CPU comparison 2023
Before you even buy a new processor or a CPU, you naturally ask yourself the following questions: Which processor do I have to buy to meet my needs? Is the processor compatible with my previous system? Or where can I get a specific CPU from?
In our CPU test & comparison, we present the processors in the various price ranges so that you are well informed before you buy. It doesn't matter whether you have a budget of 50 or 600 euros, here you will find an optimal processor for your computer for every price range.
You can also take a look at our processor rankings to see which models are currently at the forefront of performance.
CPU comparison: The most powerful processors of the upper class!
Are you looking for a CPU in the price range of 300 to 600 euros? In our CPU comparison test, we have listed the best processors in the upper class and we are now presenting the top 4 to you. The best high-end processors in 2023 are the Core i9-9900K from Intel and the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X from AMD.
Both bring are intended absolutely for hardcore gamers and really have a lot on the box. But the I7-8700K and the Ryzen 7 2700X also did well in our test
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Intel Core i9-9900K processor (16M cache, up to ... |
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Buy now " |
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Intel Core i7-8700K processor (12 MB cache, up to... |
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Buy now " |
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AMD RYZEN™ THREADRIPPER 1950X |
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Buy now " |
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AMD Ryzen 7 2700X processor (base clock: 3.7GHz, 8... |
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Buy now " |
CPU comparison: The most powerful mid-range processors!
Are you looking for a CPU in the price range from 150 to 280 euros? In our CPU comparison, we have listed the best mid-range processors and we now present the top 4 to you. The best mid-range processors of 2023 are Intel's Core i5-8600K and AMD's Ryzen 5 2600X.
Both perform very well for their medium price range and therefore have a good price/performance ratio. But the Ryzen 5 2400G and the Core i3-8300 also did well in our test
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Intel Core i5-8600K Processor 3,6GHz (9MB Cache,... |
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Buy now " |
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Intel Core i3-8300 Processor (8MB Cache, 3,70... |
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Buy now " |
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AMD Ryzen 5 2600X processor (base clock: 3.6Hz, 6... |
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Buy now " |
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AMD RyzenTM 5 2400G with RadeonTM VegaTM... |
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Buy now " |
CPU comparison: The most powerful entry-level processors
Are you a beginner? And you only have a small budget of about 60 to 140 euros? Then an entry-level processor is very suitable for you. In our processor comparison, we tested the best entry-level processors and now present the top 4 to you.
The Core i3-8100 from Intel and the Ryzen 3 2200G from AMD performed best in the test. Despite their cheap price, both perform very well and are therefore perfect for beginners.
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Intel Core i3-8100 Processor (6MB Cache, 3,60... |
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Buy now " |
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Intel Pentium G4560 3,50GHz Boxed CPU |
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Buy now " |
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AMD RyzenTM 3 2200G with RadeonTM VegaTM... |
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Buy now " |
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AMD YD200GC6FBBOX Athlon 200GE Retail AM4 Dual... |
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Buy now " |
CPU ranking list: The best processors at a glance
Surely you are interested in which processors are the best at the moment….
We have shown a CPU ranking list for you below so that you have a better overview of which CPUs on the market are currently doing the best in terms of performance.
