Best CPUs of 2021 (Gaming, Workstation, Budget, & Disappointment)

By admin | January 16, 2022 |

Best CPUs of 2021 (Gaming, Workstation, Budget, & Disappointment)

This round-up looks at the Best CPUs of 2021 for custom DIY PC builds. We compare the best CPUs for gaming, programming, video editing, and more.
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All CPUs linked below.

Watch our Best CPU Coolers of 2021 round-up here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vex9_84VpYs

New on the GamersNexus Store: GN Crystal Award Spheres! These awards feature a PC explosion design with a full system in fine detail, right down to the radiator fins. New GN Awards are available in two sizes and come with a matching crystal base lasered with the GN logo. These are in-stock and shipping now at https://store.gamersnexus.net/products/gn-crystal-spheres

This video covers some of the best CPUs of 2021, but also features the biggest disappointment of the year (at least, the biggest CPU disappointment). If you’re trying to figure out which CPU to buy for a new PC build, these benchmarks and mini-reviews will help you make that selection. Benchmarks include previously released data on video editing, fastest Adobe Premiere render CPUs, best CPUs for Blender and 3D art, best gaming CPUs, best budget CPUs (for gaming and otherwise), and more. Our testing looks at compression, decompression, code compile, programming, and additional data points. The goal for this round-up is to provide a top-down view of the current CPU market and assist as you shop for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and end of year holiday PC building.

RELATED PRODUCTS [Affiliate Links]

Best CPU Overall 2021

Intel i5-12600K on Amazon: https://geni.us/fiTYY
Original 12600K Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkHMh8sUSuM

Best CPU Efficiency 2021

AMD R9-5950X on Amazon: https://geni.us/o2Tk
Original AMD R9 5950X CPU Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72AHENDeTEI

Best Gaming CPU 2021

Intel i9-12900K on Amazon: https://geni.us/blkqC
Original Intel Core i9-12900K CPU Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhI9tLOg-6I

Most Well-Rounded CPU 2021

Intel i7-12700K on Amazon: https://geni.us/1z5VTBU
Intel i7-12700KF on Amazon: https://geni.us/4xkA6YK
Original Intel Core i7-12700K CPU Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B14h25fKMpY

Best HEDT Workstation CPU 2021

AMD Threadripper 3970X on Amazon: https://geni.us/uB7SHnO
AMD Threadripper 3990X on Amazon: https://geni.us/xvKS5rE
(and Pro versions)
Original Threadripper 3970X Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2tzTMN6-qU

Best* Budget CPU 2021 (we didn’t like our options this year, so see disclaimers in video)

Intel i3-10100 on Amazon: https://geni.us/GWfn8o

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT 2021

Intel Core i9-11900K (yes, it came out just this year) on Amazon: https://geni.us/fTE1
Original 11900K Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxiuvQPL_qs

Like our content? Please consider becoming our Patron to support us: http://www.patreon.com/gamersnexus

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Best CPUs of 2021
01:45 – An Exciting Year for CPUs
02:15 – But Cheap CPUs Are Missing
03:55 – Best Overall CPU of 2021
06:15 – Best Efficiency 2021
08:12 – Best Gaming CPU 2021
10:16 – Most Well-Rounded CPU
11:48 – Best Best High-End Workstation CPU
13:08 – Best Budget CPU*
14:14 – Biggest Disappointment

16:08 – Huge Change-Up
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Host, Writing: Steve Burke
Video: Keegan Gallick, Andrew Coleman

Posted in Desktops

50 Comments

  1. Derek Berry on January 16, 2022 at 4:08 pm

    I got a bomb ass deal on the 12700k from microcenter $330. Only bad things are motherboard prices and the fact that you can’t get ddr5 right now. So had to get a ddr4 motherboard z690.



  2. Brian Dove on January 16, 2022 at 4:09 pm

    Ok I know basically nothing about cpus so can anyone help me out here? I’m upgrading my PC for gaming. Right now I have a i5 6600k and want something better. How is a i5 the best right now? My guy is telling me to with a i712700k or something from that range. Thanks a ton



  3. D827 Kelly on January 16, 2022 at 4:09 pm

    Here is a thought remembering the xt ryzen cpus. Do you think that the X3D ryzen (curiously currently only the one sku) will be another XT or a good thing. It gives people with a 5600X or less another option for upgrading before going to am5, which I think some people will skip the first iteration of and wait to see the inevitable new platform foibles resolved (plus ddr5 to stabilise).

    Ryzen 7000 I’m looking forward to seeing how it reviews, as it will be the first time amd has to catch up and overtake not just alder lake but have to think about raptor lake too, ryzen 9000 or 11000 going against meteor lake of course (another socket change from intel there too).



  4. eze ess on January 16, 2022 at 4:09 pm

    12700k is very solid as well. right now it’s only 349 at mc



  5. Gh A on January 16, 2022 at 4:12 pm

    Just buy macbook for video render



  6. Winged Tenacity on January 16, 2022 at 4:12 pm

    I agree with all these reviews.



  7. Pootin Plays on January 16, 2022 at 4:13 pm

    $219 for a 10700k was a great buy from microcenter. Went from 3770k to 10700k. Huge upgrade



  8. LtdCloud on January 16, 2022 at 4:15 pm

    I own a 3080. Should I upgrade my i7-7700k to a i5-12600k. I recently got a 3440x1440p monitor and it feels like my CPU is not doing it anymore.
    It’s hard to find bencharks comparing a 7700k to newer chips nowadays.



