Best Gaming CPUs

 Best Gaming CPUs

Entry-Level Gaming

At $130, AMD's A10-5700 isn't a particularly compelling gaming processor. But imagine if it was $50 cheaper, included an unlocked multiplier for overclocking, and wasn't saddled with integrated graphics. That isn't a dream any longer. At last, the Athlon X4 750K is available in North America. Selling for $80, this is the cheapest enthusiast-friendly CPU you'll find. And while its lack of L3 cache hurts in games, we at least like knowing that its 100 W thermal ceiling isn't divided between x86 cores and graphics. 

Budget Gaming Alternative

At stock clock rates, AMD's FX-4130 is in the same league as the company's Phenom II X4 965 and not far behind Intel's Core i3-4130. The Phenom is all but gone though, and an unlocked multiplier is an advantage over the more expensive Core i3. Because of this, we're singling out the FX-4130 for folks who might want to consider a low-cost, overclockable, gaming CPU built on the Bulldozer architecture and armed with L3 cache, which the Athlon line-up lacks.