New CPUs: Current Market Status

Check out the current state of desktop and laptop CPUs as well as everything you need to know about upcoming CPUs in this ultimate, updated guide.

It is important to stay updated with the GPU and CPU market to acquire the finest PC within your budget. Staying in the loop with GPUs is simple since there exist considerably fewer SKUs than CPUs, and there’s no need to stress over compatibility problems.

Keeping up with CPUs is more complicated, considering how many SKUs are available. Intel’s 12th generation alone has dozens of SKUs. Picking the correct motherboard and RAM is another factor that complicates things even further.

Related:CPU Hierarchy 2023 – PC Processors Tier ListHow Many CPU Cores Do You Need?What Is CPU Cache? (L1, L2, and L3 Cache)

To help you stay up to date with all the new CPUs, we wrote this guide to explain the current market status in detail.

Let’s get right into it!

Table of ContentsShow

Updates +

  • May 8, 2023: Added the Ryzen 7 7800X3D to the list of new CPUs.
  • March 5, 2023: Added the Ryzen 9 7950X3D as the fastest gaming CPU.
  • January 20, 2023: Removed i3-12100 from the list, updated Ryzen 5 5600 as newest Best Budget CPU and R5 7600 as AMD’s Best Value.
  • November 1, 2022: Updated “Upcoming CPUs” and “Newly Released CPUs” segments
  • October 26, 2022: Added Intel Core i9-13900K, i7-13700K, and i5-13600K to the list.
  • September 30, 2022: Added Ryzen 9 7950X, Ryzen 7 7700X, Ryzen 5 7600X, and prepared for new Intel Core Raptor Lake CPUs.
  • September 29, 2022: Fixed some small errors.
  • August 16, 2022: Added new upcoming CPUs and a few alternative picks for the i3-12100F.
  • June 14, 2022: Added more information in the Upcoming CPUs segment and fixed grammar.
  • May 31, 2022: Added up-to-date data for the 5800X3D and i9-12900KS.
  • April 12, 2022: Added the Ryzen 7 5800X3D as the fastest gaming CPU.
  • April 9, 2022: Added the Ryzen 7 5700 as AMD’s best high-end CPU.
  • April 8, 2022: Added the Ryzen 5 5600 as AMD’s best value CPU.
  • March 16, 2022: Added AMD’s new SKUs: Ryzen 5800XD, 5700X, 5500, 4600G, 4500, and 4100 in the new “Newly released CPUs” segment.
  • February 3, 2022: Minor layout fixes.
  • January 25, 2022: Replaced i5-11400 with i5-12400 as the current best value CPU.
  • December 16, 2021: Added Alder Lake CPUs and adjusted comparisons accordingly.
  • September 13, 2021: Added new information regarding the difference in performance between the 5900X and the 5950X.

About The CPU

The Ryzen 7000X3D Series was one of the most anticipated lineups of CPUs because of how powerful 3D V-Cache was on the Ryzen 7 5800X.

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is AMD’s flagship 3D V-Cache CPU and it is currently the fastest gaming CPU in the world.

It’s priced at $699, while the i9-13900K costs $580 and the Ryzen 9 7950X has a new price of $589. So, definitely one of the more expensive options.

Performance

However, even though it was very anticipated and ended up as the fastest gaming CPU, the performance gains from the extra L3 cache didn’t prove as good as with the Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

Nevertheless, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is incredibly fast and it tops almost any game benchmark.

Here it is compared to different processors:

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 12-game average
Source: Hardware Unboxed

Note that it is only marginally faster than the cheaper i9-13900K and that the upcoming Ryzen 7 7800X3D might be the faster CPU when it releases in April of 2023.

Efficiency-wise, the Ryzen 9 7950X is marginally quicker than the Ryzen 9 7950X3D because specific cores are clocked lower.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Ryzen 9 7950X3D draw considerably less power than the R9 7950X and i9-13900K.

Specifications

Base Clock4.2GHz
Max Boost Clock5.7GHz
Cores16
Threads32
Socket/ChipsetAM5
L2 Cache16MB
L3 Cache128MB
TDP120W
Process5nm

About The CPU

When the Ryzen 9 7950X3D was released, it took up the mantle of the fastest gaming CPU in the world, overtaking the i9-13900K.

