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9 best processors for PC gaming 2024

By admin April 18, 2024

9 best processors for PC gaming 2024, It’s tough to find the right gaming CPU for your next PC. We’ve benchmarked dozens of processors to find the best CPU for gaming, and there’s a clear winner right now: AMD‘s Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Although the latest chip from Team Red claims the crown, there are still several other great options on the market.

Whatever your needs and budgets, though, we have options from AMD and Intel that will be great performers. We’re focused on gaming here, but if you want a processor that can game and get work done, make sure to check out our list of the best processors.

The best gaming CPU you can buy

Why you should buy this: It’s the fastest gaming processor you can buy, by far.

Who’s it for: Gamers who want top-tier performance and don’t need productivity power.

Why we picked the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D:

AMD is back on top of the gaming charts, but it isn’t with the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X3D. It’s with the midrange Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Through our testing, we found that the Ryzen 7 is sometimes even faster than AMD’s flagship and blows away the competition from Intel.

As we saw in the last generation, the reason why is 3D V-Cache. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D has the unique advantage of leveraging AMD’s cache tech with a single core complex (CCX), though. This, according to AMD, offers faster cache-to-cache transfers and speeds up gaming performance.

That’s what we saw in our testing. Overall, our testing revealed that it’s around 13% faster than Intel’s Core i9-13900K and a massive 20% faster than last-gen’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D. By a decent margin, it’s the fastest gaming CPU you can buy right now.

There are some trade-offs, though. Productivity performance, although solid, is still behind the flagship options from both AMD and Intel. In addition, single-core speed suffers due to the lower boost clock speed of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. For gamers, though, those issues are easy to look past.

best processors for PC gaming

Intel Core i5-13600K

The best Intel processor for gaming

Why you should buy this: It’s the best value on a gaming CPU available today.

Who’s it for: Gamers who want near-flagship gaming performance without paying the high price.

Why we picked the Intel Core i5-13600K:

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a processor for gaming, and Intel’s Core i5-13600K is proof of that. It’s the best Intel CPU you can buy right now, sporting 14 cores (6P + 8E) and 20 threads, with a boost clock that hits as high as 5.1GHz.

It’s not the fastest Intel CPU, or even quite the fastest for gaming. However, it’s so much more affordable than the 13700K and 13900K, and yet offers very comparable gaming performance — especially at resolutions above 1080p — that it delivers much more value for the money. It dominates the AMD competition, too. It is far faster for gaming than the Ryzen 5 7600X and goes toe-to-toe with the more-expensive 7700X — even exceeding it if you overclock it.

While you’ll get your best performance with the 13600K using DDR5 memory, you don’t have to. Running it on a more affordable motherboard with DDR4 memory can make upgrading to the 13600K much cheaper than the alternatives, leaving you plenty of room for upgrading your CPU and memory in the future. However, you won’t be able to move up to 14th-gen chips in the future, as Intel is moving to a new socket design with the next generation.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

The best last-gen AMD processor for gaming

Why you should buy this: It’s competitive with some of the latest CPUs and it’s an easy upgrade.

Who’s it for: Anyone with an AM4 system who wants the best performance possible without a system overhaul.

Why we picked the Intel Ryzen 7 5800X3D:

AMD ended its Ryzen 5000 generation with a bang. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D was so good for gaming when it was released that it’s still competitive with the latest Intel and AMD CPUs, outclassing chips that cost twice as much in many cases. The fact that you can install it in motherboards that cost less than $100 with DDR4 memory makes the 5800X3D an amazing value and arguably the best bang-for-the-buck gaming CPU that AMD offers, even with its newer — and faster — Ryzen 7000 CPUs available.

It comes with the same eight Zen 3 cores as the Ryzen 7 5800X, but with an additional 64MB of L3 cache stacked on top of the chip. That extra cache is put to good use in games. Across a suite of seven titles, we found it was 6.4% faster than the 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X.

It doesn’t beat out the top 7900X and 7950X in gaming, and it loses out heavily in multithreaded workloads and productivity applications, but if you’re just looking for gaming, and especially if you already have a compatible AM4 system, the 5800X3D is the best AMD CPU for gaming.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600

Best budget AMD processor for gaming

Why you should buy this: It’s an affordable new-generation gaming CPU with heaps of upgrade potential.

Who’s it for: Gamers who want to have a clear upgrade path for the future.

Why we picked the Ryzen 5 7600:

AMD’s Ryzen 5 7600 is the baby of the new generation, lacking the high core counts of its bigger siblings and the clock speed of its X-counterparts, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great CPU. In fact, it punches well above its weight, offering comparable performance to the 7600X at its default settings – and it’s almost identical once you enable precision boost overdrive, despite running at a lower power draw.

