Best budget CPU in 2023 – cheap processors from Intel and Ryzen

If you’re looking for the best budget CPU, we’ve got you covered right here with our top picks.

Having a good CPU is vital for the performance of your computer. This is especially true when it comes to gaming. There’s no point in having the best GPU for 1440p if your processor is just going to bottleneck its power.

As will all gaming tech, there is a balancing act between price and performance here. However, when it comes to CPUs, you don’t have to necessarily break the bank to get the performance level you want. All the CPUs you’ll see here perform well in high-end games and can unlock the full potential of your PC.

While you won’t see any of the fancy 3D cache technology you get with the buy Ryzen 7 7800X3D, or the sheer speeds of the best CPU for gaming, you can still expect impressive boost clocks, thread counts and cache sizes.

Before we start here are a few things to keep in mind when looking for your CPU. The first is that all the chips here are either Intel or Ryzen. This is no coincidence. These two companies lead the way for budget CPUs, especially ones for gaming.

Another thing to keep in mind is which specs are the more useful for gaming performance. For example, clock speed beats core count, as gaming is not often multi-core dependent.

We’ve broken down our picks into separate categories and given a detailed description of each one. This means you’ll get an overview of each. As a result, you should be able to make an informed decision on which one you want to go for.

Let’s get into our picks.

Best budget CPU under $150 – Intel Core i3-12100F

This CPU from Intel packs in a staggering amount of performance considering its low price. For under $150, you get impressive single-core performance and a mighty 4.3GHz clock speed. This knocks many of the other CPUs in this price range out of the water.

The under $200 price category is the one that is arguably the most overlooked so it’s great to see the big players in chip design paying it some proper attention.

For this price there are, of course, some sacrifices made, the core frequency is not able to be over-clocked for example. On top of this, the low core count reduces the chip’s performance in multi-core activity.

This is a chip focused on gaming, however, and it certainly performs well here. It has also got great compatibility with DDR4 and DDR5 memory, as well as multiple panes for both PCle 5.0 and 4.0. All of this is achieved while being offered for a very reasonable price.

Best overall budget CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 5600x

The Ryzen 5 5600X would be our number one recommendation for anyone looking for a budget CPU. Despite being priced extremely reasonably, the performance this thing provides is absolutely mind-blowing.

Combining a base clock frequency of 3.7 GHz with 6 cores, the chip also benefits from a few other standout features. That speed can boost up to 4.6 GHz as and when the operating system requires it; this will mean far fewer bottlenecks in your gaming sessions.

As well as this, the 5600X has AMD’s Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) technology, which effectively allows each of the 6 on-board cores to process two tasks at once. Just about every modern AAA title is able to take advantage of this kind of processing, providing even more capacity for smooth performance.

As if that wasn’t enough, an unlocked multiplier means that you can (so long as you provide adequate cooling) overclock the 5600x for even better results. If this isn’t something you’ve done before, we’d advise you to do your research first.

The 5600x is limited to DDR4 memory and PCIe 4.0 devices. If you compare DDR4 vs DDR5 for gaming DDR5 is undeniably superior. However, as those are still fairly modern tech standards – and providing you equip your gaming rig with a suitable GPU – you’ll still be able to tear through modern AAA titles for some time to come.

To sum it up, this chip really does have the perfect price to performance ratio. It can still keep up with titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 at 1080P, and will provide all of the overhead needed to perform non-gaming tasks as well.

Best budget CPU for gaming – Intel Core i5-13400

If budget is your primary concern, and you need to buy a CPU right now, the i5-13400 is still a wonderful option which will provide the kind of performance you need during intense gaming sessions.

While the clock speed of 2.5 GHz might sound fairly modest, the fact of the matter is that the 10 cores provided – as well as the ability to boost to 4.6 GHz while under load – should provide more than enough juice for any gamer on a budget.

Another feature that will make a significant difference to your gaming experience is Intel’s patented Hyper-Threading technology, which – like AMD’s Simultaneous Multithreading – will allow all of the 10 cores to work with two threads at a time, and this will reduce stutters or lag.

In terms of pushing its boundaries, the i5-13400 does not have an unlocked multiplier and so you won’t be able to do a lot of meaningful overclocking with it. 

On the bright side, it does have full compatibility with the DDR4, DDR5, and PCIe 5.0, which brings with it a tonne of benefits vs PCIe 4.0 . This means that you’ll be able to continue buying the newer GPUs which come onto the market in the next few years, while also pairing them with the fastest memory available.

The chip only draws a TDP of 65w, which is fairly typical for a processor with this kind of performance. And, if you’re on a really tight budget, the fact that it comes with Intel’s UHD 770 integrated graphics processor will still allow you to run games even if you can’t currently afford a dedicated GPU.

We really like the i5-13400; it combines really great performance with up-to-date compatibility and a price tag that’s totally fair for all the benefits you’ll be receiving. This isn’t just a budget processor, but one that’s going to still provide excellent gaming experiences for some time to come.

Best budget CPU for streaming – Intel Core i5-12600K

Game streaming can be quite a resource-heavy task, especially when it’s being performed by the same processor handling heavy AAA titles like Elden Ring or Destiny 2. However, even on a budget, the i5-12600K from Intel should provide enough horsepower to allow you to entertain your fans without any issue.

The core specs of the i5-12600K are actually quite impressive for a processor in this price range; with 10 cores (which can effectively be doubled thanks to Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology) and a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz, there’s going to be enough overhead here to play eSports titles while streaming.

When you start to load up more demanding games, though, the chip’s ability to boost up to 4.9 GHz will allow you to avoid stutter or lag, even if you’re also broadcasting your webcam during gameplay. 

As this is one of Intel’s ‘K’ series chips, the i5-12600K arrives with an unlocked multiplier, allowing you to draw out even more performance by adjusting the core frequency. If you intend on doing this, though, you’d better make sure you have decent cooling in your rig.

In fact, we’d probably recommend good cooling from the get-go, as this chip draws a TDP of 125W! However, for the horsepower this thing provides, we feel that it’s a fair compromise.

In terms of its compatibility, the DDR4, DDR5, and PCIe 4.0 standards are all supported here. This means that, as time goes by and your budget increases, you’ll still be able to pick up a cutting-edge GPU (as well as fast memory) without having to put together a brand new streaming PC.

All in all, this is a really well-priced CPU, and one that we feel provides all of the bells and whistles necessary for a fantastic streaming experience. It might not be the greatest option on the market, but it will allow you to enjoy some great performance while you continue growing your audience (and your savings!).

Frequently asked questions

The language around CPUs can be over technical, to say the least. Because of this, there are af ew questions that we see coming up time and time again. We’ve answered a few of them here.

Is it okay to use 100% of your CPU?

It is totally safe for your CPU to use be at 100%, though it will impact performance.

How many cores do you need for gaming?

6 cores are considered a core count suitable for entry-level gaming, though performance will improve with more cores.

Can you overclock Intel CPUs?

Not all Intel CPUs are able to be overclocked. It is best to check the one you are thinking of going for individually but as a rule of thumb, if it ends in a ‘K’ or ‘X’ it can be overclocked.