Join Patreon
 Join Patreon

5 Best Intel CPUs To Buy

By / Tech / July 20, 2025

Here are the five best Intel CPUs to buy in 2025, alongside motherboard combinations from ASUS, MSI, and more.

An image showing two intel CPUs (Image via Intel)
An image showing two Intel CPUs (Image via Intel)

If you are out in the market looking for a compelling yet value-oriented build, the first thing that comes to mind is Intel. The situation has changed significantly from a decade ago, when AMD was the budget king, offering incredible performance for the dollar. With Intel, there is a small problem: there are still a large number of SKUs available new to choose from, starting with the 10th gen and continuing up to the 14th gen. The new Ultra series (Arrow Lake) SKUs are also great. Still, the value of previous-gen hardware, especially Alder-Lake and Raptor Lake, is undoubtedly the best you can find. Below are the 5 best Intel CPUs that you can buy right now.

Note: Using B760 boards also works, but B660 boards can be obtained refurbished. Whatever you are okay with, pick that. B860 boards are for Arrow Lake CPUs.

1. Intel Core i3-12100F

An image showing the 12100F (Image via Intel)
An image showing the 12100F (Image via Intel)

Starting with this budget option, the Alder Lake-powered 4-core 8-thread desktop CPU is excellent for 1080p gaming and a wide range of office tasks. It’s also a great CPU for code compilation, as those four Alder Lake cores put a lot of performance on the table. It can be paired with a very affordable H610 motherboard that supports both DDR4 and DDR5 combinations. But as per our recommendation, DDR5 is the way to go. It’s an excellent buy to begin with. 

Specifications:

  • Cores: 4 Performance Cores
  • Threads: 8
  • Base Clock: 3.3 GHz
  • Boost Clock: 4.3 GHz
  • Cache: 12MB L3
  • TDP: 58-89W
  • Socket: LGA 1700
  • Price: approximately $96-$104, and even lower during sale events.
  • Recommended Motherboard: MSI Pro B660M-A or ASUS Prime B660M-A

2. Intel Core i5-12400F

An image showing the 12400F (Image via Intel)
An image showing the 12400F (Image via Intel)

Upping the core count, the 12400F is currently the best CPU for everything. It can game, compile code quickly, render videos fast, and has great processing power. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 with any H-series, Z-series, or B-series board; overall, it’s a no-brainer. 

Specifications:

  • Cores: 6 Performance Cores
  • Threads: 12
  • Base Clock: 2.5 GHz
  • Boost Clock: 4.4 GHz
  • Cache: 18MB L3
  • TDP: 65W
  • Socket: LGA 1700
  • Price: ~$108-116
  • Recommended Motherboard: MSI Pro B660M-A WiFi or Gigabyte B660M DS3H

3. Intel Core i5-13600K

An image showing the 13600 K (Image via Intel)
An image showing the 13600 K (Image via Intel)

If you need more performance than the 12400F and the complete Raptor Lake architecture, but not as much as the 13500, 13400F, 14500, or 14400F, which are essentially Alder Lake processors, then the 13600K is an incredible buy. The CPU, when paired with fast DDR5 memory, can run RTX 5080+ tier GPUs without bottlenecking them. For multithreading, it’s an easy choice compared to the Ryzen 7 9700X or the 7700X. 

Specifications:

  • Cores: 6 Performance + 8 Efficiency (14 total)
  • Threads: 20
  • Base Clock: 3.5/2.6 GHz (P/E)
  • Boost Clock: 5.1/3.9 GHz (P/E)
  • Cache: 24MB L3
  • TDP: 125W
  • Socket: LGA 1700
  • Price: ~$225-270
  • Recommended Motherboard: MSI Z690 Tomahawk or ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus

4. Intel Core i7-13700K

An image showing the Raptor Lake 13700K (Image via Intel)
An image showing the Raptor Lake 13700K (Image via Intel)

If you need the strongest gaming performance, alongside value for money, the 13700K is the way to go. Spending a bit more will get you the 14700K, which is even better, but the 13700K is everything you need from a modern CPU that never holds you back. When comparing this to the Ultra 7 265K, the 13700K is faster in games, and the MT difference compared to the newer Arrow Lake is negligible in real-world scenarios. 

Specifications:

  • Cores: 8 Performance + 8 Efficiency (16 total)
  • Threads: 24
  • Base Clock: 3.4/2.5 GHz (P/E)
  • Boost Clock: 5.4/4.2 GHz (P/E)
  • Cache: 30MB L3
  • TDP: 125W
  • Socket: LGA 1700
  • Price: ~$250-280
  • Recommended Motherboard: MSI Z690 Gaming Edge or ASUS ROG Strix Z690-A

5. Intel Core Ultra 7 265K

An image showing the Ultra 7 processor (Image via Intel)
An image showing the Ultra 7 processor (Image via Intel)

So, you want the latest and greatest, but here’s a catch: at this CPU’s price, paying around 5-6% more can get you the 14900K, which is significantly ahead of this one. That said, the Ultra 7 265K has an NPU, better IPC, and stronger MT. Get this only if you need its multicore performance and require newer features. Regarding platform support, Arrow Lake, according to the available information, is the only CPU compatible with the LGA 1851 platform. Nova Lake, when it launches, will require a new motherboard.

Specifications:

  • Cores: 8 Performance + 12 Efficiency (20 total)
  • Threads: 20 (no Hyper-Threading)
  • Base Clock: 3.9/3.3 GHz (P/E)
  • Boost Clock: 5.5/4.6 GHz (P/E)
  • Cache: 30MB L3
  • TDP: 250W
  • Socket: LGA 1851
  • Price: ~$299 (down from $399)
  • Recommended Motherboard: MSI Z890 Tomahawk or ASUS Prime Z890-P

Verdict

All Intel CPUs mentioned here offer excellent gaming performance, but the ideal choice depends on your budget and specific needs. The i5-12400F provides incredible value for mainstream gaming. The i5-13600K offers the best balance of price and performance. It is best to avoid the i9-13900K and the i9-14900K if you are a beginner and lack specific knowledge of tuning. That said, if you are okay with undervolting and locking your cores. Nothing beats the value and the power the 14900K provides. It’s a wildcard in every CPU listing, whether AMD or Intel.

We provide the latest news and “How-To’s” for Tech content. Meanwhile, you can check out the following articles related to PC GPUs, CPU and GPU comparisons, mobile phones, and more:

You may also like:

Start typing and press enter to search