However, for gaming, AMD's 3D V-Cache tech is the uncontested leader.

This eight-core 16-thread chip uses AMD's 3D V-Cache technology to accelerate gaming performance, but the tech doesn't accelerate all games and results in reduced performance in some applications. The $449 Ryzen 7 7800X3D is now the fastest gaming chip money can buy. We've listed the best cheap CPUs and best CPUs for workstations and even refereed the Intel vs AMD feature debate in other articles, but if you want to know the CPU ranking and how you can run CPU benchmarks of your own, this CPU benchmarks hierarchy is for you. CPU benchmark comparisons help us sort out the differences between chips, but when it comes time to buy a CPU for your desktop, you'll find a dizzying collection of model numbers and specs from both Intel and AMD. Your CPU greatly affects overall performance and is considered a computer's most important component.

Below the CPU ranking charts and tables, this guide also gives you a basic introduction to CPU benchmarks and includes a list of commonly-used CPU benchmark applications. Our CPU benchmarks performance hierarchy ranks current and previous-gen Intel and AMD processors based on performance, including all of the best CPUs for Gaming.

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