AMD hasn’t done an affordable, overclockable CPU like this for a few generations, but it’s returned to its roots with a great option for anyone looking to build a new AM5 system without paying sky-high prices. Motherboards and DDR5 memory still aren’t cheap, but this platform will be supported for years to come, so you shouldn’t need to upgrade anything for several generations of processors.

There are more affordable options in the older Ryzen 5000 generation of processors, but they perform significantly worse than the latest AM4 designs, and you are locking yourself into a dead-end platform with no upgrade potential.

Intel Core i9-13900K

The best high-end gaming CPU

Why you should buy this: It’s the fastest gaming CPU money can buy.

Who’s it for: Gamers with deep pockets who want the absolute best gaming and productivity performance possible.

Why we picked the Intel Core i9-13900K:

You don’t need more than the Core i5-13600K for gaming, but the Core i9-13900K is a true enthusiast-class processor. It comes with 24 cores (8 performance and 16 efficient) and it can hit a staggering 5.8GHz. In a straight shootout with any other CPU, it’s the fastest, so if you need flagship performance, there isn’t any other chip worth considering. There are some caveats, however.

For starters, most other top CPUs are almost as good, especially in games where GPU power is more important. You also need a very powerful cooler, as even 360mm all-in-ones have proved unable to keep this chip cool enough to prevent thermal throttling. That’s because it uses a lot of power — over 300 watts in some cases. You’ll need to make sure your power supply is up to the task.

If you stream and game or want to edit your gaming footage, this is easily the best CPU for the job, as it is not only the fastest at gaming, but often beats even AMD’s best in video-editing performance, too.

Wondering why we didn’t pick the 14900K? Because it’s basically the same CPU. The performance difference is almost non-existent, and it’s more expensive, making the 13900K by far the better choice.

Intel Core i3-12100F

The best $100 gaming CPU

Why you should buy this: It’s the fastest CPU at around $100.

Who’s it for: Anyone building a gaming PC on a tight budget.

Why we picked the Intel Core i3-12100F:

The Core i3-12100F is an unassuming quad-core processor, but it’s hard to expect more for around $100. It’s not as powerful as the Ryzen 5 and Core i5 options, but it’s not far behind — especially considering how much less it costs.

Unlike Intel’s other 12th-generation offerings, it ditches the efficient cores for four performance cores. Overall, it’s about 10% slower than the Core i5-12600K, but it depends on the game. In some titles, it’s just as fast.

Many games don’t need more than four cores, especially when those cores can hit 4.3GHz. Because of that, many older games run great on the Core i3-12100F. Newer titles, like Horizon Zero Dawn and Red Dead Redemption 2, may not have as high of performance, however.

AMD Ryzen 5 8600G

The best processor for gaming with integrated graphics

Why you should buy this: It has some of the most powerful onboard graphics of any CPU available.

Who’s it for: Anyone building a gaming PC now, but who plans to buy a GPU later.

Why we picked the Ryzen 5 8600G:

The Ryzen 5 8600G is for the gamer who doesn’t need one of the best graphics cards. It includes Radeon graphics on the chip itself, which is powerful enough for playing even AAA games at 1080p at lighter settings, or running esports games at high frame rates for competitive play.

It’s based on the Zen 4 CPU architecture, so it has six powerful cores and a high clock speed, while the onboard graphics are an enhanced version of the excellent RDNA 3 design found in AMD’s RX 7000 series of graphics cards. While the 8700G is more powerful, it’s not by a huge leap, and the price is almost 50% higher, making it harder to recommend.

What’s great about the Ryzen 5 8600G is that you can still use a discrete graphics card. Although we recommend one of the processors above if you already have a graphics card, the Ryzen 5 8600G is a great stopgap product that allows you to game while you save up. It also has a great upgrade path ahead of it, since you’ll be able to drop in a future AM5 CPU without the need to upgrade your motherboard too.

Ryzen 9 7950X

The best CPU for gaming and streaming

Why you should buy this: It’s the processor with the most performance cores.

Who’s it for: Anyone who wants a high-powered machine for gaming and streaming.

Why we picked the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X:

AMD’s 7950X goes back and forth with Intel’s top CPUs when it comes to gaming performance, and there’s a tussle when it comes to streaming performance, but for gaming and streaming, we lean towards AMD’s flagship CPU. This 16-core, 32-thread processor has the most high-speed performance cores of any modern CPU, making scheduling far easier whether you’re on Windows 10 or Windows 11, and that means you get more consistent performance across a wider range of applications.