CPU leaderboard
| Tour Locations | Model | Price |
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| 1. | Intel Core i9-9980XE 18x 3.0Ghz | To the shop > |
| 2. | Intel Core i9-7980XE | 18x 2.6Ghz | To the shop > |
| 3. | Intel Core i9-9900K | 8x 3.6Ghz | To the shop > |
| 4. | AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X | 16x 3.5Ghz | To the shop > |
| 5. | Intel Core i9-10900K processor 10 cores at 3.7 GHz | To the shop > |
| 6. | Intel Core i7-8700K | 6x 3.7Ghz | To the shop > |
| 7. | AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X | 12x 3.5Ghz | To the shop > |
| 8. | Intel Core i7-9700K | 8x 3.6Ghz | To the shop > |
| 9. | AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X | 16x 3.4Ghz | To the shop > |
| 10. |
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, 32x 3.00GHz | To the shop > |
The best CPUs for a budget of 450 to 600 euros
The best CPUs for a budget of 300 to 450 euros
The best CPUs for a budget of 200 to 300 euros
The best CPUs for a budget of 100 to 200 euros
The best CPUs for a budget under 100 euros
The great CPU comparison guide | Everything you need to know
Before you even buy a new processor or CPU, you naturally ask yourself the following questions: Which processor do I have to buy to meet my needs? Is the processor compatible with my previous system? Or where can I get a specific CPU from? We answer your questions in our processor comparison guide and support you in your purchase decision.
What is a processor and what do I need it for?
A processor, also known as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the heart of your computer. It is installed in almost all electronic devices such as notebooks, mobile phones or computers and serves as a central processing unit to process commands. The most well-known processor manufacturers are AMD and Intel.
Summarized
The processor is a small chip that is attached to the mainboard. It is the first command recipient of an electronic device and receives commands and forwards them to the appropriate places such as the main memory.
How much does a processor cost me?
Depending on what you need your computer for, you can pay 50,00 euros or 1000,00 euros for a CPU. In general, the prices for a processor start at around 50,00 euros. For example, there is the "AMD Athlon 200GE", which currently costs around 48,00 euros.
A high-priced processor, such as the upper class processor "AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X", currently costs around 615,00 euros and has a lot of power for the money. But it can be even more expensive... The "Intel Xeon W-3175X" costs a mere 4.000,00 euros and is priceless for the average gamer and is therefore only available occasionally.
Which processor meets my expectations?
INTEL like AMD: Both processor manufacturers offer their models in many performance and price classes. Which current CPUs are suitable for whom simply depends on the application and your own needs. In our CPU test & comparison, we distinguish between the entry-level, middle-class and upper-class.
entry level
Anyone who surfs the Internet or does work with Word, Excel or PowerPoint only needs a simple processor. At Intel, this includes the models in the Celeron and Pentium series, such as the Celeron G4900 and the Pentium G4560. These processors are already available from 50,00 euros. At AMD, the Ryzen 3 or the Athlon models are intended for this. Simple processors may not be powerful, but they are quite frugal when it comes to power consumption and do not require complex cooling.
middle class
If you work with Adobe programs such as Photoshop or Elements and don't need long waiting times, a mid-range processor is an advantage. In this segment, Intel offers Core i3 and Core i5 processors such as the Core i3-8300 and the Core i5-8600k, AMD the Ryzen 5 family, such as the Ryzen 5 2600X. The prices start here at around 150,00 euros. Even gamers who value a good price-performance ratio are in good hands in the mid-range processor. Those who regularly use virtual machines (VMs) also benefit from the computing power of the CPUs mentioned
Upper class
If you want to edit crisp 4K videos or play complex games of the "Battlefield V" caliber, you should choose a model from the upper performance class. Intel has models from the Core i7 series, such as the Core i7-9700 and, more recently, the Core i9 series, while AMD has the Ryzen 7 models such as the Ryzen 7 2700X or the new Ryzen Threadripper.
Disadvantages: These processors are expensive, the sales prices start at around 300,00 euros and go up to 800,00 euros. In addition, they sometimes develop high operating temperatures and therefore require more complex cooling.
AMD or INTEL? Which manufacturer is better?
The manufacturers "AMD" and "Intel" are mainly represented on the processor market, and this raises the question for many: Should I rather buy a CPU from Intel or from AMD? The question is quite justified, but there is no clear answer, because both processor manufacturers offer good and inexpensive CPUs. In general, however, one can say that Intel processors are somewhat more powerful, while AMD processors perform better in terms of their price/performance ratio.
What is the clock speed of a processor?
