Choosing an optimal desktop CPU for your game build can be a daunting task, given the amount of options on the market. This guide aims to simplify that task for anyone looking to build a new PC with maximized gaming performance. Alongside the GPU, a good CPU is also integrated for high FPS in games. In this guide, we've included both Intel and AMD desktop processors at different price points, so you can build a budget or a top-of-the-line gaming PC with full specs.

For AAA games at 1080p and 1440p resolutions, the overall load on the processor is enough for you to consider getting one of the best processors we've listed below. However, make sure your GPU also has enough power for the games you will be playing on this version. That said, let's dive in!

Introduced in 2023, AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D comes with the company's exclusive 3D stacking technology. In particular, this is the best gaming processor because of the built-in 3D V-Cache. It is built on a 5nm manufacturing process and has a boost clock of up to 5.0 GHz. Ryzen 7 7800X3D has 8 cores and 16 threads and is compatible with AM5 socket motherboards.

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D also comes with integrated Radeon graphics, but you need a good GPU for optimal gaming performance. The iGPU here is good for basic tasks, with two cores and a frequency of 2200 MHz. This CPU has 96 MB of L3 cache and has a nominal TDP of 120W. To be fair, it's also not very difficult to cool so you don't need a super beefy CPU cooler for this processor.