The 7950X is also a monstrously powerful CPU in its own right, whether you’re gaming or streaming — or both. It offers heaps of cache and a near-6GHz clock speed. It is pricey, and you’ll need to factor in the cost of a high-end motherboard and DDR5, but if you want a powerful machine for gaming and streaming, there’s nothing quite like AMD’s 7950X. Recent price cuts have made it far more attainable, too.

Intel Core i5-13400

Best affordable gaming CPU

Why you should buy this: It has 12600K-level gaming performance for a cheaper price.

Who’s it for: Anyone who wants impressive multithreaded and gaming performance at an affordable price.

Why we picked the Intel Core i5-13400

The Intel Core i5-13400 hasn’t received much fanfare, but it should. It has 10 cores for around $250, which is incredible considering just three generations ago, you had to buy the top Core i9 CPU to get such multi-threaded capabilities. It doesn’t hit the high clock speeds of the other 13th-gen CPUs, but it still manages 4.6GHz across multiple cores at once, making it great for gaming at any resolution.

This CPU offers the kind of gaming performance you’d typically see on a Core i5-12600K, a CPU with higher clock speeds and much higher demands on power and cooling. The Core i5-13400 is relatively pedestrian with its 65-watt thermal design power (TDP) — a rarity in Intel’s latest processors.

If you’re building an affordable gaming PC, or you want good gaming performance in a compact, low-power system, the Core i5-13400 is a great choice.

Although you don’t need a top-shelf processor for gaming, your CPU still plays a significant role in how well your games run. Picking the right gaming CPU for you is an important choice to make.

Once you’ve decided on it and hit the buy button, check out our guide on how to install a CPU, so you’re prepared when it arrives.

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The best processors in 2024 AMD and Intel CPUs

By admin March 13, 2024

The best processors in 2024 AMD and Intel CPUs, AMD and Intel have fought for supremacy for decades, duking it out in a bid to make the best processors you can buy. The competition is fierce, and that’s a great thing for PC enthusiasts. In 2024, the list of the best CPUs is larger than ever and packed with options from Team Red and Team Blue.

Intel’s bang-for-the-buck king of this generation is the 14600K, but its last-gen flagship the 13900K is still well worth considering. If you’re a gamer though, the 7800X3D should be the top of your list. Here’s a rundown of those chips and a whole lot more.

Intel Core i5-14600K

The best value processor

It’s tough beating the Core i5-14600K on pure value. This slot was previously held by Intel’s Core i5-13600K, and if you already have that processor, it’s best to stick with it. If you’re upgrading from anything older, though, the Core i5-14600K is the CPU to buy.

It comes with the same core count as its last-gen counterpart, though with additional optimizations and a slight bump to clock speed. The result is slightly better productivity performance and much better gaming performance. On top of that, Intel didn’t raise the price of its Core i5 chip, so you’re getting better performance for around the same price. It’s fairly overclockable, so if you don’t mind pushing the power draw and temperatures even higher, you can close that gap with the higher-end CPUs a little more.

At the time of publication, the Core i5-14600K is only around $30 more expensive than the Core i5-13600K. We recommend checking the prices of the last-gen chip, however, because it still offers most of the performance and could be a better value.

The best processors in 2024 AMD and Intel CPUs

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

The best gaming processor

With the launch of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the 5800X3D finally has a worthy successor. This CPU is the fastest gaming CPU out there, beating Intel’s Core i9-13900K by miles and even eclipsing the 14900K in most games. In pure gaming scenarios, it also keeps up with the pricier Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D benefits from AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology, and once again, it shows off the power of adding copious amounts of L3 cache on top of the chip. It sports a total of 104MB cache, which marks a drastic upgrade from the Ryzen 7 7700X, which only comes with 40MB.

In terms of core counts, AMD seems to have stuck with what worked well for it before. The processor has eight cores and 16 threads. The boost clock speed is considerably lower than in the Ryzen 7 7700X — the 7800X3D maxes out at 5GHz. However, it still remains far superior in gaming tasks.

This chip is insane for gaming, but it drops off a cliff in productivity tasks when you compare it to the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. However, for pure gamers, this should not be a problem. In our internal testing, the CPU hit almost the same frames per second (fps) as the more expensive part — 239.3 versus 239.5. If you just want a solid processor for gaming, save your money and go with this one.

Intel Core i9-13900K

The best Intel processor

Intel’s 13900K might not be the flagship it once was, but it’s basically the same as the 14900K, it’s cheaper, and it uses less power. What’s not to love?

Similar to the previous-generation’s Core i9-12900K, the Core i9-13900K combines performance (P) cores and efficient (E) cores. Core counts are up this time around, though. You’re getting eight P-cores designed on the new Raptor Cove microarchitecture, as well as 16 E-cores using the Gracemont architecture from the previous generation.