However, this was expected to be a short run since the much cheaper Ryzen 7 7800X3D was planned to release only a few months later. And, here it is in all its glory.

For $450, it’s practically as fast as the X3D Ryzen 9, which is why it falls into this “Fastest Gaming CPU” category.

Performance

The Ryzen 9 has that extra performance for multi-threaded tasks since it has 8 more cores than the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

But, if you’re looking for a gaming system, you get the same gaming performance for $250 less.

Have a look at this chart:

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Vs i9 13900K and R9 7950X3D

When paired with a high GPU like the RTX 4090, the Ryzen 9 and Ryzen 7 provide almost identical performance in 12 different games including Cyberpunk 2077, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, F1 2022, and more.

But, that’s not all!

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is also extremely efficient, peaking at just 86W, which is markedly lower than most of the high-end Intel or AMD CPUs on the market right now.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D power efficiency

Specifications

Base Clock4.2GHz
Max Boost Clock5.0GHz
Cores8
Threads16
Socket/ChipsetAM5
L2 Cache8MB
L3 Cache96MB
TDP120W
Process5nm

About The CPU

The Intel Core i9-13900K was undoubtedly the fastest gaming CPU in the world, but it was recently overtaken by the Ryzen 7000X3D CPUs.

This i9 is priced at $589, putting it $289 more expensive than the 7700X, but it is also about $110 cheaper than AMD’s flagship Ryzen 9 7950X3D. It’s also $10-$20 cheaper than the R9 7900X3D.

If you are looking to get the best of the best, the i9-13900K is up there with the top 3 CPUs.

Performance

When paired with an RTX 4090 and fast DDR5 RAM, at 1080p, the i9-13900K is one of the fastest gaming CPU in the world. It surpasses all Ryzen 7000 CPUs and the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, and losing by a small margin to the 7950X3D and 7900X3D.

12 game average i9 13900K
Source: Hardware Unboxed

However, do note that the difference in performance is less than 5%. If any of these top 8-10 CPUs are paired with a weaker GPU, the performance difference will be even smaller.

For productivity work, the i9-13900K trades blows with the Ryzen 9 7950X even though AMD’s CPU has 16 “big” cores.

Ryzen 7950X vs i9 13900K in Blender 1
Source: Gamers Nexus

The i9-13900K comes very close to the 7950X even though Blender usually favors Ryzen CPUs.

Considering that the Ryzen is $100+ more expensive, the i9-13900K definitely seems like the better offer here for everyone.

Specifications

Base Clock3.0 GHz
Max Boost Clock5.8 GHz
Cores24
Threads32
Socket/ChipsetLGA1700
L2 Cache32MB
L3 Cache36MB
TDP125W
Process10nm Enhanced SuperFin / Intel 7

About The CPU

Even though the Intel i9-13900K is a beast of a CPU, holding the top of the chart, the Ryzen 7 7700X is still the second-best gaming CPU in the world for almost $300 less.

Keep in mind, though, any Ryzen 7000 CPU needs an AM5 motherboard with DDR5 RAM, which is more expensive than DDR4 RAM and motherboards.

Performance

It is still a bit early for review compilation/round-up, but current tests show the Ryzen 7 7700X averaging at the top of the gaming charts.

Here’s Hardware Unboxed’s chart of a 12-game average:

Ryzen 7700X vs i9 12900K vs 7950X
Source: Hardware Unboxed

Even though this chart is a bit older (pre-13th-gen) release, it’s still relevant. The Ryzen 7 7700X is faster than the i9-12900K, negligibly faster than the i7-13700K, and about 4% slower than the i9-13900K.

The Ryzen 7 7700X lacks in productivity work though since the i7-13700K, i9-13900K, and even the i5-13600K have more threads.

Corona i7 13700K
Source: Hardware Unboxed

In this Corona 1.3 benchmark, for example, the i7 stomps the Ryzen 7.

Specifications

Base Clock4.5GHz
Max Boost Clock5.4GHz
Cores8
Threads16
Socket/ChipsetAM5
L2 Cache8MB
L3 Cache32MB
TDP105W
Process5 nm

About The CPU

The Ryzen 9 5900X and 5950X were AMD’s fastest CPUs, but once Intel took over the number one gaming CPU spot with the i9-12900K, AMD had to answer.

