Last Updated on May 4, 2021 by Rupesh Patil
If you are looking for the best processor to buy in 2021 for your new or existing PC build, things can get pretty confusing. There are a lot of aspects to look for while buying a new processor. Should you go for an AMD or Intel CPU? Should you buy a processor with built-in graphics or opt for a CPU that requires dedicated graphics? How many CPU cores do you require for your work or gaming? Should you buy a newer-generation mid-range CPU or an older-generation high-end CPU? Those are a lot of questions, aren’t they?
Well, if you don’t want to go through the complete research phase, which could take days, if not weeks, we have some excellent CPU recommendations for you in this article. You can just decide your budget and have a look at the best processors for your PC. We have chosen two to three CPUs in each price segment, and explained why we have recommended them and what are they good at. So, without any further ado, let’s dive right in!
Best Processors Under ₹5,000 ($100)
The best processors under ₹5,000 have just two CPU cores and come with integrated graphics. These CPUs are good enough for PCs that are meant for just the basic tasks such as creating and editing documents, file management, remote learning, video calling, and web browsing. Both our budget CPU picks in this price segment come from AMD, and it is for a good reason. They both have a decently fast performance for day-to-day tasks and are pretty power-efficient and reliable. They also come with integrated graphics and bundled coolers.
AMD Athlon 200GE – ₹4,300
The AMD Athlon 200GE is a dual-core CPU with multi-threading and built using a 14nm process. It has a clock speed of 3.2GHz and 35W TDP. Yes, it doesn’t support overclocking, but most people buying an ultra-affordable PC won’t be looking at overclocking. The Athlon 200GE comes with an integrated Vega 3 GPU (with 3 cores at 1GHz), which means you don’t have to spend more money on buying a dedicated GPU. It supports dual-channel RAM with up to 2667MHz frequency.
Although this processor was released back in 2018, it is still one the best ones in the sub-5,000 segment. For those who are building an extremely low-priced PC, the Ryzen 200GE should serve as a good starting point. The processor’s Zen CPU cores offer fast performance for the price and the integrated GPU makes the Athlon 200GE a great option for general day-to-day tasks, HTPCs (home theatre PC), and web browsing. It would’ve been great if it had two more cores or an unlocked multiplier for official overclocking abilities. If you want one of those two things, have a look at our next recommendation.
AMD Athlon 3000G – ₹5,000
The Athlon 3000G offers two CPU cores and multi-threading. It still uses a 14nm process, Zen CPU cores with a base clock of 3.5GHz, an integrated Vega 3 GPU (3-core), dual-channel RAM (up to 2667MHz), and PCIe 3.0 compatibility, similar to the Athlon 200GE. It can fit into AM4 sockets, which means you can upgrade your existing AMD-based PC with a faster processor. Or, you can buy a new PC with this CPU and then upgrade to a better AMD CPU at a later stage. Again, it is a great fit for an ultra-budget PC for web browsing and media playback. At this price, this is the best PC CPU that you can buy right now.
Best Processors Under ₹10,000 ($150)
Our best processor picks in the sub-₹10,000 price segment can handle a bit of gaming apart from day-to-day tasks such as creating documents, file management, video calls, and web browsing. If you are looking to build a sub-₹50,000 PC for your kids or office work, the CPUs listed below could offer you a sweet spot for performance, price, and power efficiency.
Intel Pentium Gold G5400 – ₹6,300
Don’t judge this processor by its decades-old Pentium branding. The Intel Pentium Gold G5400 is actually a great budget CPU for those who are looking to build a budget gaming PC. The G5400 is built using Intel’s 14nm process. It has 2 cores and comes with multi-threading. This 58W TDP processor has a base clock speed of 3.7GHz base clock, but it can’t be overclocked. It is compatible with up to 64GB RAM of DDR4 RAM and has integrated UHD Graphics 610 with DirectX 12.
At stock speeds, the Pentium Gold G5400 offers higher average and 95% frame rates compared to AMD’s comparable offerings such as the Athlon 200GE and the Athlon 3000G. It can easily play 4K 60fps videos, which means it has great potential to be inside an HTPC. Needless to say, it’s a great chip for performing everyday tasks such as document creation, web browsing, and video calls.