Those extra cores help accelerate demanding multithreaded tasks, which is why the Core i9-13900K managed an 8% lead over the Ryzen 9 7950X in Cinebench R23. The redesigned P-cores also help the Core i9-13900K outpace AMD’s best by 12% in Cinebench’s single-core test.

Across nearly all benchmarks, the Core i9-13900K tops the charts, aided in no small part by additional L2 cache and boosted clock speeds. It’s the fastest processor you can buy, but more importantly, it comes in cheaper than AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X.

However, it can’t catch up with the X3D CPUs in gaming, so you will be falling behind a little there if you opt for this powerful Intel alternative, so bear that in mind. The upgrade path is a little limited, too, as you only really have the 14th gen to move to and nothing there beyond the very top chips can compete with the 13900K.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X

The best AMD processor

While it’s not quite as fast as the 13900K or 14900K in gaming or productivity, there’s no denying the raw power of the Ryzen 9 7950X, which nearly matches the Core i9-13900K in most tests.

The processor delivers on its promises, offering a 31% jump in single-core performance and a 36% improvement in multi-core performance compared to the previous generation. It takes a slight back seat in some tasks compared to the Core i9-13900K, but only by razor-thin margins. And in some games, like Far Cry 6, the Ryzen 9 7950X is actually a bit faster.

Beyond the processor itself, the Ryzen 9 7950X introduces AMD’s new AM5 platform. It used to be much more expensive, but thankfully, new motherboards and falling DDR5 prices make the upgrade a little more affordable. In addition, AMD says it will support AM5 until at least 2025 (and maybe beyond). That means it should be easy to upgrade to future Ryzen generations without buying a new motherboard.

Although the Ryzen 9 7950X isn’t at the peak of performance, it’s just a step behind. And with features like Smart Access Memory and distant platform support on offer, it’s still a very attractive flagship CPU.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

The best last-gen processor for gaming

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is the fastest AM4 processor for gaming ever made, and it will hold that title for the rest of time, because there are no new AM4 chips coming down the pipe which can compete. It blows everything else from the same generation out of the water and remains competitive in gaming with much newer processors. Why? A curious technology called 3D V-Cache.

For specs, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is slightly worse than the base Ryzen 7 5800X. It comes with the same eight Zen 3 cores, but the clock speed is 200MHz slower, and you can’t overclock the 3D-stacked part. The difference is that the Ryzen 7 5800X3D comes with an additional 64MB of L3 cache stacked on top of the processor.

It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but extra L3 cache makes a big difference in games. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D beats everything while gaming, including the Core i9-12900KS that costs twice as much. It’s also still competitive against newer CPUs from both Intel and AMD.

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is one of the best gaming CPUs, and it only really takes a backseat to AMD’s 3D V-Cache newcomers, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Keep in mind that this is a pure gaming CPU. If you plan on doing intense video encoding or other productivity tasks, it’s better to go with an AMD or Intel chip with a higher core count.

Intel Core i3-12100

The best processor under $100

It’s tough finding CPUs under $100 in 2024, but the Core i3-12100F is a standout. It’s part of the Alder Lake family, and though it does have newer-generation counterparts in the 13100 and 14100, they are more expensive and don’t perform much better, making the 12100F an absolute steal for a budget gaming PC.

The Core i3-12100F is a quad-core CPU that ranks among the best Intel processors you can buy. It doesn’t come with a hybrid architecture, instead opting for four performance cores, but that doesn’t hurt performance too much. It lacks onboard graphics, too, so you will need a dedicated graphics card with it.

Gaming is certainly possible, even if it’s a bit behind the six-core Ryzen 5 5600X, and day-to-day use is excellent. This is an entry-level processor, no doubt, but the Core i3-12100F still punches above what its price would suggest.

AMD Ryzen 5 8500G

The best processor with integrated graphics

Gaming without a GPU is possible, but it’s not an ideal experience. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500G is an exception, because its onboard RDNA 3 GPU is more than capable of playing most games at 1080p medium settings at 30 frames per second (fps) in AAA games, and a far higher rate in more casual titles. It’s not going to replace a dedicated graphics chip, and the CPU isn’t as fast as its non-APU counterparts, but it’s a great choice for GPU-free gaming.

It has six Zen4+ cores, giving it solid CPU performance, with support for 12 threads. It is limited to a 5GHz boost clock, though, which is lower than its Ryzen 7000 counterparts. Still, it has a low TDP, and if you’re building a budget gaming machine, want to save money to buy a bigger graphics card later, or are putting together a compact machine that will only do light gaming, the 8500G is a great pick.

