The processor is the next most important component for your gaming computer. It’s like the brain of your system. And, the processor you choose for your PC will play a significant role in determining what level of performance you’ll be able to receive from your system.
If you choose a cheap CPU, your in-game experience will suffer. On the other hand, a quality processor can make all the difference and will give you better results in your games.
In this article, we will go over everything you need to know in order to choose a quality processor for your gaming computer.
How to Choose a Processor
There are so many different processors out there that it can be difficult to choose the right one for your computer.It basically depends upon your workload on the PC needs . Is it for games or for business or for video rendering ? Not only that, but there are also a lot of different factors that you’ll need to consider when choosing your CPU.
The following is a list of the most important things to consider when picking your CPU
- Price
The CPU you choose will be one of the most expensive components in your system. The price range for purchasing a capable processor for gaming is 6000 INR on the low end and goes all the way over 5000 INR on the extreme end. Obviously, the higher your budget, the better the processor you can get. However, once you hit a certain price point, your performance to price ratio starts to saturate. For instance, after certain price point the extra performance that you get for extra amount you spend will decrease. For this reason, you should carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of spending a big portion of your budget on a processor. Of course, if you have an unlimited budget, then by all means you can go all extreme build.
For low budget builds, processors in the 6,000-10,000 INR range will work well and for mid-to-high budgets, CPUs between 10,000-30,000 INR are good options. For extreme Builds you can spend more than 30,000 INR - AMD vs. Intel
One of the most important decisions is whether you should get an Intel CPU or an AMD CPU. While both manufacturers produce very capable processors for gaming, they do have some key differences that are important to consider. When compared to AMD CPUs, Intel chips typically operate with higher efficiency and consume less power. However, AMD often prices their processors at lower costs than Intel processors.According to a number of computing benchmarks from the Web, Intel chips, on average, hit higher levels of performance. However, AMD has consistently priced their CPUs lower than Intel’s chips and, because of that, it allows them to remain very competitive in the market for gaming-specific processors.
In reality, though, with so much of the in-game performance being placed on the GPU, the difference in performance between similarly-priced CPUs from both manufacturers in an in-game setting is fairly same. - Compatibility
Compatibility is always something that must be considered when building a computer. You must ensure that the processor you choose will actually work with your other components—namely, your motherboard.
CPU/motherboard compatibility is mainly dependent on the motherboard’s socket. Different series’ of motherboards are built to accommodate different series’ of processors.
For instance, the Intel Core i5-4670K LGA 1150 Quad-Core Processor is compatible with the LGA 1150 socket. Therefore, you would need an LGA 1150 motherboard in order to use the i5-4670K.Likewise, an AMD FX-8350 AM3+ Eight-Core Processor would be compatible with the AM3+ socket. And, because of that, you would need to find an AM3+ motherboard in order to use the FX-8350.
So, be careful while choosing the right/compatible motherboard for the processor you choose- Cores
Each microprocessor on a single processing chip is called a “core.” Theoretically, the more cores you have, the more your computer can do at once, and the better your system will perform.
While AMD CPUs tend to, on average, have a higher core count than Intel processors, Intel chips still achieve similar or even higher performance levels. This is because in single-core performance (which is just the performance of a single microprocessor), Intel microprocessors generally reach higher levels. Therefore, despite the fact that an Intel processor may only have four cores, in certain scenarios, it can still perform similarly or higher than an eight-core CPU that has lower single-core performance. As of right now, most games only utilize a 2-6 cores on average. Example games like CSGO require a minimum of 2 cores to 4 cores whereas games like Battlefield 4 require 4 to 8 cores. So, a 4 core processor should be the sweet spot for now. For future proofing you can opt for an 8 core. But ,then Again opting for an 12 or 16 core version is overkill and waste of money . In case your work is heavy video rendering then in that case more cores are beneficial and require high end processors which are generally expensive. - Speed
Processing speed has long been the staple when determining the quality of a CPU. While processing speed isn’t everything, it does give you a decent idea of what to expect out of a processor.
Processing speed—or clock rate—is measured in GHz (Gigahertz). Basically, a processor’s clock rate is the frequency at which the CPU is running. The higher the clock rate, the faster the processor operates. And a faster processor translates to higher frame rates.
However, a CPU with a higher clock rate is not necessarily a better chip than a CPU with a lower clock rate. Intel processors, for instance, typically have lower clock rates than AMD processors. However, Intel processors typically complete more instructions per clock cycle than AMD processors do. Or, in other words, Intel processors get more done in the same amount of time as AMD processors and, therefore, they do not have to go as fast to do the same amount of work. Since AMD processors usually have higher clock frequencies for the same amount of money, you need to compare the final performance of the processors you are considering.
Verdict
Ultimately, there are many different CPU options available at various different price ranges. The one that is right for you will mostly depend on your budget.
Generally speaking, in order to make sure your gaming computer is the best that it can be, you need to choose a quality multi-core processor for your new build. You need to take your time when choosing your CPU as it is one of the most important pieces of your system and it needs to work well with all the other components in the system.