AMD Ryzen 3 3200G – ₹9,500
Spending a little higher gets you two extra cores, a beefier integrated GPU, and higher memory clock speeds. The AMD Ryzen 3 3200G is a great CPU for budget productivity or gaming PCs. The 12nm processor offers higher power efficiency due to its new fabrication process. It’s a quad-core CPU but lacks multithreading. It has a base clock speed of 3.6GHz and Turbo Boost of 4GHz. This 65W TDP processor comes bundled with a Wraith Stealth CPU cooler, which is perfectly capable of keeping temperatures under check.
It is compatible with up to 64GB RAM at as high as 2,933MHz in a dual-channel configuration. Its single-core performance is similar to the Intel Pentium Gold G5400, but its multi-core performance is substantially higher. The integrated Vega 8 graphics blows any Intel integrated GPU out of the water, offering playable frame rates at 720p resolution.
Intel Core i3-10100 – ₹10,500
Want four cores and eight threads for your PC? Well, let us introduce you to the Intel Core i3 10100. It is a 14nm chip with 4 cores and 8 threads. This 65W TDP CPU has a base clock speed of 3.6GHz and can go as high as 4.6GHz. It supports up to 128GB RAM at a 2,666MHz clock. Its integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 with DirectX 12 supports can play 4K 60fps videos.
It is a great CPU for affordable PCs, be it for productivity or gaming. The Intel Core i3 10100 is a much faster processor than the Ryzen 3 3200G in terms of gaming and office tasks. Although it was released at the same price as the Ryzen 3 3200G, it is selling for a lot less in India right now, making it a great option around the ₹10,000-mark. However, if you want strong graphics performance with the integrated GPU and don’t want to buy a dedicated graphics card right now, the Ryzen 3200G is a better choice.
Best Processors Under ₹20,000 ($300)
If you are willing to spend more than ₹10,000 on a CPU, there are some excellent mid-range CPUs from both AMD and Intel. In this price segment, you can get anywhere from quad-core to six-core CPUs, complete with multithreading and advanced process nodes. No matter which processor you go with from our best choice list in this segment, you can build a PC that is fast in gaming as well as productivity. Such PCs can not only handle everyday tasks with ease but also offer compelling performance at tasks like gaming and video editing.
Intel Core i5-10400F – ₹13,000
We are firmly into the six-core CPU segment now. The Intel Core i5-10400F is a great CPU for a gaming PC. It has 6 cores and 12 threads. From a base clock speed of 2.9GHz, it can boost to a clock speed of up to 4.3GHz. It has 65W TDP and but it is built using a 14nm process, so it might not be very power-efficient. It supports up to 128GB dual-channel RAM with up to 2,666MHz. Although AMD’s third-gen Ryzen CPUs beat the Intel Core i5 10400F in productivity tasks, the Intel Core i5 10400F performs better in games. It even manages to beat eighth-gen Core i7 and Core i9 CPUs in gaming.
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X – ₹13,500
If you are planning to buy a dedicated graphics card for your PC, the Ryzen 3 3300X is a great choice for a processor. Although it is a previous-generation processor, it is still made using an advanced process node compared to Intel’s offerings. The Ryzen 3 3300X is a 7nm processor with Zen 2 architecture. It has four cores, supports multithreading, has a base clock speed of 3.8GHz, and can Turbo Boost to up to 4.3GHz. It is compatible with the new, PCIe 4.0 standard. If up to 65W TDP, you can expect high performance and room for overclocking. It comes bundled with AMD”s Wraith Stealth cooler. It is compatible with up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM at up to 3,200MHz in a dual-channel configuration.
It does well in both single-core and multi-core tasks. It is a really fast CPU all around, be it for productivity, editing, or gaming. And thanks to its 7nm process, it is quite power-efficient as well. It also comes with a lot of headroom for overclocking, and if you intend to use a custom air or liquid cooler, you can get close to the performance of Ryzen 5 series CPUs. It lacks a built-in GPU, so you’ll need to pair it with a dedicated graphics card.
