Building a budget computer is often a necessity for those of us who aren’t able to run out and buy the most expensive new components. For others, it’s a great challenge to attempt to build the best machine you can without spending top-of-the-line money. And for still others,building a budget PCis a great way to get a PC that gives you the performance you need instead of overpaying for components that give higher performance values than you require.
Whatever your reason for building a budget computer, the challenge often starts with the CPU, one of the more expensive components. If you’re looking for a budget CPU, we’re here to help. We’ve gathered six CPUs that’ll fit most budgets and split them up into three AMD and three Intel choices, so you can pick according to your preferences. Here are our choices for the six best budget CPUs available today.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
Not quite budget at full price
Need a Red Team CPU but don’t want to go for the bottom-performing option to save cash? The Ryzen 5 7600X CPU is our choice for the best-performing CPU, but it may be out of budget at full price.
Starting our list off, we have a CPU that will give you the performance you need, but may not give you the price you want. This AMD chip is best when it’s on sale, as if you find it at full-price, the tag of around $300 may be a bit more than you want to spend on a budget rig. Still, no matter what price you get it at, this is one of the best-performing chips on this list. With six cores, twelve threads, and speeds of up to 4.7GHz, this CPU is sure to live up to your expectations.
Intel Core i3-13100F
Great opportunistic buy
Are you an opportunistic buyer who isn’t in a rush to build your budget PC? We recommend the i3-13100F as a budget processor if you may find it on sale. At full price, you could likely find something that gives a bit more bang.
To match AMD’s best-when-on-sale CPU, we’ve found our ideal Intel chip for those of us who are willing to shell out more for full price or wait for an opportunistic buy. The i3-13100F is inferior to the previously-mentioned Ryzen 5 7600X, but not in the price range! This Blue Team chip comes stacked with four cores, six threads, and 4.5GHz speeds. Additionally, since it’s an older CPU, you’ll frequently find this piece on sale. If you don’t, you may want to hold off - this chip isn’t quite up to snuff on full price and there are better options available.
Intel Core i5-13400F
Getting into the higher prices
If you’re comfortable with increasing your budget to the mid-range, this chip is our weapon of choice. The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core 4.6GHz processor compatible with 600 and 700 series motherboards.
One of those better options is coming from the Blue Team itself and fits into our mid-budget range. The Intel Core i5-13400F is our choice for a mid-budget CPU for those of us who are down to spend a couple hundred if it means we get a better chip. This CPU is compatible with 600 and 700 series motherboards and is plenty powerful, reaching 4.6GHz with its 10-core design. The only drawback is that its full price may not fit some more restrictive budgets.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Great for good performance on a tight budget
If you’re alright with increasing your budget away from the cheapest CPUs, then AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600G is a phenomenal option. We recommend this chip for anyone on the Red Team who’s looking for great performance while stuck on a tight budget.
For a “true budget” CPU that still performs well, we’re going with Red Team’s Ryzen 5 5600G. This CPU is a fantastic option, but its price of about $140 (which varies heavily) may be a bit more than some extreme budget restrictions will impose. Still, for a CPU, $140 is a more than acceptable full price, especially considering many newer options reach three times that! This chip comes with 4.4GHz speeds, 6 cores, 12 threads, and a performance that puts it in strong competition with CPUs that cost twice what it costs.
AMD Ryzen 3 4100 4-core CPU w/ Cooler
Low-cost, comes with a fan, and works great
For those that align with the Red Team, this is your best budget CPU you can find without considering things like deals or third-party sellers. This CPU also comes with a Wraith Stealth cooler to save you a bit more.
If you’rereallystrapped for wiggle room on your budget, and you want to stick with the Red Team, this is our AMD CPU of choice. The Ryzen 3 4100 4-core 8-thread CPU is the best at its price range, but it may be outclassed if you’re able to find a better chip on sale. Still, it’s not often you find a chip for double-digit prices, which is where you’ll find this option if you catch a good sale. It also comes with a Wraith StealthCPU coolerso you can save a few bucks there if the cooler meets your needs.
Intel 12th Gen i3-12100F Desktop Processor
Ideal on any Blue-Team Budget
Looking to build a Blue Team PC without spending Intel’s usually-high prices? This is the best budget CPU we can find from the Blue Team, and we’re certain it won’t leave you disappointed.
Closing us out with the Blue Team, we have a piece that’s going to win in the budget section, but not quite in the performance section. Even at full price, the Intel Core 12th Gen i3-12100F processor doesn’t break double digits, making this a phenomenal choice for people on restrictively tight budgets. This chip rocks 4 cores up to 4.3GHz and supports DDR4 and DDR5. The main drawback is that you’ll need adiscrete GPUfor this component to function properly.
FAQ
Where Can I Find Affordable CPUs?
Amazon and Best Buy are our vendors of choice. You can also find great options on the official sites of Intel and AMD or sites like Newegg.
How Do I Get A CPU At The Lowest Price?
The best way is to wait for a sale. You should also shop for pieces that are a bit outdated, as these often have reduced prices that are chopped down even lower by a sale.
Do Budget CPUs Perform Worse Than More Expensive Options?
To be honest, yes, this is usually the case. CPUs are sold at a lower cost because they aren’t quite up to the performance of the newest top-of-the-line chips. But that doesn’t mean that they performbadly, only that you may not want them for extremely processor-heavy tasks like 3D modeling and programming.
