Want to build a new PC but don’t know where to start? After the motherboard, the CPU is the next logical stop. Processors determine so much about how your computer works, but they can get expensive. We’ve got discounts on top chips to help you squeeze every penny out of your purchase. We’re seeing good prices on silicon right now, so snag one while they’re available. Here are the best processor offers from Intel and AMD for November.

The Hottest CPU Deals for November

The Best Intel Processor Deals

Intel Core i9-14900K Desktop Processor

Specs: 6GHz CPU speed | 36MB cache | 24 cores

A 31% discount makes this powerhouse processor a serious bargain. PCMag’s review of the i9-14900K notes that it delivered “fast multi-threaded performance, and field-leading single-core performance,” with plenty of speed and stability. This is the perfect pick for a PC that’s going to handle processor-heavy stuff like gaming or creative apps. Integrated Intel graphics are also very capable if you don’t want an additional GPU. They did note that it can run a little hot under heavy load, so make sure your case has cooling that can cope.

Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF Desktop Processor

Specs: 5.2GHz CPU speed | 26MB cache | 14 cores

Here’s a nice price cut on a midrange CPU that’ll anchor a desktop just fine. PCMag gave it a good review, noting that the processor delivered lower power consumption and operating temperatures than 14th Gen Core models, along with improved benchmarking. For a couple hundred bucks, this is a lot of value, and one of the lowest prices we’ve seen on this particular chip since it launched.

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Desktop Processor

Specs: 3.7GHz CPU speed | 36MB cache | 24 cores

Need an absolute multi-core powerhouse that will dominate the most taxing applications and games? The Core Ultra 9 is the flagship model for Intel’s “Arrow Lake” series. PCMag gave it an “Excellent” rating in its review, saying that the CPU was “arguably the most revolutionary processor Intel has released in decades” and noting that it outperformed its predecessor in many areas while pulling less power. It also comes with surprisingly capable integrated Intel graphics. A 12% price cut makes it much more attainable.

Intel Core i7-14700F Desktop Processor

Specs: 5.3GHz CPU speed | 33MB cache | 20 cores

With another huge discount on a 14th-generation CPU, you can snag the i7-14700F from Amazon for 26% off off retail price. This is an excellent mid-range processor that delivers a ton of bang for the buck, with a hybrid architecture that incorporates both P-cores for performance and E-cores for efficiency to distribute computing tasks intelligently. It works with both Intel 700 Series and Intel 600 Series chipset-based motherboards.

The Best AMD Processor Deals

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X Desktop Processor

Specs: 4.4GHz CPU speed | 76MB cache | 12 cores

Let’s start the AMD section with an excellent 12-core processor that PCMag raved about in its review, saying that “the Ryzen 9 9900X has a lot going for it that the Intel competition isn’t built to match.” Strong points include exceptional power efficiency and heat management, along with solid benchmarking performance when compared to the similar Intel Core i7-14700K. A 26% discount makes it all the more appealing.

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X Desktop Processor

Specs: 3.8GHz CPU speed | 32MB cache | 8 cores

PCMag said the Ryzen 7 9700X was “better than its 7000-series predecessor, mostly on power consumption and heat generation,” in its review, noting that while it didn’t represent a massive performance jump over the last generation, it was well-suited for compact PCs and desktops where cooling is an issue. The new Zen 5 architecture is advertised to bring 16% better PPC than Zen 4 and benchmarked well across the board. A $50 price cut is juicy.

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X Processor

Specs: 3.9GHz CPU speed | 32MB cache | 6 cores

While this budget CPU isn’t a speed demon, it’s a capable choice for building a PC on the cheap. In PCMag’s review, they praised the Ryzen 5 9600X for “good thermals for running on air cooling or inside a compact desktop,” noting the significant power draw improvements over the last generation, with the caveat that performance wasn’t boosted by a massive amount, in part due to the skimpy six-core loadout. It’s the most affordable AMD CPU this month, though.

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Processor

Specs: 4.2GHz CPU speed | 96MB cache | 8 cores

This was the fourth processor released with AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology, which allows the unit to stack a chip containing only cache memory on top of another chip, massively increasing the amount of possible cache in a small footprint. The beefy 96MB this one ships with shows how well it works. PCMag’s review notes that the CPU benchmarked decently, but the added cache results in lower clock speed, which can be an issue for some.

CPU Buying Guide

Building a new computer? Here’s what to keep in mind when you shop for a processor.

1. The big decision when you pick up a new CPU is whether you prefer AMD or Intel as the chipmaker. Both companies make high-quality hardware for a variety of needs. Intel CPUs are typically a little more expensive and prioritize multiple cores, while AMD processors push speed and are often better for gaming.