AMD Ryzen 5 3400G – ₹13,500
If you want a processor that has an integrated GPU so that you don’t have to buy a dedicated graphics card right away, the Ryzen 5 34500G might be your best bet in this budget. It is a quad-core CPU with multithreading, a 3.7GHz base clock speed, a 4.2GHz Turbo Boost clock, and supports up to 64GB of 2,933MHz RAM. While it is still based on the older Zen architecture, it is built using the 12nm process, which brings slight performance improvements and higher power efficiency compared to first-gen Ryzen processors. Plus, it comes with Vega 11 graphics and a Wraith Spire cooler. The integrated GPU is powerful enough to offer smooth 720p gaming and playable frame rates at 1080p resolution with medium quality settings. Needless to say, it is a great CPU for HTPCs and productivity.
Best CPUs In India Under ₹30,000 ($400)
Under ₹30,000, you can find excellent do-it-all processors from both AMD and Intel. All our best processor recommendations in this price segment have six cores with multithreading, high TDPs, and high clock speeds, which means they can be a great fit for both gaming and productivity tasks. However, AMD processors are more futureproof, thanks to PCIe 4.0 compatibility and a newer, 7nm fabrication process.
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X – ₹21,500
The AMD Ryzen 5 3600X is a 2019 CPU but still offers great value. It has 6 Zen 2 cores with 12 threads. Since it is built using a 7nm process and has 95W TDP, it is great for overclocking. It is compatible with up to 128GB DDR4 RAM at 3,200MHz. It comes with a pretty cool Wraith Spire stock cooler in the box, which means you won’t have to spend more on a third-party cooler. It supports the PCIe 4.0 standard, which means you can use it with newer graphics cards in the future. It is a great processor for both gaming and productivity tasks.
Intel Core i5-10600K – ₹22,500
If gaming is your primary use case, you should go with the Intel Core i5-10600K instead of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X because it has faster single-core performance and games like that aspect in a processor. This 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake CPU is still using a 14nm process, though, which means it is not as power-efficient as competing AMD CPUs. It has a base clock speed of 4.1GHz and a boost clock speed of up to 4.8GHz. It is also a 95W TDP CPU, which means higher consistent speeds. It is compatible with up to 128GB DDR4 RAM at 2,666MHz.
Its Intel HD Graphics 630 integrated GPU supports DirectX 12, up to 3 screens at once, and up to 4K 60Hz displays. If you are planning to build a PC now and installed a graphics card at a later stage, the Intel Core i5-10600K supports that use case, too. It is a great CPU for gaming as it is faster than most 3rd Gen. Ryzen 5 CPUs, but falls short in productivity tasks where AMD CPUs are much faster. It lacks support for PCIe 4.0, though.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X – ₹28,000
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a 6-core, 12-thread CPU made using a 7nm process. It has a TDP of 65W and is compatible with up to 128GB DDR4 RAM at 3,200MHz. It has a base clock of 3.7GHz and a boost clock of up to 4.6GHz. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is an excellent processor for all kinds of tasks, including gaming, productivity, and data modelling. Its single-threaded and multi-threaded performance is the best in the ₹sub-30,000 price segment. With the Zen 3 architecture, AMD has taken the single-threaded performance crown from Intel as well. And it also does really well in gaming.
Best CPUs In India Under ₹40,000 ($550)
If you want a high-end PC, you should look out for new octa-core CPUs with TDP higher than 65W, a newer architecture, and a modern process node. There are two excellent CPUs under the ₹40,000 price mark, one from AMD and another from Intel. They both have eight cores, multithreading, and high clock speeds. Let us check them out.
Intel Core i7-10700K – ₹32,000
The Intel Core i7 10700K is probably the best premium CPU from Intel’s stable right now. At the price of ₹32,000, it comes with 8 cores and 16 threads. It has a 3.8GHz base clock and goes as high as 5.1GHz. It is still made using a 14nm process, though, but it at least has a high 95W TDP. It is compatible with 128GB DDR4 RAM at 2,933MHz.