If you want more power, the 8700G is available, but it’s around twice the price and its performance isn’t that much better.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600

The best value AMD processor

AMD made sure that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with the Ryzen 5 7600. It’s close to its predecessor in some ways, sporting the exact same core count, but it does offer a number of generational upgrades that make it a good way to future-proof your PC.

The Ryzen 5 7600 comes with six cores and 12 threads. It has a maximum clock speed of 5.2GHz. It’s a pretty well-rounded processor, with solid gaming performance, but also plenty of room for productivity. It’s not going to beat some of this generation’s heavyweights, but it’s more than sufficient even for AAA gaming purposes.

The downside of it lies in the extra expense compared to the last-gen chip, and it’s all due to AMD’s new AM5 platform. This means a new motherboard if you’re upgrading, and unfortunately, you have to stick with DDR5 memory due to a lack of DDR4 support.

This is why the previous-gen chip is still a very attractive choice — overall, you’re looking at quite big savings if you stick to the previous generation. On the other hand, switching to AM5 now means plenty of room for upgrades going forward.

Intel Core i5-13400F

Best value Intel CPU

The Intel Core i5-13400F might be a last-generation chip, and it might be a little slower than the new-gen 14400, but there’s a sizeable discount to be had for opting for this slightly older model. It works on the same motherboards, supports the same DDR4 or DDR5 memory, and it has the same (albeit limited) upgrade potential.

It’s the cheapest Intel 13th- or 14th-generation CPU with efficiency cores, so its productivity performance is seriously impressive, rivaling much more high-end CPUs from older generations and offering credible competition for higher-end AMD CPUs. Pair it with a midrange graphics card, and this is a seriously capable chip for gaming.

As for upgrades, you’ll only be able to switch it out for higher-end 13th and 14th gen chips, which does give you an upgrade path, but that’s the end of it. After this generation, you’ll need to switch out the motherboard for something new.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which processor is the fastest?

The fastest processor you can buy right now is the Intel Core i9-14900K. It comes with 24 cores and high clock speeds, allowing it to rip through games and intense productivity applications. However, it has serious competition in gaming from the AMD 7800X3D and 7950X3D, both of which are far more efficient and draw far less power than the 14900K. They can’t compete on productivity, but the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, isn’t far behind and is no slouch in gaming either.

Is i7 better than i5?

Intel Core i7 and Core i5 processors are both excellent options. As the names suggest, i7 processors are faster and more powerful than i5 processors, and they’re more expensive. They may not be the best choice for everyone, though.

For several generations, Intel has segmented six cores to its Core i5 processors and eight cores to its Core i7 processors. The two extra cores provide a performance boost, but they’re not as important if you’re gaming or running basic applications on your PC.

Which type of processor is the best?

AMD and Intel are the main CPU manufacturers, and they tend to leapfrog each other every couple of years. Currently, Intel processors are the best option for raw performance all round, but that comes at a high power draw. For absolute gaming performance, though, AMD’s X3D CPUs, like the 7800X3D and 7950X3D as the fastest out there.

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Best mini gaming PC 2024

By admin January 15, 2024

Best mini gaming PC 2024, Gaming PCs don’t have to be enormous and finding a powerful compact PC is easier than ever. We’ve tested the best mini gaming PCs at all price points.

What is the best mini gaming PC? The traditional image of a gaming custom PC is some hulking behemoth of a machine, with frantically spinning fans, blazing rainbow RGB LEDs, and monstrously large graphics cards. But the best mini gaming PCs are compact machines that house full-scale components. Despite their size, mini PCs don’t skimp on performance and are ideal for smaller gaming desks or if want to take it traveling.

In this guide, we’ve chosen pre-built mini gaming PCs from the likes of Origin, Corsair, and more. Check out how to build a gaming PC if you want to choose the components and PC case yourself.

Some exceedingly small and cheap mini gaming PCs such as those offered by Minisforum take AMD mobile CPUs, with their iGPUs that punch well above their weight and let them rip with their maximum power draw – which can be capable even at 1080p.

We suggest thinking about cooling solutions and how easy it is to upgrade the machine. There’s no point in spending money on components that are going to throttle the moment they heat up. These are the best mini gaming PCs to game in confidence and small spaces. If you want full power (and have the room), check out our full best gaming PCs guide.

The best mini gaming PCs today:

1.Minisforum UM773 – best for most gamers

2.Origin PC Chronos V3 – best premium PC

3.Intel NUC 12 Serpent Canyon – true mini PC

4.Corsair ONE i400 – stunning design

5.Beelink SER6 – best budget option

6.Blackview MP200 – best under $450/£350

7.Asus Rog Ally – best handheld PC

1. Minisforum UM773 Lite

Best mini PC overall for light gaming.