2. The four main metrics you use to evaluate a processor are cores, threads, clock speeds, and cache. Cores are the discrete computing units that perform the functions of computing. The more you have, the more your PC can do. Threads are a measure of multitasking and how many different things it can do at once. Clock speed is the raw speed of the device and how quickly it can do the work. CPU cache stores the information the processor is working on in fast-access memory.

3. Power consumption and cooling are the other factors that go into processor shopping. Different CPUs take different amounts of power and produce a range of heat outputs that require cooling systems to manage. The amount of space in your case is going to affect what kind of system you can accommodate.

Frequently Asked CPU Questions

Will CPU Prices Go Down in 2024?

According to PCMag, 2024 is the best year for building your own PC that we’ve seen in quite some time. CPU prices are hitting new lows, especially for models that have been out a year or two. While we wouldn’t expect them to drop much further, right now it’s a buyer’s market.

Which is better for gaming, AMD or Intel?

There’s no one answer to which company makes better CPUs for gaming PCs. Both offer high-end processors that can easily handle modern titles without skipping a beat. AMD in general produces more efficient chips that stay cooler, but Intel delivers better single-core performance at similar prices. AMD’s specialized X3D CPUs are some of the best on the market, prioritizing features that gamers value like caching.

Can I overclock an AMD or Intel processor?

Both manufacturers make CPUs that support overclocking, which is the method of boosting the CPU’s clock speed to deliver higher performance at the cost of increased heat output and power consumption. If you are going to overclock your processor, be sure that you have appropriate fans and cooling systems in place, or you risk doing permanent damage to your PC.

The Hottest CPU Deals

AMVR makes some of my all-time favorite Meta Quest accessories, and now they’re jumping into the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses accessory market too. I got this charger the other day and was pleased to find out that it works with both Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1 and Gen 2 smart glasses, and now it’s on sale for a few bucks off at Amazon, making it just over $30.

Why get a charging dock when the glasses already have a charging case? The answer is so that you never run into a situation where both your glasses and the charging case run out of battery. This ingenious little dock makes it simple to drop your glasses and the case on the dock the moment you walk in your front door and then pick them up again from a convenient location on your way out.

As part of my testing I checked to see how long it would take for both the glasses and the case to charge while on the dock at the same time. I found that the charger is a few minutes faster to hit both 50% and 100% charge for each the glasses and the case. That means if your glasses end up with a dead battery when you walk in the door it only takes 17 minutes to hit a 50% charge. That’s just enough to last for quite some time if you find yourself out and about for a few hours and still want to carry your glasses with you.

The front of the dock has a nose piece clip that looks essentially identical to what you’ll find inside of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses charging case. The glasses click nicely into place and a charging LED on the front of the dock lets you know that your glasses are charging by turning from green to red. Once the glasses are all charged up, that same LED will turn green. There’s a second LED next to it to show the status of the charging case and each of these LEDs has a handy symbol above it so that you never are guessing which LED goes to which device

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Popping the charging case into the dock is just as simple thanks to a clever magnetic USB-C connector that ships in the box. AMVR even includes a second one of these in the box just in case you lose the first one, which is always a possibility given how small these little dongles are. I’ve used these kinds of magnetic charging docks with my Meta Quest in the past and it’s amazing how handy it is to just be able to drop the case on the dock and have it charge. It’s like a wireless charging magnetic connector for your phone except in this case it’s purpose built for the Ray-Ban Meta charging case.

Well this one does work with all generations of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, it doesn’t work with Oakley Meta smart glasses or the Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses. Those cases are not the right size and shape and they simply won’t fit on the dock, although they will charge Oakley Meta HSTN glasses if you happen to have a pair of those. Just not the large charging case that comes with those glasses.

There aren’t too many accessories for the smart glasses just yet but clever manufacturers like AMVR well no doubt come up with more ideas as we get more of these products. AMVR in particular makes some of my favorite Meta Quest accessories and I have no doubt that they will continue to talk the list of Ray-Ban Meta accessories as time passes.

Black Friday 2025 – quick links

China has been working toward undersea AI data centers for some time to mitigate the costs (and pollution) associated with cooling. Now, it has begun operating a wind-powered data center off the coast of Shanghai. It will eventually scale up to a 24-megawatt energy draw, which could itself be a pilot project for multi-hundred-megawatt successors.

Shanghai Hailanyun Technology is operating the project, but China has expressed an overall wish for data center companies to explore the sea as a heatsink. Multiple approaches have been taken, including creating floating data center vessels and pumping seawater through the server rooms, but this new Shanghai installation actually submerses the servers in water-tight pods.

This makes operation and maintenance much more difficult, but maximizes the ocean’s usefulness for heat dissipation. The project aims to draw essentially all of its eventual electrical power from offshore wind installations, giving the whole project a near-zero overall footprint. It’s also a use for offshore wind power, making use of the electricity closer to its actual source of generation.

