Although the most important component of any gaming PC is the graphics card, gamers still need a decent CPU which doesn’t hold back their GPU.
Gaming processors also need to be able to handle stress such as physics calculations and multi-tasking.
We’ve selected processors of varying performance levels, all of which can handle most modern games without any noticeable bottlenecks.
Below are the best value processors for gamers, based on their PassMark score, pricing and gaming compatibility:
Intel Core i3 6100
PassMark Score: 5,491
Price: R2,149
Although the Intel Core i3 6100 Skylake processor only has 2 physical cores, through the magic of hyper-threading and Skylake architecture it provides a stable entry-level gaming platform and should be able to handle most modern games.
AMD FX 6300
PassMark Score: 6,341
Price: R2,120
The AMD FX 6300 is a six-core CPU which boasts high clock speeds, although it lacks hyper-threading and the lower TDP of the newer Intel Skylake processors.
Intel Core i7 4790K
PassMark Score: 11,198
Price: R5,799
Although it is relatively old compared to the newer Skylake processors, the Intel Core i7 4790K “Devil’s Canyon” CPU still packs a mean punch, with 4 cores, 8 threads, and a boost clock of 4.4GHz, this processor won’t be bottle-necking your graphics card any time soon.
Intel Core i5 6600K
PassMark Score: 7,798
Price: R4,272
The Intel Core i5 6600K is currently one of the most popular processors among PC gamers, as it is the perfect compromise between high-end performance and value.
Intel Core i7 6700K
PassMark Score: 10,996
Price: R6,213
The Intel Core i7 6700K is the big brother of the Core i5 6600K.
Boasting more power at a higher premium, the 6700K is perfect for the gamer or overclocking enthusiast, but it comes at a bit of a price.
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