The life of a gamer can be very hard, and that is not necessarily because he sometimes stay all night to play a game; that is only one of the things that make it interesting. What makes it hard is selecting the right gaming components. It even becomes harder when you have to put together your gaming PC yourself and you start wondering the type of memory, processor, cooling solution, and other things to get.
As a gamer, if you are set to build for yourself a gaming PC, one of the most important things to get is the processor. This is because it is the brain of your computer and it is what mostly defines performance. More so, it is not one of the easiest things to choose because of how busy and confusing the processor market is. That is why we have decided on drawing this CPU hierarchy.
The CPU market has been defined by AMD and Intel, both of which have been racing to outperform the other and are great in their different ways. Each CPU in the hierarchy is important, but it depends on what you really need since a Tier3 CPU may serve you better than a Tier 1 if the only need you have is that of an average gamer.
CPU Hierarchy 2018
Tier 1
Intel(Core i9 X Series Processors) |
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| Model | Base Clock | Overclock speed | Core/Thread count | L3 Cache | Socket |
| Intel Core i9-7980XE | 2.60 GHz | 4.20 GHz | 18 / 36 | 24.75 MB | LGA2066 |
| Intel Core i9-7960X | 2.80 GHz | 4.20 GHz | 16 / 32 | 22 MB | LGA2066 |
| Intel Core i9-7940X | 3.10 GHz | 4.30 GHz | 14 / 28 | 19.25 MB | LGA2066 |
| Intel Core i9-7920X | 2.90 GHz | 4.30 GHz | 12 / 24 | 16.5 MB | LGA2066 |
| Intel Core i9-7900X | 3.30 GHz | 4.30 GHz | 10 / 20 | 13.75 MB | LGA2066 |
AMD(Ryzen Threadripper Processors) |
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| Model | Base Clock | Overclock speed | Core/Thread count | L3 Cache | Socket |
| Ryzen Threadripper 1950X | 3.4 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 16 / 32 | 32 MB | TR4 |
| Ryzen Threadripper 1920X | 3.5 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 12 / 24 | 32 MB | TR4 |
| Ryzen Threadripper 1900X | 3.8 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 8 / 16 | 16 MB | TR4 |
Before the coming of Intel Core i9 processors, AMD tried taking charge of this end of the market with the Ryzen Threadripper. Although it controlled the market for some time, the Intel soon came on board and it is now able to offer a little better than its AMD rival.
The CPUs in Tier 1 are the most powerful that the market has to offer right now. While they are the most powerful in rendering heavy programs and for other critical activities, they may not necessarily be the ones that a gamer should go for. This is mostly because while they cost an arm and a leg, they are too much of an investment for a gamer to make.
Rather than gamers, the processors are mainly targetted at workstations and servers. If you decide to go with this for gaming, you will get a breeze gaming experience but you will also get the same with the Tier 2 processors so it will only be a waste of potentials at the end of the day.
Tier 2
Intel(Core i7, i5, and i3 Series Processors) |
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| Model | Base Clock | Overclock speed | Core/Thread count | L3 Cache | Socket |
| Intel Core i7-8700K | 3.70 GHz | 4.70 GHz | 6 / 12 | 12 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i7-8700 | 3.20 GHz | 4.60 GHz | 6 / 12 | 12 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i7-7820X | 3.60 GHz | 4.30 GHz | 8 / 16 | 11 MB | LGA2066 |
| Intel Core i7-7800X | 3.50GHz | 4.00 GHz | 6 / 12 | 8.25 MB | LGA2066 |
| Intel Core i7-6950X | 3.00 GHz | 3.50 GHz | 10 / 20 | 25 MB | LGA2011-3 |
| Intel Core i7-7740X | 4.30 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB | LGA2066 |
| Intel Core i7-7700K | 4.20 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 3.60 GHz | 4.20 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i7-7700T | 2.90 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i7-6900K | 3.20 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 8 / 16 | 20 MB | LGA2011-3 |
| Intel Core i7-6850K | 3.60 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 6 / 12 | 15 MB | LGA2011-3 |
| Intel Core i7-6800K | 3.40 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 6 / 12 | 15 MB | LGA2011-3 |
| Intel Core i7-6700K | 4.00GHz | 4.20 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i7-6700 | 3.40 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i7-6700T | 2.80 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i7-5960X | 3.00GHz | 3.50 GHz | 8 / 16 | 20 MB Smart Cache | LGA2011-3 |
| Intel Core i7-5930K | 3.50 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 6 / 12 | 15 MB | LGA2011-3 |
| Intel Core i7-5820K | 3.30 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 6 / 12 | 15 MB Smart Cache | LGA2011-3 |
| Intel Core i5-8600K | 3.60 GHz | 4.30 GHz | 6 / 6 | 9 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-8400 | 2.80 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 6 / 6 | 9 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-8350K | 4.00 GHz | – | 4 / 4 | 8 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-8100 | 3.60 GHz | – | 4 / 4 | 6 MB | LGA1151 |
AMD(Ryzen 7 Series) |
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| Model | Base Clock | Overclock speed | Core/Thread count | L3 Cache | Socket |
| Ryzen 7 1800X | 3.60 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 8 / 16 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 7 Pro 1700X | 3.40 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 8 / 16 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 7 1700X | 3.40 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 8 / 16 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 7 Pro 1700 | 3.00 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 8 / 16 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 7 1700 | 3.00 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 8 / 16 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 7 2700X | 3.00 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 8 / 16 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 7 2700 | 3.00 GHz | 3.20 GHz | 8 / 16 | 16 MB | AM4 |
For a hardcore gamer who wants to take a perfect ride, the CPUs on this tier are the ones that I will easily propose. Of course, they are also on the high side of things when it comes to finances, but they also come with top-notch processing capabilities and power to run any game like a piece of pie.