The clock frequency of a CPU describes the speed rhythm of a processor in units (Hz). Put simply, it describes the number of work steps per second. However, since one is in the billion range here, the clock frequency is usually given in (GHz) In general, a distinction is made between the internal and the external clock frequency when it comes to the frequency of a CPU.
The internal clock rate, also known as the CPU clock, simply describes the speed at which the CPU internally processes the commands. From this one can conclude: The more Megahertz (MHz) a CPU has, the faster it is. The external clock rate, also known as the "system clock", determines, unlike the internal clock rate, the speed at which the processor responds to the random access memory (RAM) accesses. The system clock is here from the Motherboard given.
Info
Basically, the higher the clock frequency, the faster the processor. However, the performance of a processor also depends on numerous other factors, such as the number of cores or the cache.
What is the cache on a processor?
A processor's cache is a special type of buffer memory that sits in the computer between the RAM and the CPU. Since it would be too expensive for the CPU to fetch each instruction individually from the main memory, an entire data block of instructions is loaded directly from the main memory into the cache. Thus, the processor does not have to access the main memory again until all commands have been processed or a jump command leads to a jump address outside of the cache.
A cache is a buffer that allows commands to be processed more quickly. CPUs usually work with multi-level caches that vary in size and speed. These caches are then called L1, L2, and L3 caches. The cache should be as large as possible so that the processor can execute the commands one after the other without a long wait.
What are threads on a processor?
When talking about threads in a processor, these are virtual cores of a CPU. If you have a four-core processor such as the Intel Core i7-8700K, the CPU can offer the system eight virtual cores because it supports so-called "hyperthreading".
Hyperthreading can thus double the number of cores and increase the performance of the processor. However, physical cores are still more powerful than virtual ones, since threads have to share some working environments with physical cores. So it can happen that one of the two has to wait until the other has finished using it.
What do all the abbreviations mean?
The scheme of how an Intel processor is built always remains the same. The "Intel Core i9" refers to the manufacturer's processor series, followed by the generation, which in our example is the "9th generation". This is followed by the model number, namely the "900, as can be seen in the picture above.". The larger the model number of a CPU, the more powerful the processor. Finally, the suffix comes at the end, which indicates special properties of the processor.
Intel suffixes and their meaning:
| Suffix | Significance |
|---|---|
| K | Overclockable |
| H | high performance graphics card |
| Q | Four core processor |
| P | No integrated graphics card |
| XE | "Xtreme Edition" |
| M | CPU for phones/laptops/tablets |
| U | Very low power consumption |
| Y | Extremely low power consumption |
Info
If you want to know if you can overclock a processor, look for the suffix after the model number. A "K" at the end of an Intel processor means it is overclockable. AMD, on the other hand, can always be overclocked, an "X" at the end of the AMD model number only indicates higher clock rates.
With AMD, the whole thing is a bit more difficult to understand than with Intel, since the processor is made up of several labels. At the beginning of an AMD processor there is always the product series, which in our case is "Ryzen". Other series are, for example, "Threadripper" or "Athlon" and "FX".
The type is specified after the product series, namely type "7" in our example. Now follows the generation and the performance level of the AMD processor. After the performance level, the model number is given and finally, as with Intel, the suffix.
AMD suffixes and their meaning:
| Suffix | Significance |
|---|---|
| X | High performance, standard desktop CPU |
| G | With integrated graphics card |
| T | Low power consumption |
| S | Low power with GPU |
| H | Performance mobile CPU |
| U | Standard Mobile CPU |
| M | Low power Mobile CPU |
What are cores? And what do more CPU cores bring?
The goal of every CPU manufacturer is to increase the computing power of a processor. Since the increase in clock speed has led to serious problems, manufacturers are now using multiple CPU cores because, among other things, it is cheaper to implement multiple cores in one chip.
But what is the point of having multiple cores?
