Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: March 2013

In this month's update, we discuss AMD's upcoming mobile Richland APU. We also talk about Intel's Pentium G2010 and the price changes we expect to see. Moreover, we're sharing some information about AMD's upcoming tablet-oriented APU, code-named Temash.

If you don’t have the time to research benchmarks, or if you don’t feel confident enough in your ability to pick the right processor for your next gaming machine, fear not. We at Tom’s Hardware have come to your aid with a simple list of the best gaming CPUs offered for the money.

March Updates: 

Intel

We're seeing one new CPU from Intel: the Pentium G2010. Unfortunately, armed with only two execution cores, no Hyper-Threading technology, and a 2.8 GHz core clock rate, I don't consider this to be gamer-class hardware (Ed.: Tom's Hardware editor Paul Henningsen is working on a story that will either confirm Don's opinion or contest it). The G2010 is basically an Ivy Bridge-based version of the Pentium G540 with a 10 W-lower TDP that dips down to 55 W. Because we're limiting our gaming-oriented recommendations to CPUs able to juggle at least four threads, the dual-core Pentium doesn't make this month's list.

Intel's portfolio is otherwise unchanged, and prices didn't move much. The one exception is its Core i7-3970X, which fell $30. That's a fairly insignificant drop, given an already-high $1,050 price tag. But the company's flagship is now $20 cheaper than the Core i7-3960X, which is likely being phased out.

AMD

AMD is replacing its Trinity-based APUs, at least in the mobile space. The company hasn't yet said when desktop versions will arrive. Code-named Richland, we're looking at an architecturally-similar processor (that is to say based on the Piledriver architecture) with improved power management functionality the company claims bolsters efficiency. Naturally, we plan to put those features to the test when we get our hands on a sample. If you hoped that Richland would feature the company's GCN architecture or more aggressive IPC-oriented improvements, however, you're going to be disappointed. 

Onto the price changes. Unlike Intel, AMD messes with its pricing a lot more often. Most notably, a promotion on the A8-3870K appears to have ended. As a result, the APU is up $15 to $105. The FX-8350 is also pricier. It used to cost $190, and now runs $200. That's unfortunate, considering the lower price point allowed the flagship FX to go up against the value of Intel's Core i5 more aggressively.

On a more positive note, the FX-4300 is down to $120, undercutting the Core i3-3220 by $10 and making the only true budget-oriented gaming hero in AMD's line-up more attractive.

It's unclear what we'll be seeing next from AMD. However, the company recently showed off its upcoming APU for tablets, code-named Temash, at CES and then again at Mobile World Congress. Detailed specifications weren't released, but the chip drove a prototype tablet equipped with AMD's Turbo Dock. This add-on (think the keyboard attachment for Samsung's ATIV Smart PC) supplies extra power to the tabletvia an internal battery and gives it the flexibility to work at higher frequencies. In addition, it provides extra airflow to offset the increased thermal output and performance. Not really relevant to our gaming discussion here today, but potentially cool hardware to look forward to.

Some Notes About Our Recommendations

This list is for gamers who want to get the most for their money. If you don’t play games, then the CPUs on this list may not be suitable for your particular needs.

The criteria to get on this list are strictly price/performance. We acknowledge that there are other factors that come into play, such as platform price or CPU overclockability, but we're not going to complicate things by factoring in motherboard costs. We may add honorable mentions for outstanding products in the future, though. For now, our recommendations are based on stock clock speeds and performance at that price.

Cost and availability change on a daily basis. We can’t offer up-to-the-minute accurate pricing information in the text, but we can list some good chips that you probably won’t regret buying at the price ranges we suggest (and our PriceGrabber-based engine will help track down some of the best prices for you).

The list is based on some of the best US prices from online retailers. In other countries or at retail stores, your mileage will most certainly vary. Of course, these are retail CPU prices. We do not list used or OEM CPUs available at retail.