In the same line with gamers, this is also a great piece for content creators and streamers. Not only do they come with high core counts, the advantage they also have is that most of them use mainstream sockets in the same way with those in the first tier.
For an average gaming Joe, getting the CPUs in this tier will be nothing but a waste of money since a much lower and cheaper processor should be able to work in the same way. Hence, the recommendation for an average gamer is to go with a third tier CPU.
Tier 3
Intel(Core i7 and i5 Series Processors) |
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| Model | Base Clock | Overclock speed | Core/Thread count | L3 Cache | Socket |
| Intel Core i7 – 4960X | 3.60 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 6 / 12 | 15MB Smart Cache | LGA2011 |
| Intel Core i7-4930K | 3.40 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 6 / 12 | 12 MB Smart Cache | LGA2011 |
| Intel Core i7-4820K | 3.70 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 10 MB Smart Cache | LGA2011 |
| Intel Core i7-4790K | 4.00 GHz | 4.40 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i7-4790T | 2.70 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i7-4790 | 3.60 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i7-4785T | 2.20 GHz | 3.2 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i7-4771 | 3.50 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i7-4770R | 3.20 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 6 MB Smart Cache | BGA1364 |
| Intel Core i7-4770T | 2.50 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i7-4770S | 3.10 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i7-4770K | 3.50 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i7-4770 | 3.40 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i7-4765T | 2.00 GHz | 3.00 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i7-3970X | 3.50 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 6 / 12 | 15 MB Smart Cache | LGA2011 |
| Intel Core i7-3960X | 3.30 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 6 / 12 | 15 MB Smart Cache | LGA2011 |
| Intel Core i7-3930K | 3.20 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 6 / 12 | 12 MB Smart Cache | LGA2011 |
| Intel Core i7-3820 | 3.60 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 4 / 8 | 10 MB Smart Cache | LGA2011 |
| Intel Core i7-3770T | 2.50 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i7-3770S | 3.10 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i7-3770K | 3.50 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i7-3770 | 3.40 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i7-2700K | 3.50 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i7-2600S | 2.80 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i7-2600K | 3.40 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 3.40 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i5-7640X | 4.00 GHz | 4.20 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB | LGA2066 |
| Intel Core i5-7600K | 3.80 GHz | 4.20 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-7600 | 3.50 GHz | 4.10 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-7600T | 2.80 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 3.40 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-7500T | 2.70 GHz | 3.30 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-7400 | 2.40 GHz | 3.00 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-7400T | 3.00 GHz | 3.50 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-6600K | 3.50 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-6600T | 2.70 GHz | 3.50 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-6600 | 3.30 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-6500T | 2.50 GHz | 3.10 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-6500 | 3.20 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-6400T | 2.20 GHz | 2.80 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-6400 | 2.70 GHz | 3.30 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i5-4690 | 3.50 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4690K | 3.50 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4690S | 3.20 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4690T | 2.50 GHz | 3.50 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4670 | 3.40 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4670R | 3.00 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 4 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | BGA1364 |
| Intel Core i5-4670S | 3.10 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4670T | 2.30 GH | 3.30 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4670K | 3.40 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4590 | 3.30 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4590S | 3.30 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4590T | 2.00 GHz | 3.00 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4570 | 3.20 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4570R | 2.70 GHz | 3.20 GHz | 4 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | BGA1364 |
| Intel Core i5-4570S | 2.90 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4570T | 2.90 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4460 | 3.20 GHz | 3.40 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4460T | 2.90 GHz | 3.40 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4460T | 1.90 GHz | 2.70 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i5-4440S | 2.80 GHz | 3.30 GHz | 4 / 4 | 6 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
AMD(Ryzen 5 Series) |
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| Model | Base Clock | Overclock speed | Core/Thread count | L3 Cache | Socket |
| Ryzen 5 1600X | 3.60 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 6 / 12 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 5 1600 | 3.20 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 6 / 12 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 5 Pro 1600 | 3.20 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 6 / 12 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 5 1500X | 3.50 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 4 / 8 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 5 Pro 1500 | 3.50 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 4 / 8 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 5 1400 | 3.20 GHz | 3.40 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 5 2600X | 3.6 GHz | 4.2GHz. | 6/ 12 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 5 2600 | 3.00 GHz | 3.4 GHz | 6 / 12 | 16 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 5 2400G | 3.6 GHz | 3.9 GHz | 4 / 8 | 4 MB | AM4 |
Because you still get a good number of cores at a very good and reasonable price, the CPUs in this tier are the best for any gamer. Their performance and approachability has made them the most popular among gamers and also among people who need computers that perform better than just the average.