AMD’s answer was to 3D stack L3 cache onto the 5800X, leading to better performance. This is how we got the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, the fastest gaming CPU, together with the Intel Core i9-12900KS.

At $449, this Ryzen is around $300 cheaper than Intel’s fastest gaming CPU. But, there are some caveats.

Performance

Even if the discrepancy in gaming ability among these top-notch processors is fairly slight, we realize that a few individuals desire to acquire the one positioned at the summit of the CPU ranking.

This 8-core and 16-thread CPU is almost identical to the Ryzen 7 5800X, with the significant difference being the L3 cache. With 3D stacking technology, the 5800X3D has 96MB of L3 cache, while its predecessor has only 32MB.

Here are a few benchmarks to show the performance gap between Intel’s flagship i9 and AMD’s new CPU king:

Out of the 40 games tested at Hardware Unboxed, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D comes out only 1% faster than the i9-12900K. Also, expect a negligible difference with the 12900KS since it isn’t any quicker either.

If you look at the review roundup we posted above, you’ll see that the Ryzen is only 1% slower than the KS.

So, as you can see, the FPS you get will mostly be the same whether you go for Intel or AMD.

Yet, if you seek a calmer, cooler, and less energy-thirsty setup, the Ryzen 5800X3D is the obvious champion as the Intel uses near 250W.

On the other hand, the Ryzen is pretty weak at productivity work since it has eight cores and is clocked slower than the non-3D 5800X.

5800X3D Blender performance
Source: Hardware Unboxed

Specifications

Base Clock3.4GHz
Max Boost Clock4.5GHz
Cores8
Threads16
ChipsetAM4
L2 Cache4MB
L3 Cache96MB
TDP105W
Process7nm

About The CPU

At $409, the Intel Core i7-13700K is the best value high-end CPU, no doubt.

At the same price point ($10 more expensive) as the Ryzen 7 7700X, users get 8 more (efficiency) cores. That amounts to 24 threads, while the 7700X has just 16.

Additionally, this i7 can be paired with DDR4 motherboards and memory, which leads to a cheaper system than a Ryzen 7 7700X build.

Performance

While the i9-13900K and Ryzen 7 7700X receive a “Top Gaming CPU” title, the truth is that all of the leading CPUs perform quite similarly.

Intel’s new i7 is about 5% slower than the Ryzen if it is paired with DDR4 memory. When paired with DDR5, the performance gap is almost non-existant.

Intel i7 13700K 12 Game average
Source: Hardware Unboxed

For productivity tasks, the i7-13700K is an absolute beast thanks to the 16 cores and 24 threads.

Blender i7 13700K
Source: Hardware Unboxed

In Blender, the i7-13700K is 35% faster than the Ryzen equivalent. So, if you are looking for a CPU to game on, but also do some rendering/editing work, the i7 is the perfect choice.

Specifications

Base Clock3.4 GHz
Max Boost Clock5.4 GHz
Cores16
Threads24
Socket/ChipsetLGA1700
L2 Cache24MB
L3 Cache30MB
TDP125W
Process10nm Enhanced SuperFin / Intel 7

About The CPU

The Ryzen 7 7600 isn’t a high-end CPU based on its price, but it can be considered as such once you factor in its performance.

It rivals contenders like the i7-13700K, Ryzen 7 7700X, and even Ryzen 7 5800X3D, so it definitely deserves a spot on this list.

To further its attractiveness, AMD put a $229 price tag on this CPU.

Performance

Current CPU Market AMD Ryzen 5 7600 vs all
Source: Hardware Unboxed

In this 12-game average, this $229 processor is just 10% less rapid than Intel’s $589 main model.

It also had similar performance to the $300+ i5-13600K and Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

When compared to the Ryzen 5 7600X, it’s only about 4% slower. So, a very small difference while drawing considerably less power.

If you’re seeking more than gaming, you’re probably better off checking out Intel’s 12th or 13th Gen CPUs.

Still, here are some numbers:

Current CPU Market 7600 Cinebench R23

In multi-core testing, the 7600 is comparable to the 7600X but still quite a bit slower than the i5-13600K, or even the i5-12600K.

If you prioritize gaming and productivity comes second, the 7600 may still be a good choice for a CPU.

