limited to 95 watts. It’s designed to work it in motherboards under the FM2+ socket and DDR3 memory. AMD Athlon X4 860K – an inexpensive quad-core, which is suitable for entry-level gaming systems and for simple tasks.
AMD FX-8320E, $118.11
Meet the AMD FX-8320E; this is the cheapest 8-core processor on the market, 110 dollars on Amazon. It’s developed in 32nm technology, which explains why it has a high TDP (95B), although not so high, given that it operates at a frequency of 3.2 GHz with an increase in speed of up to 4 GHz. But don’t rely on him too much; although in the most of the tasks it will be even surpassed by the modest Haswell Core i3, but it will really flash when you perform multi-threaded tasks (encryption, encoding, etc.), in which it even surpasses more expensive models as Core i5. And another big thing, many users were able to overclock it easy using custom coolers, some of them even up to 4.8 GHz.
INTEL CORE I3-6100, $117.01
One of the top inexpensive processors in 2016 is Intel Core i3-6100. This is a powerful dual-core processor, surpassing all quad-core from AMD, with the low power consumption. It runs at 3.2GHz and includes 3MB of cache. The HyperThreading technology turns 4 physical cores to 4 virtual, improving performance in multithreaded tasks. The fabrication process is performed on 14 nm technology, and it consumes 51 watts in theory (in practice – 30-40 W). CPU is compatible with motherboards based on socket 1151, working with DDR3L and DDR4 memory.
This processor is enough for gaming in primary and secondary level, in tandem with the GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 470. The integrated graphics, Intel HD530 isn’t really designed for gaming. In office applications, its capacity is more than enough. By all its features, it’s considered as one of the best processors.
AMD A10-5800K, $129.88
Some say the best processor of 2016. For most of them, it will be the first choice, besides the fact of investing 130 dollars in the hybrid processor that is old more than two years, and manufactured based on the old 32-nanometer processor. At the same time, AMD A10-5800K has a relatively high TDP of 100 watts, which explains why its turbo boost goes up to 4.2 GHz only. A10-5800K combines a Radeon HD 7660D GPU, the 12-core processor, and a 3-year warranty on the model with a cooler.
AMD A10-7850K, $130.56
AMD A10-7850K located in the top of the best mid-range processors for in 2016 thanks to the combination of quite good CPU and integrated graphics. The processor has four cores at a frequency of 3.7 GHz, 4 MB second level cache and support for overclocking. It also manufactured in 28-nm process technology and consumes up to 95 watts of power. The processor is designed for motherboards with FM2+ socket and works with DDR3 RAM memory at frequencies up to 2133MHz.
The advantage of AMD A10-7850K is the availability of decent integrated graphics. If you buy a fast DDR3 memory in a set of 2 bars – it’s possible to play even new games without buying a discrete graphics card.
AMD A10-7870K, $159.75
AMD is betting that the future of the company is APU, which combines a conventional processor (CPU) with the graphics processor (GPU). Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) was created with the promise of improved integrated graphics. Currently, the most effective A10-7870K APU from AMD comes at a relatively affordable price of 135 dollars on Amazon. It’s built on a 28nm process, clocked at 3.9GHz with four processor cores and eight graphics cores and is capable of storing more than 100W of power consuming. Just make sure that you are using two memory modules (if possible with the highest clock frequency) in tandem with the APU. AMD says that the processor is designed to run most of the major games at 30fps in 1080p resolution so that he should bestow the budget conscious gamers.
HIGH-END
AMD FX-9590, $199.00
This is the best processor that AMD can offer to its regular users. It’s the product of two years based on Vishera, which was based on 32nm technology – not even 28nm, and with a TDP of 220. Processor Pentium Extreme Edition 955 from Intel is often exposed to malicious attacks because of the old 130B cooler. With 16MB of shared cache (8MB L2 and 8MB L3) and the clock base of 4.7 GHz (Turbo acceleration up to 5 GHz), it was very brutally difficult to cool. Check whether your motherboard and cooling system to support it, before deciding on a purchase.
INTEL CORE I5-4690K, $251.65
There is a good reason why Intel Core i5-4690K processor is the bestselling on Amazon. This Devil Canyon’s one of the most if not the most accessible of K-series processor from Intel Core for 236 dollars, and as such it can be quite easy to overclock it with the modest effort. It has a base frequency of 3.5GHz and it’s able to exceed the 25% increase in speed. It doesn’t come with the hyper-threading system, which was not expected. The processor has a cache of 6MB L2, manufactured using a 22nm process, has a TDP 88B and compatibility with the Intel HD Graphics 4600 GPU.
INTEL CORE I7-6700K, $343.99
Intel’s Skylake generation of 4-cores processors, i7-6700K, is the most powerful model from Skylake company, which will replace processors based on the Broadwell in the short time. We have quite a powerful processor with four cores, eight threads, 8MB cache, a base clock speed of 4GHz, turbo-inflating to 4.2GGts and Intel HD Graphics 530 in the subsystem. Some enthusiastic can achieve the overclocking, this K-model is based on the 14nm process. Paired with a decent 100-series chipsets, and a with the oversized HSF modules DDR4 memory, you will see that it will fly. 5GHz (with the caution to 91B TDP).
INTEL CORE I7-5820K, $454.70
As the shadow of AMD, the Intel went back to producing products that require a new connector almost every year; perfect for sales, not good for buyers because complicates modernization. Core i7-5820K – part of Broadwell, isn’t the exception, it uses a different connector, aiming performance and the market. This allows it to take the place on this list of processors, because of it’s a 6-core system for 385 dollars on Amazon’s, some say it’s a bargain. In addition, 15MB cache, 12 threads and 28 lane PCI Express, and you have everything you need. The minus is regard to the TDP, but monstrous 140B for details, who works at a frequency 3.3GHz is definitely worth buying it.