Minisforum Venus UM773 Lite Specs:

.	.
Graphics	AMD RDNA 2 680M
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS 8 core 3.2GHz – 4.75GHz
RAM	32GB DDR5
Storage	512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Connectivity	RJ45 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port, USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C, USB3.2 Gen2 Type-A ×2, USB2.0 Type-A ×2, USB4 Type-C, HDMI ×2, 3.5mm Combo Jack ×1, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth,
Cooling	Liquid metal thermal compound, Airway Design 120 fan, two heat pipes
Dimensions	5.03 x 4.9 x 1.8 inches (12.78 x 12.45 x 4.57 cm)
Weight	3.65 lbs (1.66 kg) including power brick

Pros

• Small yet mighty

• Plenty of RAM

Cons

• Reported defective WiFi cards

“Integrated graphics?” we hear you cry, and we respond with a resounding yes. The $539.99 (£495.20) Minisforum UM773’s AMD 680M sits between the integrated graphics of Valve’s Steam Deck and the Asus ROG Ally which as we all know by now are very capable little machines.

The 680M is allowed to perform at its best because of the inclusion of very fast DDR5 which AMD’s CPUs and iGPUs work nicely with and 32 GB of it no less. Though it is not as capable as its younger sibling the 780M, it manages to be slightly more efficient due to its lower power draw so those working with constrained power budgets will be served here.

Esports titles will run well at 1080p and emulation will be no problem at all. Older titles too will, of course, return great performance so if you’re not too fussed about the latest AAA games, you’re sure to have a great time with this seriously handy little machine, especially when paired with the best gaming monitor to get the most out of this mighty box.

Whilst the Minisforum Venus UM773 doesn’t offer the same portability as the Deck or Ally, it makes up for it in connectivity with a plethora of ports making this a very practical little machine.

It is also surprisingly upgradable with two SODIMM slots, a PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot, and room on the bottom for a 2.5-inch hard drive. You could also connect an eGPU via the USB4 port if you wanted some extra GPU down the line as the CPU will age more gracefully than the iGPU.

Best mini gaming PC 2024

2. Origin PC Chronos V3

Best premium mini gaming PC.

Origin Chronos V3 specs:

.	.
Graphics	Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti 12GB
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
RAM	32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5 5600Mhz
Motherboard	ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I WiFi
PSU	850 Watt CORSAIR SFX-L Series
Storage	1TB Samsung PM9A1 M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0
Connectivity	2 x USB-C 4.0, 1 x USB-C 3.1, 5 x USB-A 3.2, 3 x USB-A 2.0, 5 x USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm headphone/mic
Cooling	2 x 120mm fan, 80mm fan, iCUE H100i ELITE CAPELLIX XT Liquid CPU Cooler
Dimensions (W x H x D)	7.87 x 17.71 x 10.6 (20cm x 45cm x 27cm)

Pros

• Powerful all-rounder

• Easily upgradeable

• PCIe Gen 5.0

Cons

• Not the smallest

• Expensive

Well-established custom PC builders Origin have updated their CHRONOS line to use parent company Corsair’s svelte 2000D case whose vertical design makes us think that it’s some supercharged Xbox Series X with its cuboid design.

At $2,806 it isn’t the cheapest, but Origin PC has been in the business a long time for good reason so you can be sure you will be getting a quality product that won’t be giving you any headaches.

With an AMD Ryzen 7 7800 X3D and Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti, you can be sure to be playing the latest AAA games for a while, especially with more games supporting DLSS 3 frame generation introduced with the RTX 4000 series.

Being owned by Corsair, you can quite often get good deals on peripherals if you need a new monitor, keyboard, mouse, and streaming goodies. Be sure to check out our best gaming headsets if you need a sonic solution for your ears.

It’s on the cusp of being a mini PC however as it is quite large still, but is certainly smaller than your average ATX case. You can go smaller with other options but given Origin’s credentials, customer service, and flexibility, we’ve included it as our best overall pick.

3. Intel NUC 12 Serpent Canyon

Best true mini PC with dedicated graphics.

Intel NUC 12 Serpent Canyon Specs:

.	.
Graphics	Intel Arc A770M 16GB
CPU	Intel i7-12700H
RAM	16GB DDR4 3200Mhz
Storage	1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Connectivity	HDMI 2.1 (4K60), DisplayPort 2.0 x 2, Thunderbolt/USB4 Type-C ports x 2, USB3.2 Gen2 Type-A ×6, 3.5mm Combo Jack ×1, 2.5Gb ethernet, Consumer infrared port, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
Cooling	Two fans and heat pipes
Dimensions	9.06 x 7.09 x 2.36 inches (23 x 18 x 6 cm)
Weight	4.34 lbs (1.97 kg)

Pros

• Pint-sized gaming PC

• Slick console-like design

• Powerful dedicated graphics

Cons

• Intel Arc teething issues

• Expensive

Intel’s NUC (Next Unit of Computing) series has been around for a few years now but for the first time, they’ve updated their designs with their own Arc series of GPUs for a true-blue all-Intel system.