It comes with built-in integrated GPU (Intel HD Graphics 630) with support for DirectX 12, up to three monitors, and up to 4K 60Hz display support. It has great gaming performance as well as good single-thread and multi-thread performance. However, there’s no bundled cooler and PCIe 4.0 compatibility. And for those who are looking to upgrade just the CPU of their existing PC, this CPU is not a good choice since it would require a new motherboard.
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X – ₹39,500
Looking for the best CPU under the 40,000 price mark? Look at none other than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X. It has the brand new Zen 3 architecture, is made using the 7nm process, and has 105W TDP. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, and its base clock speed is 3.8GHz. It can go as high as 4.7GHz in Turbo Boost mode. It supports PCIe 4.0, which is as futureproof as you can go right now. Thanks to its high TDP and newer process, it can maintain high frequencies and performance without throttling, provided that it has enough cooling. Speaking of cooling, it doesn’t come with a bundled cooler, so you might want to invest in a high-quality air cooler or liquid cooler to keep temperatures down and overclock the CPU. It also lacks integrated graphics, too, which is understandable as anyone spending this much on a CPU would use a dedicated graphics card. It performs great in both gaming and productivity tasks, so it can easily power your do-it-all PC.
Best High-End CPUs In India Above ₹40,000 ($550)
While spending more than ₹40,000 on a processor can be an overkill for most users, it is possible that you just want to go with the absolute best CPU in the market right now. You can go as high as 16-core processors and close-to-5GHz clock speeds. These processors are chart-leading in all types of workloads, be it productivity, editing, or gaming.
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X – ₹64,000
Looking to buy an extremely high-end CPU without paying the highest? The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 cores and 32 threads. That’s good enough to even set up a server! It has a 3.5GHz base clock and a 4.7GHz turbo clock. With a 7nm process and a 105W TDP, you can overclock it for even higher performance. It is also compatible with PCIe 4.0 and up to 128GB of dual-channel DDR4 RAM at 3,200MHz.
As expected, it doesn’t come with a bundled cooler, because anyone building an ultra-premium PC would go for a custom cooler anyway. It’s a great CPU for both light-threaded and heavily threaded tasks. In gaming, it is as good as any other Intel CPU. Plus, it pretty much destroys any Intel consumer-oriented CPU in productivity tasks.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X – ₹65,000
If you can find the Ryzen 9 5900X at this price, don’t look at anything else. This ultra high-end CPU has 12 cores and 24 threads, and thanks to its newer Zen 3 architecture, it is slightly faster than the Ryzen 9 3950X. It has a base clock speed of 3.7GHz and a turbo clock speed of 4.8GHz. It is compatible with up to 128GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM, which means you can pretty much run an amazing virtual PC setup for development and similar tasks.
It is built using a 7nm process and has a 105W TDP, which means good room for overclocking. It is compatible with PCIe 4.0 devices, making it futureproof. It is one of the best CPUs for all types of workloads. It is faster and offers more value for the money than any other Intel Core series CPU, and is second only to the AMR Ryzen 5950X in terms of performance.
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X – ₹75,000
The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is the fastest CPU in the consumer space, but it may be overkill for most consumers. Needless to say, it offers the fastest gaming and productivity performance on a desktop. However, it is currently out of stock with most online and offline retailers. If you are willing to spend ₹75,000 or higher, you can’t go better than the Ryzen 9 5950X, unless you are willing to spend over a lakh by buying AMD’s Threadripper CPUs.
The Ryzen 9 5950X has 16 cores and 32 threads. Its base clock speed is 3.4GHz base clock and can go as high as 4.9GHz in Turbo Boost mode. With a 105W TDP and a 7nm process, you can use a high-quality AiO, air cooler, or custom water cooler to boost its frequency to more than 5GHz for even faster performance. It is compatible with up to 128GB DDR4 RAM at 3,200MHz.
So, these are the best processors from Intel and AMD in 2021, and we will keep this article regularly updated. No matter what your budget is, you can find the best CPUs for your assembled gaming PC or workstation with the help of our best CPUs list for the year 2021.
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