The best CPU for gaming under 300 is all about the money and FPS. Plus, the number of the FPS you get is equal to the number of pennies you spent. A processor is the core of everything on your PC.
It is the brain of the computer that performs all types of operations. Without a high-quality processor, you cannot have a solid gaming experience.
Some games use the GPU more, while many other games need the calculation, so utilize a processor more. Therefore choosing the suitable processor is an essential task as your gaming experience depends upon it.
Why is a CPU important for gaming?
Whenever you are building a gaming PC, the first requirement of it is the CPU. It is referred to as the brain of your PC. Everything your machine does depends on the CPU and will be affected by the performance of the CPU.
However, I want to address one thing: it is important which type of games are played on your PC.
Few games do not require a lot of processing power; they just need a simple visualization. For instance, if you are playing First-person Shooter online multiplayer games, they do not require a high amount of processing.
In multiplayer online games, all the game characters are controlled by real people. Therefore, the CPU does not have to do so much, and the Graphic is going to be used more. On the other hand, If you like to play offline games such as Batman Arkham Knight, Far Cry 3, and God of War, CPU has a vital role.
For real-time strategy-based games, the computer has to do many calculations to ensure that you get the best performance. Modern games do not require GPU polish, but games like Vellorent utilize CPU Up 95% and a small amount of GPU.
Every hardware component of a computer has its own importance so that the pair of a powerful CPU and GPU will be ideal for running modern games. We also Have information about Cpu fans.
Top-rated CPU for gaming under 300
It is quite challenging for the beginner to select the right gaming CPU because he/she doesn’t know what to look for. To make things easier for you, below is the list of the best CPU for gaming under 300 so that in your comfort zone, you can pick the one.
- Intel Core i5 9600K Desktop Processor 6 Cores up to 4.6 GHz
- AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core, 12-Thread Unlocked Processor
- AMD Ryzen 5 1600 65W AM4 Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler
- Intel Core i5 9400 Desktop Processor 6 Cores 2.90 GHz up to 4.10 GHz
| Image | Product Name | Check Price |
|---|---|---|
 | Intel Core i5 9600K Desktop Processor 6 Cores up to 4.6 GHz | Check Price |
 | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core, 12-Thread Unlocked Processor | Check Price |
 | AMD Ryzen 5 1600 65W AM4 Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler | Check Price |
 | Intel Core i5-9400 Desktop Processor 2.90 GHz up to 4.10 GHz 6 Cores | Check Price |
Intel Core i5 9600K Desktop Processor 6 Cores up to 4.6 GHz
Intel’s Core i5 9600K is one of the best options for mainstream users. Also, it has value-for-money pricing, high performance, and reasonable power consumption. The core i5 9600K is manufactured based on a 14nm + process.
Even Without the hyper-threading technology, six-core chips come with the UHD 630 graphic engines. You can easily overclock this processor and combine it with dual channel ddr4 memory. Like the predecessor 8600K, the 9600K also has a 95W thermal design and an L3 (9MB) cache.
It doesn’t matter whether you are using a single Core or the solder-based thermal interface ensures the highest frequency and improves the heat transfer rate.
Intel has done a fantastic job by dialing up the 9600K with the Turbo boosting frequency. Likewise, the base clock rate is 3.0 GHz which is 100 MHz more than the predecessor.
Moreover, Intel’s Core i5 9600K comes with optimized cooling efforts. The processor offers you the constant 80-degree Celsius temperature over Prime optimize AVX instruction.
On the other hand, the process provides a ~64-degree Celsius temperature over the Non-AVX tasks. You are not going to face any problem with cooling on the stock settings.
Lastly, I would recommend you to use Closed-loop liquid cooling if you want an extraordinary performance from the CPU.
Features
- 6 Cores and 6 Threads
- 3.70 GHz up to 4.60 GHz and L3 (9 MB) Cache
- Compatible with Intel 300 Series Chipsets
- Optane Memory Supported
- Intel 630 UHD Graphics
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core, 12-Thread Unlocked Processor
Every processor brand out there wants to capture the market. The right combination of features, compatibility, cores, and frequency when you add in the Motherboard fly like an angel in the sky.
Now let’s move towards the Ryzen 5 3600, which is under our spotlight. This high-end performance processor comes with six core and twelve threads along with the Zen 2 architecture-based Technology and 24 lanes for PCI E support.
I know what you are thinking right now that the Hype about the ryzen 5 3600 is real.
Likewise, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is one the best and affordable ways to capture AMD’s latest Zen 2 architecture inside your Motherboard.
When it comes to the overclock rate, the ryzen beat the coffee Lake series. The 100 MHZ boost and 800 MHz base frequency give the Ryzen 5 an upper hand over the rival inte’s core i5-9400F.
Another best thing about this CPU is the 65W Wraith Stealth cooler, while core i5-9400F has relatively lower quality stock cooling.
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 twelve threads and six cores which makes it matchless. The processor doesn’t have a match in both base frequency and Turbo.
Although it does not have any Integrated graphic cards, it supports all the latest generation cards. Lastly, if you talk about the PCI-E 16 3.0 and Ddr4 3200, which is quite justifiable for this price bracket.
Features
- Ultra-fast 100+ FPS performance
- 4.2 GHz max boost unlocked
- 35MB of game cache and DDR4 3200 support
- AM4 platform support on x570 motherboards
- 6 cores and 12 processing
AMD Ryzen 5 1600 65W AM4 Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler
AMD ryzen 5 comes in 6 cores, and 12 threads is a beast under $300. The processor is more than what it cost. The performance ryzen 5 1600 has an appealing proposition compared to the Rival Intel Core i7 8600k, which cost twice this processor.