Specifications

Base Clock3.8GHz
Max Boost Clock5.1GHz
Cores6
Threads12
Socket/ChipsetAM5
L2 Cache6MB
L3 Cache32MB
TDP65W
Process5 nm

About The CPU

The Ryzen 5 5600X was the best six-core processor for some time, and it was AMD’s best-value CPU after being overtaken by Intel’s 12th gen CPU.

Today, AMD’s best budget six-core CPU is the Ryzen 5 5600 non-X. It’s $100 cheaper (at MSRP) than the X version, performs almost identically, and draws less power.

For less than $150, the Ryzen 5 5600 is a great choice; however, it note that the i5-12400F outperforms it and may come at a lower cost.

But if you are already on the AM4 platform, it’s a no-brainer.

Alternative Pick

The i3-12100F or i3-13100F may be a good alternative Intel option, but they will perform about 10% worse or more in games.

Performance

As mentioned previously, the top 5 or even 10 CPUs globally have no more than a 10% difference in gaming performance. That means whether you have a flagship i9 or a Ryzen 5, your gaming experience will be very similar.

Here’s a look at a 10-game average benchmark:

5600X performance against Alder Lake
Source: Hardware Unboxed

We can see that the i7-12700K outputs only about 4% more FPS than the Ryzen 5600. So sure, the i7 is faster, but it is also $100+ more expensive with a far more costly platform.

Currently, getting on an AM4 platform can be very cheap. For example, you can find a good B450 board for less than $80. If you want to go an even more affordable path, there are A520 motherboards available. Just make sure you get a fast DDR4 kit.

The reality is that this CPU can handle any of today’s GPUs, including the RTX 3090 or RX 6900 XT. So there’s no real need to go for $500+ CPUs except for better multi-threading.

Similar to all other Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs, the 5600 boasts a minimal power consumption and runs at cool temperatures. Utilizing a Corsair H150i cooler, it maintains an approximate temperature of around 60 degrees Celsius.

Specifications

Base Clock3.5GHz
Max Boost Clock4.4GHz
Cores6
Threads12
Socket/ChipsetAM4
L2 Cache3MB
L3 Cache32MB
TDP65W
Process7 nm

About The CPU

Intel’s and AMD’s top-tier CPUs are certainly attractive options, providing some outrageous performance within and beyond games.

However, realistically, most people are looking to get the most value out of their money when buying a CPU. Intel’s i5-13600K is that best-value CPU.

At $330, it is $30 more expensive than the Ryzen 5 7600X, but when considering the price of RAM and a motherboard, the Intel system can be $100 cheaper (if you go with DDR4.)

Performance

At an average of 12 games, with a resolution of 1080p using NVIDIA’s top GPU, the new i5 is just around 3% less fast than the Ryzen 5.

i5 13600k in a 12 game average

Although, if you go with DDR4 memory, the performance gap can increase to about 8% (if you have a very high-end GPU in your system.)

The Ryzen 7 7600X isn’t always so fortunate though. This 20-thread CPU demolishes the 6-core Ryzen in Blender by about 25%.

i5 13600K Blender 1

Specifications

Base Clock3.5GHz
Max Boost Clock5.1GHz
Cores14
Threads20
Socket/ChipsetLGA1700
L2 Cache20MB
L3 Cache24MB
TDP125W
Process10nm Enhanced SuperFin / Intel 7

About The CPU

Intel’s i5-11400/F was undoubtedly the best value processor for a time. Luckily for Intel, the processor that took over that position was an Alder Lake SKU. The i5-12400 comes at just $209, while the F-edition is around $180.

If you’re thinking about getting the latest i3-13400, we still suggest choosing the i5-12400 as the performance gap is nearly insignificant.

AMD’s only alternative is the Ryzen 5 7600.

Performance

Far Cry 6, Hitman 3, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider place the i5-12400 in a similar performance range as the 5600X. In other, more CPU-reliant titles such as Rainbow Six Siege, CS: GO, and F1 2021, the 5600X is faster.

Overall, the 5600X is about 6% faster than the i5 but is also 50% more expensive (at MSRP). So realistically, the Ryzen has a 25% higher price tag.

In terms of power usage, it’s pretty similar to the 5600X. For example, an i5-12400 system draws about 430W in Cyberpunk 2077, while a 5600X system draws around 450W.

