AMD Processors

Upgrading or building out your workhorse PC on a tight budget? Here's how to shop for the right AMD or Intel processor for less than $300, along with the top-performing chips in our benchmark tests.

The AMD Ryzen 5 8500G isn't a high-speed desktop CPU, but its built-in graphics processor is faster than most, making it a practical, tailored pick for compact PCs and light PC gaming if a discrete graphics card isn't an option.

Buying the right processor for PC gaming might seem complicated—especially with AMD's multiple Ryzen families and Intel's many Cores and "Lakes." Here's everything you need to know, plus our top picks based on PC Labs' deep-dive CPU reviews.

Whether you're upgrading your desktop PC or building a new one, choosing the right processor is the most crucial and complex choice you will make. Let's simplify it! Here's how to make sense of AMD's and Intel's lines, backed by dozens of our deep-dive reviews.

AMD is suggesting retailers sell the new 'Dual Edition' desktop processor for $899, or about $200 more than the regular Ryzen 9 9950X3D.

The new desktop processor launches on April 22 and features even more L3 cache to further reduce CPU latency.

The increase is on tap even as some models have seen big price reductions recently.

At MWC, AMD reveals the Ryzen AI Pro 400 Series chips meant for businesses.

Even at over 1,350W, the full-load temperature barely broke 50 degrees Celsius.

AMD's Ryzen 7 9850X3D is the new desktop processor to beat for pure competitive PC gaming, especially at 1080p.

A Chinese retail box image suggests it could be an exclusive package for gamers looking for the best gaming CPU out there.

Several users on Reddit running the 9800X3D chip on an Asus motherboard reported that their desktops suddenly failed to boot up.

The boost clock upgrades are good news for competitive esports gamers. It's also an easy upgrade for anyone running an older 7000 or low-end 9000-series CPU.

The Ryzen 9 Pro 9965X3D will clearly be an X3D CPU with lots of L3 cache, but whether it will have double V-Cache chips, or just act as some kind of enhanced 9950X3D is unclear.

This is something AMD is 'very actively working on...to satisfy the demands of gamers,' an AMD exec says at CES, though details are slim.

The new Ryzen AI 400 series packs Zen 5 cores, RDNA 3.5 graphics, and XDNA 2 NPUs, promising faster AI performance and improved efficiency across work, gaming, and content creation.

AMD's new-for-2026 Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor kicks up the clocks and packs the same extra-fast cache in an effort to outpace the well-regarded Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Same power, same cores, same cache, but an extra 400MHz to play with.

In no surprise, Team Red is trying to power more AI in the laptop space with its upcoming 'Gorgon' and 'Medusa' chips.

The real Core Ultra 300 standouts for gaming are the X variants.