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If you side with Team Blue in the Intel vs. AMD debate, we’ve got an overview of all the best Intel processor options here, plus more explanations if you’re not familiar with CPU lingo.
Best Intel Core Processor
The first thing you should know is that Intel is now on its 11th generation of laptop and desktop chips. 11th generation laptop CPUs (Tiger Lake) have been around for a while and are ideal for those who want a thin and light laptop that can do a bit of gaming.
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The 11th generation desktop processors (aka Rocket Lake) are newer and mixed. Disappointingly, the higher-end chipsets struggle to compete with AMD Ryzen rivals and even Intel’s latest 10th-gen CPUs.
But what are the best Intel processor options? Let’s start with a few tips for different scenarios.
If you want a processor for a gaming PC and are on a tight budget, consider the Intel Core i5-11400F. It doesn’t have its own GPU, so it needs to be paired with a graphics card. But it saves money compared to the standard i5-11400.
We haven’t tested this processor yet, but the specs suggest it might offer the biggest proportional boost of any 11th-gen desktop PC, and it’s not too bad for very high-end cards like the Nvidia RTX 3080. games. Right, a £150 CPU can be paired with a £649-£2000 GPU depending on the time and luck you spend trying to buy a graphics card.
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Die-hard PC gamers will disagree, as the Intel Core i4-11400F is not an unlocked processor and cannot be properly overclocked. But it’s a good buy for many people.
The Intel Core i5-10600K is Intel’s most recommended processor for system builders without an unlimited budget. It’s powerful enough to be a minor bottleneck when paired with the most powerful graphics card.
Performance per pound is good, and this is a K-series card that will allow you to overclock significantly if you have the right cooling. And it comes with UHD 630 graphics. You can use it without a graphics card, which is great if you’re waiting for the price to drop a bit before buying.
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Our PC editor Ryan Jones isn’t a big fan of the Intel Core i9-11900K. It’s expensive and can’t match AMD’s competitors for multi-threaded performance.
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However, single-core performance is pretty good, and you’ll need one of those 11th-gen Intel or Ryzen 5000 chips to get PCIe 4.0 support. This is necessary to increase the speed of the latest SSDs.
Some poor performers out there should consider the older Intel Core i9-10900K. It’s much cheaper and has 10 cores compared to the 8 cores of the Intel Core i9-11900K, so it performs better than the new processor in several cases.
I chose a Core i5 laptop as my laptop CPU, but your choices will probably be determined to some extent by the model you choose. Not all laptops have all types of processors.
However, the i5-1135G7, i7-1165g7, i5-1185g7, and i7-1185g7 mobile processors are the highlight of the 11th generation laptop, thanks to Intel Xe graphics.
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Better than the integrated GPUs of their respective desktop cousins, these chipsets allow you to play games that are considered very demanding on a thin and light laptop. I’m not talking about real old games like Skyrim, but titles like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and The Witcher 3.
Whether you’re looking to buy a laptop or a desktop, the Intel Core i5 is a great place to start. You really can’t go wrong with an i5, especially an 11th gen chipset. They have enough power for advanced gaming, intensive photo editing and video editing. It’s nice that they use less power than a Core i7 or i9.
Core i7 is more powerful than Core i5 series. As you can guess, Core i9 chipsets are more powerful than i7.
Intel’s Core i3 CPUs are the least talked about these days, but they’re still around and are a good choice for affordable family PCs and ultra-budget gaming desktops. But at the time of writing, you’ll have to buy a 10th-gen i3-10100 because there’s no 11th-gen Core i3 (yet).
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So how do you calculate the difference between an Intel Core i3 and an i9? I’ll stay away from benchmark results and overly technical talk and stick to two factors: cores and clock speed.
I can use a human analogy here. If you have more cores, you have more workers to do the work. And a higher hourly rate means each of these workers can get the job done faster.
Some tasks, such as gaming, benefit more from a large number of fast cores. But others, like video editing, like multi-core processors because the applications are designed to use all the CPU’s available power. Games are often graphics card power miners.
For reference, here’s a breakdown of 11th gen desktop CPU core counts, base clock speeds, and turbo clock speeds.
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In previous years, we had to explain another term, hyperthreading, which is the root of the performance difference. But all mainstream 11th gens have hyperthreading.
Here you will be able (to torture the metaphor a bit) to give each worker not one but two jobs. These people should unionize.
High-end Intel processors have more cache memory than mid-range and low-end processors. It is a very fast storage used to store data needed by the CPU core. The Intel Core i3-10100 has 6 MB and the Intel Core i5-11600K has 12 MB.
Top processors such as Intel Core i9-11900K and Intel Core i7-11700K have 16 MB of memory. However, the latest i9-10900K has 20MB. Intel may be able to justify this because the new version has fewer cores, but this is another reason why some techies look down on the 11th generation Core i9.
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Deciding whether to buy a Core i5, i7, or i9 might seem pretty easy. This is one of those “good, better, best” scenarios. But before making calculations, you should pay attention to the letters at the end of the name of the CPU.
K – This means the CPU is unlocked, which is important if you plan to overclock. Here you can manually increase the processor speed beyond the default settings for better performance at the cost of heat. Gamers who notice desktop cooling will always have an unlocked CPU.
F – Processors with “F” at the end do not have integrated graphics. This means they need some sort of discrete graphics card or they won’t even be able to display Windows. Those building a gaming PC should consider one of these, as it can save you a small amount of money that can be spent elsewhere.
T – Most of you probably don’t want a “T” CPU. These use lower clock speeds to consume less power. Why would you want one? They also generate less heat, making them ideal for slim mini PCs.
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G – This means that the CPU has its own semi-decent graphics unit built into the CPU. However, Intel is now placing the “G” in its Core i series laptop stack, making it almost meaningless without looking at the next number. “G4” means the laptop has an Intel UHD graphics chip, which is pretty bad. The “G7” means it has Intel Xe graphics, which is great. They allow you to play incredibly demanding games
H – “H” stands for high performance. These processors not only bring you closer to desktop performance, but also consume more battery and generate more heat when under load. These are used in thick and heavy laptops that can accommodate better cooling systems. But you probably won’t want to carry most of them around every day.
U – You won’t see the letter “U” in the name of Intel’s 11th generation laptop CPUs. But it’s important to know because it used to be everywhere, and older processors will float around for a while. It stands for Ultra Low Voltage or Battery Saver. Intel’s “G” laptop CPUs have the same form factor and are typically designed for thin and light laptops.
Intel Pentium CPUs come in Gold and Silver versions. Pentium Golds are desktop processors and not bad for a computer that is only used for office applications, video streaming and viewing. Or as part of a budget gaming PC with a low- or mid-level graphics card.
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However, they only have two cores and are nowhere near the recommended Core i5-11600 and Core i5-11400 in terms of performance. The G6605 is the latest Pentium Gold processor. Pentium Silver chipsets like the N6000 are portable processors and are only good for basics. If it doesn’t cost too much to upgrade to an 11th Gen Intel Core i3, then jump.
Celerons are Intel’s weakest processors and are generally not recommended. Laptops with these processors
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