This is all packaged in an exceedingly handsome and small case that puts the PS5 and Xbox Series X to shame when it comes to a performance-to-size ratio as the NUC 12 Serpent Canyon is so small that we’re surprised there’s even a GPU in there. It has an air of “This is what the Xbox 720 will look like” about it which we’re quite fond of too.

The Serpent Canyon has an Intel Arc A770M with 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM so you shouldn’t run into any limitations with the recent spate of resource-heavy AAA games. The Arc cards have excellent ray-tracing performance for their price point, eclipsing AMD in this regard.

Also included is a very capable i7-12700H so CPU workloads will be breezy and will keep up with the performant A770M.

Whilst the CPU and GPU aren’t upgradable, there are plenty of drive options with 2 M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots and an M.2 PCIe slot. The RAM is also user-replaceable.

Something to consider is how the Intel Arc cards have fared since release. They are leaps and bounds better than were with DX9, 10, and 11 performance seeing massive improvements but Nvidia and AMD have better legacy support for older titles. Intel’s upscaling technology XeSS isn’t as widely supported but it is being increasingly integrated by developers.

Recent AAA titles that have VRAM issues have influenced our decision to include the Serpent Canyon as the 16GB of VRAM and good DX12 performance see the NUC punching above its weight here. This is at a high cost, but we think it’s worth it given the unique design and improved performance.

4. Corsair ONE i400

The mini gaming PC with the best design.

Corsair ONE i400 Specs:

.	.
Graphics	Nvidia RTX 3080 10 GB
CPU	Intel i7-13700KF
RAM	32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-5600MHz
Storage	1TB NVMe SSD
PSU	750W SFX 80 PLUS Platinum
Connectivity	USB 3.1 Gen 1 x 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, Thunderbolt 4 x 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 1, 7.1 Audio, 2.5G Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
Cooling	2 liquid AIO coolers
Dimensions	6.93 x 7.87 x 14.96 inches (17.6 x 20 x 38 cm)
Weight	9.6 lbs (4.35 kg)

Pros:

• Striking design

• Excellent performance

Cons:

• Expensive for RTX 3080 PC

• Difficult to upgrade

Look at that subtle RGB lighting. The tasteful thickness of it Oh my god, it even has water cooling. It’s the Corsair ONE i400 with Intel’s latest 13th gen i7-13700KF and clearly, they are still pretty proud of themselves as they have stuck with the tried and true Corsair One case, and really, who could blame them?

It’s become something of a PC design icon since the original Corsair One debuted back in 2017, and we’ve been fans of it ever since – its predecessor was in our best gaming PC list.

The ONE i400 also has faster DDR5 RAM to help raise those 1% lows whilst gaming and chewing through the embarrassing amount of tabs we have open. The RTX 3080 is still a formidable card and most of the time you should have a great experience playing games or using GPU-accelerated programs.

It is a bit disappointing to see only the RAM and CPU see a refresh. At the asking price of $2,499.99, we think an RTX 4070 Ti would be the obvious pairing as the extra VRAM would help ease any concerns about how memory-hungry new AAA games have been as of late. The Corsair ONE i400 is also a little more awkward to work in than even some smaller PCs due to its unique design, but we think the tradeoff here is worth it if you feel confident pulling it apart and back together again.

5. Beelink SER6 Gaming Mini PC

Best budget mini gaming PC.

Beelink SER6 Specs:

.	.
Graphics	AMD RDNA 2 660M
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 6600H 6 core 4.5Ghz
RAM	16GB DDR5 4800MHz dual channel
Storage	512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Connectivity	USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 3, USB 2.0, HDMI x 2, 2.5Gb ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Cooling	Two fans
Dimensions	4.96 x 4.45 x 1.65 inches (12.6 x 11.3 x 4.2 cm)
Weight	1.13 lbs ( 0.51 kg)

Pros

• Steam Deck level of performance

• Upgradable RAM and storage

Cons

• Loud and high-pitched fan noise

• Only a little cheaper than 680M systems

AMD’s integrated graphics make another showing here with the Beelink SER6. The SER6 has an AMD 660M that is slightly less powerful than the iGPU of the Steam Deck, but the SER6 has two extra CPU cores and more power available to it so you can expect your games and general computing to feel a little snappier. To keep the Ryzen 5 6600U running sweet there is 16GB of DDR5 RAM and older and lighter titles such as Minecraft and League of Legends will hum along nicely.