Regarding heat, the i5 CPU runs much cooler using Corsair’s H150i, hitting an average of 50 degrees Celsius, which is around 10 degrees cooler than the Ryzen counterpart.

Another colossal benefit to this i5 is that it is overclockable even though it is a non-K SKU (with the proper motherboard). Der8auer’s overclock pushes the 12400 quicker than the i9-12900K.

Specifications

Base Clock2.5GHz
Max Boost Clock4.4GHz
Cores6
Threads12
Socket/ChipsetLGA1700
L2 Cache7.5MB
L3 Cache18MB
TDP65W
Process 10nm Enhanced SuperFin

About The CPU

A title previously held by AMD’s Ryzen 9 5950X and now by the newest flagship, Ryzen 9 7950X.

This is another 16-core CPU, now priced at $700 compared to $800 for the predecessor.

The Ryzen 9 7950X is the world’s fastest productivity processor, but there’s a catch! The new Intel i9-13900K sometimes outperforms it, so the Ryzen 9 7950X barely holds on to its title of best productivity processor.

Performance

Our first look will be at productivity work.

Ryzen 7950X vs i9 13900K in Blender
Source: Gamers Nexus

In Gamers Nexus’ chart of Blender testing, the Ryzen 9 7950X ends up around 9% faster than the i9-13900K and just about the same increase in performance compared to its predecessor.

Chromium Code Compile i9 13900K vs 7950X

In code compiling, the Ryzen 9 is around 13% faster than the i9.

So, the performance gains are rather obvious here. The 7950X also gets a win in power consumption and efficiency since the i9-13900K draws approximately 300W.

Intel i9 13900K Power Consumption

Specifications

Base Clock4.5GHz
Max Boost Clock5.7GHz
Cores16
Threads32
Socket/ChipsetAM5
L2 Cache16MB
L3 Cache64MB
TDP170W
Process5nm

Newly Released CPUs

We looked at some of the most popular, fastest, and overall best processors available on the market right now. However, there might be some new processors that didn’t end up on this list.

To find out the latest CPUs, check out this list that provides information on their features and when they were released.

Note: Some processors on this list might not be available in retail.

SKURelease DateArchitectureCores/ThreadsBase ClockBoost ClockL3 CacheTDPPrice
Ryzen 7950X3DApril 6, 2023Zen 48/164.2 GHz5.0 GHz96MB120W$449
Ryzen 9 7950X3DFebruary 28, 2023Zen 416/324.2 GHz5.7 GHz128MB120W$699
Ryzen 9 7950X3DFebruary 28, 2023Zen 412/244.4 GHz5.6 GHz128MB120W$599
Ryzen 7900January 14, 2023Zen 412/243.7 GHz5.4 GHz76MB65W$429
Ryzen 7700January 14, 2023Zen 48/163.8 GHz5.3 GHz40MB65W$329
Ryzen 7600January 14, 2023Zen 46/123.8 GHz5.1 GHz38MB65W$229
Intel Core i9-13900KOctober 20, 2022Intel 78P+16E4.3 GHz5.8 GHz68MB125W$589
Intel Core i9-13900KFOctober 20, 2022Intel 78P+16E4.3 GHz5.8 GHz68MB125W$564
Intel Core i7-13700KOctober 20, 2022Intel 78P+8E 4.2 GHz5.4 GHz54MB125W$409
Intel Core i7-13700KFOctober 20, 2022Intel 78P+8E 4.2 GHz5.4 GHz54MB125W$384
Intel Core i5-13600KOctober 20, 2022Intel 76P+8E3.5 GHz5.1 GHz44MB125W$319
Intel Core i5-13600KFOctober 20, 2022Intel 76P+8E3.5 GHz5.1 GHz44MB65W$294

Upcoming CPUs

Best CPU Overclocking Software

If none of these CPUs interested you and you desire a greater improvement for your system, think about waiting for the upcoming CPU generations, specifically AMD’s Ryzen 8000 and Intel’s 14th Gen Meteor Lake-S series.

Make sure to come back for the next big CPU series release to see the current best CPUs on the market!

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Branko Gapo

Keeping up with the incredibly fast evolution of computer technology is almost impossible. That's why Branko will be using his knowledge on this matter to share news and information on all the latest essential technological innovations and advancements related to CPUs.