Top 10 best processors for a gaming computer – Under $500 & above $300: This review will test processors in the cost range Under $500 & above $300. CPU tests will be held in two resolutions: 1920×1080 and 2560×1440.
As a result, a clear picture of the alignment of forces in this price segment will be obtained, as well as solutions that are most attractive for purchase will be determined.
The heroes of this review are the following models:
- Core i5-11600КF;
- Core i5-11400F;
- Ryzen 7 3700 PRO;
- Ryzen 5 3600HTc;
- Ryzen 5 3600.
Test configuration, tools and testing methodology
Test configurations
Processor tests were carried out at the following stand:
- Motherboard # 1: ASRock Extreme Z590, LGA 1200;
- Motherboard # 2: ASRock Fatal1ty Z370 Gaming K6, LGA 1151v2;
- Motherboard No. 3: ASUS ROG STRIX X470-F GAMING, АМ4;
- Video card: GeForce RTX 3080 10240 MB – 1905/19000 MHz (NVIDIA);
- CPU cooling system: Corsair Hydro Series H105 (~ 1300 rpm);
- RAM # 1: 2 x 8 Гбайт DDR4 Patriot Viper Steel (Spec: 3600 МГц / CL16 / 1.35 В) , X.M.P. – on;
- RAM # 2: 2 x 8 GB DDR4 Corsair Vengeance LPX (Spec: 3866 MHz / CL16 / 1.35 V), XMP – on;
- Disk subsystem # 1: 64 GB, SSD ADATA SX900;
- Disk subsystem # 2: 500 GB SSD Samsung 860 EVO;
- Power Supply: Corsair HX850 850 Watt (standard fan: 140 mm blowing);
- Frame: open stand;
- Monitor: 27″ ASUS PB278Q BK (Wide LCD, 2560×1440 / 60 Гц).
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Processors
- Core i5-11600KF – 4400-4600 @ 5000 MHz;
- Core i5-11400F – 4000-4200 МГц;
- Core i5-10600KF – 4100-4800 @ 5000 MHz;
- Core i5-9600KF – 3700-4600 @ 5100 МГц;
- Ryzen 7 3700 PRO – 3600-4400 @ 4200 MHz;
- Ryzen 5 3600XT – 3800-4500 @ 4500 MHz;
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 3600-4200 @ 4200 MHz.
Software:
- Operating system: Windows 10 x64.
- Video card drivers: NVIDIA GeForce 471.68 WHQL.
- Utilities: FPS Monitor Build 5102, AutoHotkey v1.0.48.05, MSI Afterburner 4.6.3.
Testing tools and methodology
For a more visual comparison of the systems, the games used as test applications were launched at resolutions of 1920×1080 and 2560×1440.
The FPS Monitor Build 5102 and AutoHotkey v1.0.48.05 utilities were used as performance measurement tools. In all games were measured 1% instant (rare events) and average FPS values.
Vertical sync was disabled during tests.
List of game applications:
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
- Biomutant.
- Cyberpunk 2077.
- Days Gone.
- F1 2020.
- Far Cry 5.
- Watch Dogs Legion.
- Wolfenstein Youngblood.
Test results: performance comparison
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Version 1.1.1.
- DirectX 12.
- Resolution modifier is 100%.
- Antialiasing is high.
- The quality of the environment is ultra high.
- The density of small objects is very high.
- The shadow quality is ultra high.
- The water quality is high.
- Full screen reflections – included.
- The quality of the environment textures is high.
- The quality of the character textures is high.
- The quality of the depth of field is high.
- Motion Blur – On.
1920×1080
1% low и average FPS
Biomutant
- Version 1.5.1.
- DirectX 11.
- The quality of the textures is maximum.
- The quality of the shadows is maximum.
- The quality of post-processing effects is maximum.
- The quality of the effects is maximum.
- The density of foliage is maximum.
- The anti-aliasing quality is maximum.
- The quality of the fur is maximum.
- The quality of the world in the distance is maximum.
1920×1080
1% low и average FPS
Cyberpunk 2077
- Version 1.12.
- DirectX 12.
- The field of view is 80.
- Chromatic aberration – enabled.
- Depth of Field – On.
- Glare – included.
- Motion blur is high.
- Contact shadows are included.
- Improved face geometry lighting – on.
- Anisotropic filtering – x16.
- The quality of objects for local shadows is high.
- The quality of local shadows is high.
- The range of cascading shadow maps is high.
- The resolution of the cascading shadow maps is high.
- Far shadow resolution is high.
- Volumetric fog resolution is high.
- The quality of the volumetric clouds is high.
- The maximum dynamic decals are high.
- The quality of the reflections is high.
- The subsurface scattering quality is high.
- Diffuse shading is high.
- Color accuracy is high.
- The quality of the reflections in the mirrors is high.
- The level of detail is high.
- Ray tracing is disabled.
- Ray-traced reflections are off.
- Ray-traced shadows – / off.
- Ray traced lighting is off.
- DLSS 2.0 – disabled.
- Permanent FidelityFX CAS – disabled.
1920×1080
1% low и average FPS
Days Gone
- Version 1.0.6.