The load of each computer is distributed over all cores of the CPU, which means that in practice the computer will freeze and be overloaded less often. Multiple cores are very beneficial when you use multiple applications at the same time, such as running a game while listening to music. The work is then distributed to the cores and thus it is even possible to use both at the same time without being plagued by laggs.
What does boxed and tray mean?
When you buy a processor you can usually choose between the boxed and the tray version. Boxed processors are more intended for retail and are sold with a manual and manufacturer's warranty and usually with a CPU cooler. Tray CPUs, on the other hand, are usually intended for large computer manufacturers, but you can often buy them online from large hardware retailers.
The only difference here is that they are sold without a manufacturer's warranty, manual or cooler and therefore they are usually a bit cheaper in purchase price. It is recommended to buy a boxed CPU, as you have a manufacturer's guarantee and are on the safe side, even if you have to pay a few euros more for it.
Which processors can you overclock and what's the point?
Overclocking, also known as overclocking, allows you to increase the performance level of your processor beyond the actual level. You can tune your CPU like an engine, so to speak, to get more power. However, this also entails risks if it is carried out on an excessive scale. In the worst case, the CPU overheats and gets damaged as a result. As a result, system crashes and data loss can occur.
Note from the editors
Overclocking is more for professionals: If you want to overclock your CPU, it can quickly happen that you damage it and put too much strain on it. In addition, overclocking cannot necessarily meet your expectations, so you should find out beforehand whether it makes any sense to overclock your CPU and how exactly the whole thing works.
New processor? This is to be considered when buying!
Before you get yourself a new processor, there are several factors you should definitely pay attention to to avoid any inconvenience. First of all, you should be clear about what you actually need your computer for and use this to make the decision for the right processor. For example, if you only need your computer to do a few jobs in Word and Excel, an entry-level CPU will do just fine.
However, if you want to play the latest and most complex computer games, you should buy a high-end CPU, since these games require a lot of power to run smoothly. If you have decided on a processor, it is very important to see if your motherboard and CPU are compatible with each other. You have to make sure that the CPU and the motherboard have the same socket.
Let's take the Intel Core i7-8700K as an example. This CPU has the socket "1152" and therefore we also need a mainboard with the same socket. A compatible mainboard would be the Asus Prime Z390-A, for example, since it has socket "1152" just like the CPU. If this is not the case, the CPU and mainboard do not match and you have to exchange one of the two components, which is of course annoying and time-consuming.
Install processor: How it works!
Step 1: Preparation is the be-all and end-all: make sure there is bright work light, preferably put screwdrivers, handkerchiefs, Thermal Compound and optionally a hair dryer.
Step 2: With the power off, unplug the power cord and ground yourself. Now open the side door of the housing and lay the computer on its side - the open side facing up. A cooler usually covers the processor: unplug the fan's power cable and loosen the screws, clips, or push-pins, as appropriate, to remove the cooler. It is often still quite tight, even though the holder has been loosened. This is usually due to the thermal paste. If it's heated - for example because the computer was running shortly beforehand - it's easier. A hair dryer also helps.
Step 3: Now only one bar blocks access to the CPU: open it and carefully remove the old processor from its socket. The new CPU can only be installed in one direction - this can usually be recognized by a notch or marking.
Step 4: Now you have to attach the bracket and use a handkerchief to apply a wafer-thin layer of thermal paste before you reinstall the cooler. Done!
Installing the processor: video instructions
CPU comparison: our verdict
The processor market is huge and it is all the more difficult to keep track of all the models. If you have looked at our CPU comparison in detail, it should now be easier for you to make a purchase decision.
The most important thing is that you think about what you need a new processor for. Once you've decided whether you need an entry-level, mid-range, or high-end processor, it's still important to consider whether your CPU and your mainboard have the same base so that they can also harmonize together.
Many beginners do not pay attention to this and so it often happens that the CPU and mainboard do not fit together and that is of course annoying...
