Best Gaming Chair In the processor war between Intel and AMD, Intel has always been the de facto leader. But in 2017, AMD came out swinging with new CPUs that allow the company to regain its competitiveness.
When it comes to gaming, a good processor can make a world of difference, especially to the frame rate. If you want to ensure a smooth gaming experience, finding the best AMD processor for gaming that’s suitable for your setup is essential. To help you with this, we’ve selected some of the best choices that the manufacturer has to offer.
Comparison Chart
Best AMD Processor for Gaming Reviews
AMD FX-8370
The AMD FX-8370 is perfect for those looking for a mid-range processor that packs a punch. It’s one of AMD’s best mid-range CPUs, so you can expect a great performance if you pair it with suitable components.
Review
The FX-8370 is an 8-core chip with 4.0GHz base frequency and 4.3GHz max frequency. This is more than enough for a great gaming experience, provided that you have a good GPU and RAM. It’s not intended to be a top-notch CPU at this moment in time, so don’t expect extreme performance. But if you’re building your first setup or if you’re a casual gamer, it should do a good enough job.
Another great thing is that it’s unlocked for overclocking, so you can really maximize its performance with ease.
It features an AM3+ socket, which makes it compatible with older motherboards. This means that you can use the FX-8370 to upgrade your existing system if you so wish.
It also comes equipped with the Wraith Cooler, AMD’s own solution that has attracted quite some attention within the PC community. Unfortunately, many people think that it doesn’t live up to the hype. The processor will still become overheated at times and the fan can get rather loud. Luckily, the FX-8370 works perfectly with even the cheapest of water coolers, so you might want to consider getting one if you plan on overclocking it.
Another drawback is the suboptimal single-core performance. It didn’t really shine in the tests, so keep this in mind if benchmark performance is a deciding factor for you.
Overall, it’s a very good processor that offers great value for the money. Sure, it’s not exactly a high-end AMD processor for gaming, but it’s one of the best chipsets you can find for in this price range.
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AMD Ryzen 7 1700
AMD’s Ryzen series is behind the company’s recent resurgence. The 7 1700 is a mid-tier option that performs surprisingly well and beats its direct Intel counterpart in a variety of tests. If you’re looking for a good performer that can anchor your gaming experience, you just may have found it.
Review
This 8-core processor has a 3.0GHz base clock speed, which can be boosted to 3.7GHz. If you’re looking for great multi-threaded performance, the Ryzen 7 1700 is definitely a good choice. On the other hand, the single-threaded performance could use some work. This is important is many games that rely on good single-core speed.
What makes up for this is the processor’s good overclocking ability. You can overclock it to 4.0GHz, which makes it much better for gaming. However, this significantly increases the power usage.
The one thing that some might consider a downside is the AM4 platform. This chipset won’t fit older motherboards, so you’ll have to go with a new one if you decide to buy it. The upside is that AMD promised to make future CPUs that are compatible with the platform, so your new motherboard would be future-proofed.
The Wraith Spire LED cooler is decent, but it suffers from the same issues as previously mentioned. If you want to keep this processor from overheating, you might want to consider adding a water cooler.
Despite a few minor issues, this is by far one of the best 8-core processors on the market right now. It can provide a good gaming experience for the most part, so it’s definitely worth taking into consideration.
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AMD Ryzen 5 1600
If the Ryzen 7 1700 sounds like a bit of an overkill, the 5 1600 might be the best choice if you’d rather save or reinvest the difference in something else. As with the entire Ryzen series, it’s priced significantly lower than the comparable Intel CPUs, which makes it a great budget choice.
Review
This 6-core chipset features a 3.2GHz base frequency with a boost of up to 3.6GHz. The 6 cores with 12 threads are unlocked for overclocking, but unfortunately, this processor suffers from the same AMD issue – poor single-core performance.
On the upside, the multi-threaded performance beats the equivalent Intel CPU’s, which is why AMD is becoming increasingly popular among users.
As far as gaming goes, this processor should deliver a decent experience without lag for some classic games. When it comes to some of the newer titles, however, it might not be powerful enough.
Like our other choices for the best AMD processor for gaming, this one features the Zen micro-architecture. This is one of the newest technologies from ASUS. It ensures conservative power consumption and fixes the performance-per-clock issues of older AMD chipsets.
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Conclusion
If you’re hesitant about going with AMD processors because of the company’s past, don’t be. The new AMD chipsets are more than powerful enough for a smooth and lag-free gaming experience.
As far as our choices go, think about how CPU-heavy are the games that you plan on playing. If you’re a serious gamer, the FX-8370 is a better choice than the Ryzen processors. On the other hand, our other two choices can easily satisfy the needs of average casual gamers.