While Intel’s popularity has been mostly with processors such as Core i5-8600K and Core i5-8400, AMD has likewise been popular in the competition with the Ryzen 5 2600X and Ryzen 5 2600.
The power and efficiency you get here is greater than what you get with the Tier 4 and 5 CPUs but it is lower than what you get with Tier 1 and 2.
Tier 4
Intel(Core i3 Series Processors) |
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| Model | Base Clock | Overclock speed | Core/Thread count | L3 Cache | Socket |
| Intel Core i3-7350K | 4.20 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-7320 | 4.10 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-7300 | 4.00 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-7300T | 3.50 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-7101E | 3.90 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-7101TE | 3.40 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-7100T | 3.40 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-7100 | 3.90 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-6300 | 3.80 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-6300T | 3.30 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-6320 | 3.90 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-6100 | 3.70 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-6100T | 3.20 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-6098P | 3.60 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Core i3-4370 | 3.80 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4370T | 3.30 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4360 | 3.70 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4360T | 3.20 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4350 | 3.60 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4350T | 3.10 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4340 | 3.60 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4330 | 3.50 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4330T | 3.00 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4170 | 3.70 GHz | 2 / 4 | 3 MB | LGA1150 | |
| Intel Core i3-4170T | 3.20 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4160 | 3.60 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4160T | 3.10 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4150 | 3.50 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4150T | 3.00 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4130 | 3.40 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
| Intel Core i3-4130T | 2.90 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1150 |
AMD(Ryzen 3 and FX Series) |
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| Model | Base Clock | Overclock speed | Core/Thread count | L3 Cache | Socket |
| Ryzen 3 1300X | 3.50 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 4 / 4 | 8 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 3 Pro 1300 | 3.50 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 4 / 4 | 8 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 3 Pro 1200 | 3.10 GHz | 3.40 GHz | 4 / 4 | 8 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 3 1200 | 3.10 GHz | 3.40 GHz | 4 / 4 | 8 MB | AM4 |
| Ryzen 3 2200G | 3.5 GHz | 3.6GHz | 4 / 4 | 8 MB | AM4 |
| AMD FX-9590 | 4.70 GHz | 5.00 GHz | 8 / 8 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-9370 | 4.40 GHz | 4.70 GHz | 8 / 8 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-8370E | 3.30 GHz | 4.30 GHz | 8 / 8 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-8370 | 4.00 GHz | 4.30 GHz | 8 / 8 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-8350 | 4.00 GHz | 4.20 GHz | 8 / 8 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-8320E | 3.20 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 8 / 8 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-8320 | 3.50 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 8 / 8 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-8300 | 3.30 GHz | 4.20 GHz | 8 / 8 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
If you are a new gamer, this may be the choice for you, even though you will still need to have nothing short of a Tier 3 GPU to add some boosting to the processor. In the CPU hierarchy, while those found on the list are better than what you get with the Tier 4, they fall short of what you get with the Tier 3. In the same way, they cost more than the former and more than the latter.
See Also: Best Motherboards For i7 Intel Core Processors
This will be able to help you play some good games, but you will experience dragging of feet when it comes to games that are highly demanding. That is why I will suggest them for someone who is still new in the gaming circle and may not want to put in too much money in the building of a rig.