24 megawatts isn’t much, but the operator plans to scale the idea up with future data centers drawing as much as 500 megawatts. That’s a fair bit larger than Microsoft’s Natick pilot project, and competitive with some of the largest plans from anywhere in the world.

China requires that a data center use no more than 1.25 times as much energy as it uses on the IT components that actually do the work, which doesn’t leave a ton left over for cooling. On this “power usage efficiency” (PUE) scale, a score of 1.0 means that all input power goes to useful work, while this data center should achieve a PUE of around 1.15.

A pretty intuitive worry is worth addressing, though: heating the oceans. At first, it seems like a frivolous concern, given the almost unimaginable volume of the world’s oceans. The problem is that this skepticism then runs directly into the equally unimaginable scale of proposed future data center projects.

In all likelihood, no data future will meaningfully warm entire oceans, but local seas could absolutely be warmed to problematic extents for local biodiversity. One early Chinese project found that even small installations could make about a one-degree impact on the immediately surrounding water. With some dreamed-of data center projects requiring up to a terawatt of power, it could be much, much more impactful.

A 2024 study also found that underwater speaker systems could create sound waves intense enough to damage equipment. This is a meaningful danger as AI companies become more central to national economies and militaries and could potentially become targets for nation-state foolishness.

What you need to know

• Google announced its major October Workspace Drop for businesses, stating data comprehension, structure, and formatting is easier in Sheets.
• This update rolls out ransomware detection in Drive for desktop users, who will be notified is something is amiss and have their data sync halted.
• Gmail gets improved security, as Google brings end-to-end encrypted emails to the platform.

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Google’s rolling out another major Workspace update that’s entirely by Gemini, so here’s the roundup of everything you can expect.

As always, Workspace is Google’s primary avenue for businesses, but these new AI features it detailed this week are advancing data comprehension and security. Data in Google Sheets can become a bit much, but Gemini’s updates arriving for October aim to improve its format and ensure the app’s analytical capabilities are up to par. Google states Sheets can now understand complex and multi-step instructions from users.

Microsoft has begun rolling out the KB5067036 update for Windows 11, which brings a redesigned Start Menu, new AI tools, and visual changes. The update applies to preview builds 26200.7019 for version 25H2 and 26100.7019 for version 24H2.

The new Start Menu has a scrollable “All” section with every installed app. It adds two new views: Category and Grid. The Category view groups apps by type and highlights frequently used ones, while Grid arranges them alphabetically, like a contact list on your phone. The Start Menu automatically adjusts its layout based on the display size, so it can show more pinned apps and recommendations on larger screens. Users can customize or disable sections through Settings under the Personalization menu.

Microsoft has also added Phone Link access to the Start Menu with a new button next to the Search bar. This button lets users expand or collapse content from paired Android or iPhone devices. The company says the feature will reach users in Europe later this year.

Laptop users will notice new color-coded battery icons in the taskbar. iPhone users will find the colors familiar: Green indicates charging, yellow signals battery saver mode, and red means low battery. The icons stay in their usual place in the bottom-right corner.

Copilot+ PCs are getting an AI enhancement for Voice Access called Fluid Dictation. This removes filler words and fixes grammar in real time through on-device small language models that handle data locally.

The update is rolling out in two phases, with bug fixes coming immediately and feature additions coming more gradually.

What you need to know

• Alphabet reports first-ever $100 billion quarter with a 16% revenue increase.
• YouTube Ads and Google Search drove significant growth with 15% year-over-year gains.
• CEO Sundar Pichai highlights AI strategy supporting rapid expansion across various segments.

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Alphabet, Google’s parent company, had a record-breaking Q3 this year as the company reported its “first-ever $100 billion quarter.” The company’s Q3 earnings report revealed a 16% year-over-year revenue increase, reaching a total of $102.3 billion.

This significant growth in revenue was driven by all of Alphabet’s segments, including YouTube Ads, Google Search, and the Platforms and Devices department. “We had a terrific quarter, with double-digit growth across every major part of our business,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google.

Furthermore, the report indicated that the company’s operating income was $31.2 billion, which is a 9% YoY increase when compared to the same time in 2024. This figure includes the $3.5 billion European Commission fine.

Google Search, YouTube ads saw a 15% year-over-year increase, with the revenue totaling $56.57 billion ($49.3 billion in 2024) and $10.26 billion ($8.92 billion).

“In a world where AI-driven search volumes are steadily taking market share and reshaping Alphabet’s legacy business, this report makes it clear the company isn’t ready to give up its lead anytime soon,” said Thomas Monteiro, senior analyst at Investing.com. in an email to Android Central.

The Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices segment, which includes Google One, YouTube Premium, and hardware sales, saw the fastest growth at approximately 21% year-over-year, bringing in $12.87 billion.