You also have good options for expanding your storage and RAM with user two SODIMM slots and a PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot which are user-replaceable. Similarly to the Minisforum, there is space for a 2.5” drive at the bottom of the SER6 if you want to get silly with the storage and dump all your (legally owned) ROMs for a great little emulation machine. If the included 512GB isn’t enough, be sure to check out our best SSD for gaming roundup.

An unfortunate flaw here though is the dual fan design. Because the individual fans are smaller, they are much higher pitched than a larger singular fan would be so when things heat up, it can be a little loud. It’s also only a little cheaper at $429 (£539) than a 680 M-equipped mini PC so you may want to spend an extra bit of cash for the additional CPU and CU cores.

6. Blackview MP200

Best mini PC under $300/£300

Blackview MP200 specs:

.	.
Graphics	Intel Ultra-HD Graphics
CPU	Intel Core i5-11400H
RAM	16GB DDR4 3200MHz
Storage	512GB M.2
Connectivity	USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 4, HDMI 2, USB type C, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Wifi 6, 1000Mbs LAN
Dimensions	183.2 x 150 x 75.5mm
Weight	1.52lbs (690g)

Pros

• One of the cheapest mini PCs

• Good for daily tasks

Cons

• Noisy fans during medium loads

• No dedicated graphics card

The Blackview MP200 is the ideal mini PC for those who want to spend as little as possible. Its competitive pricing makes it our top cheap option, but that price does mean limitations with performance.

Inside the MP200, the Intel Ultra-HD Graphics hinder gameplay somewhat, to the extent that you’ll need to play most in the lowest settings. It’s not impossible to play the best PC games, but you may struggle with triple AAA releases.

There are enough ports to add three displays with USB 3.2 connectivity, and the storage and RAM can both be doubled if you want to add second modules and upgrade the machine further down the line. We’d recommend the Blackview MP200 if you want one of the cheapest Windows 11 PCs on the market, but if gaming is your priority then lack of graphics card and cooling will let you down.

7. Asus ROG Ally

Best portable mini gaming PC.

Asus ROG Ally specs:

.	.
Graphics	AMD 780M
CPU	AMD Z1 Extreme APU 8 core
RAM	16GB LPDDR5 6400Mhz Dual channel
Display	7 inch IPS 1080p 120Hz (VRR)
Storage	512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, microSD
Connectivity	ROG XG Mobile Interface, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
Cooling	Dual fan design
Dimensions	11.02 x 4.37 x 0.83 ~ 1.28 inches (28.0 x 11.1 x 2.12 ~ 3.24 cm)
Weight	1.34 lbs (0.61 kg)

Pros

• Inexpensive

• Very powerful

• Highly portable

Cons

• Armory Crate software needs improving

• Windows 11 isn’t the best portable OS

The Asus ROG Ally may have a display and a built-in controller but it is by all accounts, a mini gaming PC that just so happens to be extremely portable. We were mightily impressed by the $699 (£699) Ally in our review.

It’s eeked out the Steam Deck for the best portable mini gaming PC because of its extra grunt in the GPU and CPU department which lets us play games on the go at 1080P.

When plugged in at home, you can opt for the maximum power envelope that would normally rinse your battery and have a very capable little computer that you can do pretty much anything on. With the XMG connector, you can plug in one of Asus’ external GPUs without losing any performance to the limitations of USB 4 as you have full access to the PCIe lanes.

You’ll need a good gaming keyboard and gaming mouse setup to make full use of the desktop environment though, editing the Excel spreadsheet might be a little difficult with the joysticks.

Any hiccups in performance will be smoothed out by the VRR screen too so unless you have some very heavy 1% and 0.1% lows, you shouldn’t notice any dips in frame rate allowing for a smooth and consistent experience.

Unfortunately, Asus’ Armory Crate overlay paired with Windows 11 doesn’t shine a candle to Valve’s SteamOS in terms of functionality, but this will no doubt improve with time and you have the added benefit of knowing that games such as Fortnite and Roblox will work out of the box.

Are mini PCs good for gaming?

A mini PC can be a good option for gaming, but it all depends on how much performance you need – and how much you’re willing to spend. The most expensive mini PCs like the Corsair i400 are equipped with high-end CPUs and dedicated GPUs, while there are some limitations to truly mini PCs.

With less space for cooling systems, this can lead to higher temperatures and loud fan noise during intensive gaming sessions – something we found to be true with the Blackview MP200. The compact form factor may also limit upgradability compared to larger desktop counterparts, as you might get fewer expansion slots. As mini PC technology has improved, high-performance mini gaming PCs can now mostly meet the demands of modern gamers.

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