Tier 5
Intel(Pentium G, Intel Core i7, i5, and i3 Series Processors) |
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| Model | Base Clock | Overclock speed | Core/Thread count | L3 Cache | Socket |
| Intel Core i7-970 | 3.20 GHz | 3.46 GHz | 6 / 12 | 12MB Smart Cache | LGA1366 |
| Intel Core i7-965 | 3.20 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1366 |
| Intel Core i7-960 | 3.20 GHz | 3.46 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1366 |
| Intel Core i7-940 | 2.93 GHz | 3.20 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1366 |
| Intel Core i7-920 | 2.66 GHz | 2.93 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1366 |
| Intel Core i7-930 | 2.80 GHz | 3.06 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1366 |
| Intel Core i7-880 | 3.06 GHz | 3.73 GHz | 4 / 8 | 8 MB Smart Cache | LGA1156 |
| Intel Core i5-680 | 3.60 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1156 |
| Intel Core i5-670 | 3.46 GHz | 3.73 GHz | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1156 |
| Intel Core i5-665K | 3.20 GHz | 3.46 GHz | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1156 |
| Intel Core i5-661 | 3.33 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1156 |
| Intel Core i5-650 | 3.20 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1156 |
| Intel Core i3-3250 | 3.50 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i3-3250T | 3.00 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i3-3245 | 3.40 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i3-3240T | 2.90 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i3-3225 | 3.30 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i3-3220 | 3.30 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i3-3220T | 2.80 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i3-3210 | 3.20 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1155 |
| Intel Core i3-560 | 3.33 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1156 |
| Intel Core i3-550 | 3.20 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1156 |
| Intel Core i3-540 | 3.06 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1156 |
| Intel Core i3-530 | 2.93 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 4 MB Smart Cache | LGA1156 |
| Intel Pentium G4620 | 3.70 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Pentium G4600T | 3.00 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Pentium G4600 | 3.60 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Pentium G4560T | 2.90 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Pentium G4560 | 3.50 GHz | – | 2 / 4 | 3 MB | LGA1151 |
| Intel Pentium G4520 | 3.60 GHz | – | 2 / 2 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Pentium G4500T | 3.00 GHz | – | 2 / 2 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Pentium G4500 | 3.50 GHz | – | 2 / 2 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Pentium G4400T | 2.90 GHz | – | 2 / 2 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
| Intel Pentium G4400 | 3.30 GHz | – | 2 / 2 | 3 MB Smart Cache | LGA1151 |
AMD( FX and Phenom Series) |
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| Model | Base Clock | Overclock speed | Core/Thread count | L3 Cache | Socket |
| AMD FX-6350 | 3.90 GHz | 4.20 GHz | 6 / 6 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-6300 | 3.50 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 6 / 6 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-6200 | 3.80 GHz | 4.10 GHz | 6 / 6 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX 6100 | 3.30 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 6 / 6 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-4350 | 4.20 GHz | 4.30 GHz | 4 / 4 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-4320 | 4.00 GHz | 4.10 GHz | 4 / 4 | 4 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-4300 | 3.80 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 4 / 4 | 4 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-4130 | 3.80 GHz | 3.90 GHz | 4 / 4 | 4 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD FX-4100 | 3.60 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 4 / 4 | 8 MB | AM3+ |
| AMD PHENOM II X6 1100T Black Edition | 3.30 GHz | 3.70 GHz | 6 / 6 | 6 MB | AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X61090T Black Edition | 3.20 GHz | 3.60 GHz | 6 / 6 | 6 MB | AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X6 1075T (not released) | 3.00 GHz | 3.50 GHz | 6 / 6 | 6 MB | AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X6 1065T | 2.90 GHz | 3.40 GHz | 6 / 6 | 6 MB | AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X6 1055T | 2.80 GHz | 3.30 GHz | 6 / 6 | 6 MB | AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X6 1045T | 2.70 GHz | 3.20 GHz | 6 / 6 | 6 MB | AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X4 980 Black Edition | 3.70 GHz | – | 4 / 4 | 6 MB | AM2 + / AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X4 975 Black Edition | 3.60 GHz | – | 4 / 4 | 6 MB | AM2 + / AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X4 970 Black Edition | 3.50 GHz | – | 4 / 4 | 6 MB | AM2 + / AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X4 965 Black Edition | 3.40 GHz | – | 4 / 4 | 6 MB | AM2 + / AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X4 955 Black Edition | 3.20 GHz | – | 4 / 4 | 6 MB | AM2 + / AM3 |
| AMD PHENOM II X4 850 | 3.30 GHz | – | 4 / 4 | Unlocked | AM2 + / AM3 |
The least in the CPU hierarchy are those found in the fifth tier. For someone wanting to play newer games or even drive very recent and tasking programs, these may not serve properly as they are only for basic activities and can only play much older games. For a gamer, if you use this on a PC that has a good GPU, you should have a better gaming experience, but it will not drag you to recent games.
The only class of people that I would suggest to go for the Tier 5 processors are those on a budget who do not play modern games as well as those who want to use their computers for office use only.
Conclusion
Ensuring that you get the right processor is crucial to the performance of your computer. The CPU hierarchy provided above will be able to help you make a good selection, but you need to understand that getting a Tier 1 or Tier 2 CPU may not be entirely a good deal for someone who doesn’t need either.
Overall, the most powerful CPU available today are the Intel Core i9-7980XE and Ryzen Threadripper 1950X. With AMD working on a processor with 16 cores with the Ryzen 3000 Series chips, there are greater things for the future of CPU.