The Best CPU Deals for Prime Day

The processor sits at the heart of your machine, sending and receiving signals from the peripherals, memory and more to run games, productivity programs, and even the Web browser you’re reading this on. The faster and more capacious the CPU, the more stable and seamless those programs will operate. The majority of CPUs are made by Intel and AMD, and both companies have models from budget to high-end. But how do you know what a good price is? That’s where we come in. These are verified deals that represent true savings on high-quality silicon.

Prices are dropping across the board, so take advantage of cheap silicon while it’s hot. We’ve got the best prices on processors from both Intel and AMD—including one at a whopping 73% discount! And check out our mega-post for more Prime Day Deals.

The Hottest CPU Deals Right Now

The Best Intel Processor Deals

Intel Core i7-12700KF Gaming Desktop Processor

This is an efficient and sprightly Alder Lake CPU that our colleagues at PCMag gave an Excellent rating to in its review. The site praised its “excellent multi-threaded and single-core performance,” noting that it was a significant improvement over the previous generation’s Rocket Lake models. Moving to DDR5 RAM and introducing two different core types, performance cores (P-Cores) and efficiency cores (E-Cores) allows the processor to split tasks and allocate them depending on your system’s needs. You’re getting a really steep price drop here, so grab one while they’re still on sale.

Intel Core i9-14900 Gaming Desktop Processor

Need more power? This is a nice $80 price cut on last year’s 14th generation i9, a very potent 24-core CPU that delivers strong in benchmarking tests. PCMag reviewed it and said that it delivered “fast multi-threaded performance and field-leading single-core performance.” Using the Mirror Lake microarchitecture, this processor pulls a lot of power to get the job done, so you’ll need a robust cooler to make it work to its full potential. That said, this is an extremely nice price on a CPU that pushes serious power and speed.

Intel Core i9-13900K Gaming Desktop Processor

The 13900K was the fastest CPU on the market when it was released in 2022. It leveraged the Raptor Lake architecture with a split-core design that uses both performance and efficiency-optimized cores. By pushing threads through the specific type of CPU core, it keeps temperatures and power usage as low as possible. This CPU also comes with Intel UHD Graphics 770 integrated. In PCMag’s review, the site said “if getting the fastest performance possible is your top priority, the Core i9-13900K is unquestionably the best processor you can buy” and gave it an Editors’ Choice award.

Intel Core i5-13600K Desktop Processor

Here’s a solid deal on a midrange Intel CPU that delivers solid clock speeds, with the caveat that it can run a little hot. PCMag reviewed the i5-13600K when it was released in 2022, saying, “It’s hard to recommend buying anything else if you’re willing to go with Intel’s LGA 1700 platform for your next gaming-first PC.” PCMag gave it an Editors’ Choice award for its generous core count and strong performance and noted that it held up well in testing when paired with a 240mm water cooler. This CPU comes with Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 770, so you don’t have to pair it with a dedicated GPU.

The Best AMD Processor Deals

AMD Ryzen 5 5500 Processor

Building on a budget? You can’t do much better for under a hundred bucks than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500. PCMag praised the low price point in its review, writing, “If you’re stretching your budget to get the best PC you can build, the 5500 might be just the CPU you’ve been waiting for.” With just six cores, this processor will struggle on heavy tasks, but if all you need from your computer is the ability to run Web browsing, standard productivity software, and media streaming, it can do all of that just fine, with acceptable performance even when the CPU is being tasked.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Processor

When this CPU was released in 2020, PCMag gave it an Editors’ Choice award and said it “delivers relentless gaming and content-creation muscle that Intel’s like-priced 10th Generation CPUs will struggle to match” in its review. A few years later, it might not be a top-of-the-line unit, but it’ll still work out great in a budget PC, especially when you get it at 73% off the retail price. The Ryzen 7 5800X is built around the Zen 3 architecture, which lets this processor clock up to 4.7 GHz with ease. Even though it’s just an eight-core processor, it still runs fast and smooth, although you’re going to need to invest in a cooling system for it.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Processor

One of the leading lights of AMD’s Ryzen processor line, the 5950X got a glowing review from PCMag, which called it “the perfect pick for AMD-loyal content creators who need tons of multithreaded muscle.” This is a real powerhouse, with low TDP and exceptional performance at this price range, and cutting the price over 50% is an unbeatable deal. True, this unit is a few years old, but if you’re building a gaming platform or a creative studio PC on a budget, the 5950X is still a great CPU to start with, especially if you’re working at 1080p.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Processor

Here’s another nice Ryzen 9 offer, this time at a serious discount. PCMag has a review of the Ryzen 9 5900X, where the site proclaims it “the pinnacle of speed and value in the desktop CPU market around $500.” Changing that to “around $200” makes it even more attractive. Twelve cores and 24 processing threads let it capably handle modern gaming, and the power draw is significantly less than comparable Intel processors. This is a spectacular bargain that will work well for content creators, hardcore gamers, or just people who want their PC to blow away the competition.

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 discreet 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 Right Now