More than just status symbols, the best Intel processors are among the most capable and reliable chips out there, which is why it's no surprise that most premium laptops are powered by them. With their high IPC (instructions per clock) performance and high clock speeds, they are the most ideal options for gaming and other intensive workloads – let alone easier productivity tasks.
While the AMD Vs Intel rivalry is more intense than ever, thanks to AMD upping its game to keep up, Intel’s top processors are still the best of the best when putting together your own PC. Intel’s HEDT (high-end desktop) offerings bring incredible performance at an incredible price for professionals and content creators. Meanwhile, its consumer options are holding down the fort – and winning the hearts and minds of consumer desktop users everywhere.
Whether you're considering switching from your AMD chip or you just need to upgrade your aging CPU, you deserve the best Intel processor on offer in 2022. Let us help you find the ideal one with our top picks below. Spend less time on research and more on getting your PC build put together.
Mid-range buyers will appreciate the fact that they actually don’t have to shell out quite a bit of cash for Intel’s hyper-threading technology. With Intel’s Core i5-10600K offering, it’s possible to have it for much less than $500. This chip may lack PCIe 4.0 support and has a higher power consumption, but it makes up for those in spades. Besides hyper-threading, this processor also delivers superb multi-core performance as well as improved single-core performance. What’s more is that it’s got great thermals to keep that pesky heat down.
Read the full review: Intel Core i5-10600K
While one of Intel’s more powerful 10th-generation chips has fallen behind AMD in multi-threaded performance, there’s no doubt that the Intel Core i9-10900K is an incredibly capable chip, especially when it comes to its single-core performance. It’s also a great improvement from its predecessor, with two extra cores, bringing the total to a whopping 10 cores and 20. If you’re an Intel fan and need an impressive processor to power your rig, this should more than satisfy your needs.
Read the full review: Intel Core i9-10900K
Regarded as among the best gaming CPUs on the market right now, the Intel Core i7-10700K not only offers hyperthreading, with 5.1Ghz overclocking on all its 8 cores, but it’s also takes the great things about the i9-9900K and improves on its failings with higher clock rates, better thermal performance and a more affordable price. It may require a beefier cooling solution, but it’s still the chip to beat if you’re looking to upgrade to the 10th-generation and have the money to spare.
Whether you’re building a home theater that doesn’t require a chip with a lot of power or you’re building a PC on a tight budget, the Pentium Gold G5400 is a good Intel processor to consider. With its new affordable price tag and a great light multi-threaded performance, this one is the best choice at its price point. Pair it with a powerful graphics card, and you’ll be good to go.
With a sheer price drop, a higher boost clock and some performance improvements over the i9-9980XE, the Intel Core i9-10980XE is a truly worthy successor of the Extreme Edition line. That refined 14nm process not only affords it better performance, but also lower power consumption. Better yet, it has that sheer overclocking capabilities like no other. It’s still plenty next to its rival AMD chips, but if overclocking is a huge factor to you, this one’s worth its premium price tag.
- Make sure you pair your Intel processor with the best motherboard
