The editors at Tom’s Hardware have put together a list of the best gaming processors for March 2025, breaking them down into five main categories.
Entry-Level CPUs
This category is for budget-friendly builds that don’t require a discrete graphics card. The best option here is the Ryzen 8600G, a hybrid chip that can handle a wide range of less demanding multiplayer games at 1080p.
Budget CPUs
The Core i5-12400F takes the top spot in this category thanks to its solid gaming performance, PCIe 5.0 support, and compatibility with both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. As an alternative, the Ryzen 5600 is also a good choice, though it only supports DDR4 and PCIe 4.0.
Mid-Range CPUs
The Ryzen 9600X is the best pick in this price range, offering a great balance of price and performance, excellent power efficiency, low temperatures, and support for AVX-512 instructions. Another solid option is the Core i5-14600K, but the AM5 platform offers better long-term upgrade potential.
High-End CPUs
No surprise here Ryzen 9800X3D comes out on top. It delivers flagship-level performance at a slightly lower price while also being power-efficient and easy to cool.
Flagship CPUs
At the top of the pack is the Ryzen 9950X3D, the ultimate high-performance chip that can handle almost anything. In some games, it even outperforms the highly popular Ryzen 9800X3D.