In case you are a social media influencer, running a YouTube channel, doing a lot of video rendering with a tight budget, then don’t worry; this chipset is ideal for your next build. If you are a person who does not want any type of first with coolers and overclocking, then without wasting a second, go for AMD ryzen 5 1600.
Additionally, the stock bass clocking speed of the processor is 3.2 GHz, and the boosting improviser clocking rate is 3.6 GHz. Whether you want to run simple programs or multitasking, the Ryzen 5 1600 can have both.
Above all, this processor is unlocked so that if you have an experienced gamer, you can push the processor up to 4.0 GHz or 4.1 GHz. I need to mention the pushing limit I have said without the Exotic cooling techniques.
The processor has a stock Wraith Spire cooler, but If you want to have more overclocking, you need to buy an aftermarket cooler.
If you are a person who doesn’t have any knowledge of recently bought AMD, you need to ensure the bracket of your AM4 Socket. Meanwhile, if you think that you can use the old cooler, keep this in mind they won’t work even if they have extra-scrupulous metal bits.
Features
- 3.6GHz precision boost frequency
- 6 cores and 12 threads unlocked
- 3MB/16MB (l2/l3) Cache
- AM4 Socket
- 95°C Max Temps
- PCIe 3.0 x16 PCI Express Version
- Base Clock:3.2GHz
- Wraith Stealth cooler Thermal solution
Intel Core i5-9400 Desktop Processor 2.90 GHz up to 4.10 GHz 6 Cores
Intel Core i5-9400 was launched two years back, but still, it’s one of the best budget-friendly to consider. Being a
fan of the Intel Coffee Lake series, the Core i5-9400 is the cheapest CPU with extreme performance. Before the launch of Intel core i5 9400, there is a widespread method you cannot do gaming on a tight budget. However, this processor changes the way of thinking of people and sets a new trend that you can still do gaming even with a tight budget.
It was quite shocking for the gaming PC community when Intel announced that they would launch i7 9700 and i7 9700K without the Hyper-Threading technology. Instead, they have utilized the octa-core technology, which does a really amazing job in multitasking and gaming.
Every single core of the processor has solid performance, while during turbo boost, the processor offers up to the clock speed up to 4.7 GHz. As a result, you will enjoy excellence during single and multicore workloads.
In conclusion, the Intel Core i5-9400 is hitting a budget-friendly price bracket, so indeed, it’s recommended it. Yes, it’s true that the processor doesn’t have hyper-threading technology but still an excellent budget processor for any reasonably priced gaming build.
Features
- 6 Cores and 6 Threads
- Base 2. 90 GHz up to 4. 10 GHz Max Turbo
- 9 MB cache
- Compatible with Intel 300 Series chipsets
- Intel UHD Graphics 630
- Optane Memory supported
Buyers Guide
Whenever you are considering buying a gaming CPU, the first thing to find out is for which purpose you need. Just because the word best is attached to a CPU does not mean that it is also the best CPU you need. However, the real question is, how do you find out which CPU is suitable for you? Let’s find out the key factors which will help you to finalize your decision.
Threads and Core
A processor is basically the combination of the cores and threads. Mostly the modern processor comes in multicore, which helps them perform multitasking, thinking of it as “1+1= 11”.
On the other hand, you can say that threads are basically the virtual CPU. It depends on your processor, but there are actually two types of threading multi-thread and a single thread. Moreover, the number of threads is the more each core can handle.
Although one thread can only deal with one task at a time, they swap tasks with each other to increase productivity.
Overclocking Speed
Overclocking speed is also known as the cycle rate, which is basically the number of cycles the core performs per second. The overclocking speed is usually measured megahertz.
Therefore, 6MHz means that six million cycles per second. The purpose of overclocking is to reach a higher clock rate than the stock one, and for that, unlocking is necessary.
Lastly, unlocking is a very crucial process. You have to be very careful; one wrong step can make your processor a useless piece of paper.
Socket Types
Most people ignore the socket type whenever they are buying a process. Basically, a socket is an amount on which your motherboard carries a processor in place. Hence you have to check the socket twice on your motherboard.
Furthermore, every brand has its own type of socket and would not fit in every motherboard. For instance, the intel lga1155 socket will never hold the Ryzen Line because they have an AM4 socket.
If you are buying the motherboard and the CPU at the same time, check the specification online. Meanwhile, if you upgrade all PCs, make sure their new hardware suits yours for the motherboard.
Other, check the specs online and make sure the latest piece of the hardware matches up accordingly.
Chipsets
Every brand’s processor has different chipsets and compatibilities. A chipset gives an opportunity whether you want some features or not.
The better the chipset, the more features you will be able to unlock, and also the number of PCI-E lanes, USB, and SATA ports increase. Lastly, ensure that the chipset is compatible with your hardware specification.
Frequently Asked Question
Should I unlock my CPU, and does it affect the speed?
Unlocking for sure increases the clock speed per second of the CPU. As a result, the chips provide a higher boost frequency and higher core speed for a better gaming experience. Still, the more number cores can create a huge difference.
How many cores are suitable for gaming?
For the beginner, the four cores CPU is best to take off for the modern multiplayer games. However, the old geeks with a limited budget go for the six cores as it provides up to 60 FPS easily in the latest games.
What is the Best CPU for gaming under 300?
● Intel Core i5-9600K Desktop Processor 6 Cores up to 4.6 GHz
● AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core, 12-Thread Unlocked Processor
● AMD Ryzen 5 1600 65W AM4 Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler
● Intel Core i5-9400 Desktop Processor 2.90 GHz up to 4.10 GHz 6 Cores
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