CPU
Central Processing Units
Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs 7700X: Is the 3D V-Cache Worth It?
Same 8 cores, same AM5 socket, one extra layer of cache. The 7800X3D is the faster gaming chip, but the cheaper 7700X wins productivity and GPU-bound games. Here's the $134 decision.
Ryzen 9 9950X vs Core i9-14900K: Which Flagship Wins
Two flagships built for two different jobs. The 14900K wins a few frames at 1080p; the 9950X takes multi-core work at far lower power. Here is which one your build actually needs, and why pure gamers should skip both.
Does the Ryzen 7 7800X3D Need an AIO, or Is Air Cooling Enough?
The 7800X3D is power-limited and can't be overclocked, so an AIO buys no frames over a good air cooler. Here is what actually keeps this chip cool and what a liquid loop does and doesn't change.
Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs Core i5-14600K: Gaming vs Value
The 7800X3D is the faster gaming chip and rides a socket with years of upgrades left; the cheaper 14600K wins multi-core work and a dead-end platform. Here's which to buy.
Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs Ryzen 9 9950X: Gaming or Cores
For pure gaming the cheaper 7800X3D is a few percent faster than the 16-core 9950X. The 9950X only earns its price back in heavy multi-core work. Here's which to buy.
Ryzen 7 7700X vs Core i5-14600K: What You Actually Pay For
The 14600K wins 1080p gaming by about 4% and dominates multi-core work; the 7700X is cheaper, cooler, and sits on a socket that's still alive. Here's which one fits your build.
Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs Core i7-14700K: Gaming vs Cores
The 7800X3D is the faster gaming chip and the cheaper one here, while the 14700K only wins in heavy multi-core work. Here's which one to buy in 2026.
Ryzen 9 7900X vs Core i7-14700K: Which to Buy
These two trade blows in games and split on productivity, but the real difference is the platform. Here's which mid-high CPU to actually buy in 2026.
Ryzen 7 7700X vs Ryzen 9 7900X: Do More Cores Help Gaming?
The 7900X has four more cores and higher clocks, yet at 1080p it beats the 7700X by only about 1%. Extra cores do not make games faster — here is when the 7900X is still worth $96 more, and when it is not.
Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs Ryzen 5 9600X: Is the Gaming Chip Worth Double?
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the faster gaming chip, but it costs nearly double the Ryzen 5 9600X. Benchmarks put the average gap at 8.5% at 1080p and near zero at 4K. Here's when the premium pays off and when the savings belong in your GPU.
Ryzen 5 9600X vs Ryzen 7 7700X: Newer Cores or More Cores?
The newer 6-core Zen 5 chip and the older 8-core Zen 4 chip game within a few percent of each other. Here's when the 7700X's extra cores are worth $65 — and when they do nothing.
Core i7-14700K vs i9-14900K: What Changes in Games
For gaming the i7-14700K lands within 3-6% of the pricier i9-14900K, usually a few frames. The i9 only pulls ahead about 14% in heavy multi-threaded rendering. Here's which to buy, and when a gaming-first build should look at neither.