- DirectX 11.
- Field of view – 70.
- The rendering scale is 100.
- Chromatic aberration – enabled.
- Speed effect is on.
- The lighting quality is maximum.
- The quality of the models is maximum.
- Foliage display distance – maximum.
- The quality of the shadows is high.
- The quality of clouds and fog is high.
- The texture filtering quality is maximum.
- The broadcast quality of the textures is high.
1920×1080
1% low и average FPS
F1 2020
- Version 1.22.
- DirectX 12
- Full Screen Anti-Aliasing – TAA.
- Anisotropic filtering – 16X.
- The lighting quality is very high.
- The post-processing quality is high.
- The quality of the shadows is very high.
- Particle quality is high.
- The quality of the audience is very high.
- The quality of the mirrors is very high.
- Diffuse Shading – HBAO +.
- The quality of the spatial reflections is very high.
- The quality of streaming textures is very high.
- The quality of the reflections is very high.
- The quality of the weather effects is very high.
- The surface quality is very high.
- The quality of the brake tracks is high.
- Offset of friction marks – enabled.
- Shadows SSRT – off.
1920×1080
1% low и average FPS
Far Cry 5
- Version 1.0.14.
- DirectX 11.
- The texture filtering quality is maximum.
- The quality of the shadows is maximum.
- The geometry of the world and vegetation is maximum.
- The quality of the environment is maximum.
- The water quality is high.
- The quality of the landscape is high.
- The volumetric fog quality is high.
- Anti-aliasing – TAA.
- Motion Blur – On.
- HD textures – included.
- The scale of the field of view is 90.
- The scale of the resolution is 1.0.
1920×1080
1% low и average FPS
Watch Dogs Legion
- Version 1.3.0.
- DirectX 12.
- Viewing angle – 70.
- Geometry quality is ultra high.
- The quality of the environment is ultra high.
- Texture resolution – ultra high.
- Texture filtering – ultra high.
- The shadow quality is ultra high.
- Object shadows in headlights are four light sources.
- The quality of the reflections is ultra high.
- Depth of Field – On.
- Blur is on.
- Glow is on.
- Volumetric light is on.
- Post-processing and anti-aliasing – TAA.
- Subspace dispersion is high.
- RTX reflections off.
- DLSS – disabled.
- Time scaling – 100.
- Viewing angle – 70.
1920×1080
1% low и average FPS
Wolfenstein Youngblood
- Version 1.0.9.
- Volcano.
- Anti-aliasing – TAA (1TX).
- Motion Blur – On.
- The field of view is 90.
- The lighting quality is very high.
- The quality of the shadows is high.
- Particle quality is very high.
- The quality of the directional shading is high.
- The quality of the reflections is very high.
- The quality of the decals is very high.
- The motion blur quality is very high.
- The image transmission quality is high.
- The water quality is very high.
- The quality of the volumetric image is high.
- Texture filtering – anisotropic, 16x.
- Decal filtering – anisotropic, 16x.
- Lighting filtering – anisotropic, 4x.
- Image filtering – anisotropic, 16x.
- The quality of detail is very high.
- Deferred rendering – enabled.
- Removing polygons – disabled.
- Asynchronous computation – enabled.
- Ray tracing – disabled / enabled.
- NVIDIA DLSS – Disabled / Quality / Performance.
- NVIDIA Adaptive Shading – Disabled / Enabled.
- Chromatic aberration – enabled.
- Depth of Field – On.
- Depth of field smoothing – on.
- HDR Glow – On.
- Sharpness – 2.0.
- Granularity – 1.0.
- Resolution scaling – disabled.
1920×1080
1% low и average FPS
Geometric average results of processors in eight games
1920×1080
1% low и average FPS
The graph of average geometric performance of processors in eight games shows that the first place was taken by the Core i5-11600KF model. On the second line is its predecessor, the Core i5-10600KF. The third position was shared by four CPUs at once: Core i5-11400F, Core i5-9600KF, Ryzen 7 3700 PRO and Ryzen 5 3600XT.
The leaders showed high results in all projects without exception.
Let’s move on to considering the attractiveness of buying these processors. To derive the ratio of cost and performance of CPUs, their weighted average price was taken. The cost was taken in several large Moscow stores and on its basis the arithmetic average price tag of the processors was calculated.
- Core i5-11600KF – 23,200 rubles;
- Core i5-11400F – 14,750 rubles;
- Core i5-10600KF – 18 150 rubles;
- Core i5-9600KF – 15 350 rubles;
- Ryzen 7 3700 PRO – 23,450 rubles;
- Ryzen 5 3600XT – 18,700 rubles;
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 16 150 rubles.
Processor Cost / Performance Ratio
1920×1080
1% low и average FPS
In terms of price / performance, the Core i5-11400F was unrivaled.
This testing has shown that for the budget-conscious buyer, the best options are the Core i5-11400F and Core i5-9600KF processors. They provided comfortable performance in all games, plus they were confidently in the top three.
Those wishing to shell out a large amount of cash for a more powerful product should take a closer look at the Core i5-11600KF processor. If a compromise is needed between price and performance, then a Core i5-10600KF processor is a good option.