  9. damasterpiece08 on January 16, 2022 at 4:16 pm

    Waiting for best CPU in rdr2 1080p medium setting with dx12 API 😋



  10. tigerbalm on January 16, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Upgrading form 2500k now?



  11. Oblivion on January 16, 2022 at 4:18 pm

    12600k vs 12700k … can someone explain whats best?



  12. Tr!pha on January 16, 2022 at 4:19 pm

    Would you consider upgrade Blender to 3.0 ? Its now cycles render much faster than the 2.93 version



  13. Vnncz3 on January 16, 2022 at 4:20 pm

    14:13 Oooof my mans has no chill



  14. DuckofFail on January 16, 2022 at 4:21 pm

    Intel 11th Gen should’ve been named KY Lake…



  15. RonnyChem on January 16, 2022 at 4:21 pm

    I probably would have bought one of the intel CPUs if there were literally any intel motherboards under $200.



  16. Daniel Stark on January 16, 2022 at 4:24 pm

    12600k needs a z690 board which makes not a overall best cpu.meanwhile you can put a 5600x into a b450 and call it a day.5600x is winner here



  17. Church Of Sacred Cacti on January 16, 2022 at 4:25 pm

    Is my 9700k and 2060 at 5ghz on all 8 cores till good enough for csgo at 1080 low settings?



  18. BKDDY on January 16, 2022 at 4:27 pm

    RIP AMD



  19. andy lam on January 16, 2022 at 4:29 pm

    Damn those spheres look cool – XL sold out



  20. Igor Balen on January 16, 2022 at 4:31 pm

    I work at home on RYEN 7 3700x on x570 AsRock Steel Legend, while in the company I have i7 10700k on Asus Prime Z490 / 32 GB DDR4 3000 mhz. Ovecklocking on AMD is a horror 3.6 at 4.1 max and it doesn’t work stably, while Intel boosts to 5.0 and everything slips. All applications. Photoshop, In Design, Illustrator, Corel, everything works better on Intel than on AMD … I’m not playing



  21. Poteq Qetop on January 16, 2022 at 4:32 pm

    I know I’ve came to the right video when I know before I watch the video that I will 100% know everything that I need to know and what to buy for my upgrade! Thank you in advance 🙂



  22. Atilla Films on January 16, 2022 at 4:36 pm

    Here I am still pushing my 9900k to its limits. 5GHz and running well. I might go for an upgrade near ~2025. Crazy that I get blown away by a new i5 now.



  23. Unravel on January 16, 2022 at 4:36 pm

    where do you even find 12th gen motherboards



  24. Rudy_Dstroys on January 16, 2022 at 4:41 pm

    I wonder if people would sell the 11900k for cheap for being a disappointment lol



  25. Louis Clark on January 16, 2022 at 4:42 pm

    I got my b550 asus strix gaming Wi-Fi f and my 5600x for £460 for me it was a no brainer and as my first AMD build I really can’t complain .



  26. Trqct on January 16, 2022 at 4:42 pm

    I just got a new ryzen 5 5600x for christmas and I am inviting my friend over tomorrow to help put it in my pc. Very excited!



  27. RMCF on January 16, 2022 at 4:42 pm

    now i feel dumb for buying an r5 5600x



  28. Peter Xian on January 16, 2022 at 4:43 pm

    when companies get huge, launching of disappointing products are bound to happen. Free market capitalism would quickly fix that thou.



  29. J Beltran on January 16, 2022 at 4:43 pm

    I got a 12700k for 380 😀



  30. Kevin-Ray Carl Sanden on January 16, 2022 at 4:44 pm

    I got the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X – not really that knowledgable about CPUs. Would you say this is up to par?



  31. Gamers Nexus on January 16, 2022 at 4:44 pm

    If you’re buying a CPU, you might also buy a cooler. Watch our Best CPU Coolers of 2021 round-up here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vex9_84VpYs
    All CPU links in the description above, including links to our original reviews in case you want more in-depth data or analysis. Best Cases of 2021 is next! Check back tomorrow for that!
    New on the GamersNexus Store: GN Crystal Award Spheres! These awards feature a PC explosion design with a full system in fine detail, right down to the radiator fins. These are in-stock and shipping now at https://store.gamersnexus.net/products/gn-crystal-spheres



  32. Mai Urbančič on January 16, 2022 at 4:45 pm

    I got the 11900k for 340€ soooo. Not a waste of sand 🙏



  33. Manuel E. Itriago M. on January 16, 2022 at 4:46 pm

    Seeing Intel come back makes so happy. I switched to AMD, then back to Intel because I went laptop, now back to AMD and who knows what comes next. But having this competition again, will only being benefits to us. Because even if one might be better than the other, both will be good overall. Something we didn’t see for a while.



  34. Riwaz Awasthi on January 16, 2022 at 4:46 pm

    Picked up the 12700K for $300 at Microcenter just in time. New GPU still a pipe dream though.



  35. eddieobscurant on January 16, 2022 at 4:52 pm

    Where is the best GPU of 2021 video?



  36. Reinhardt Wilhelm on January 16, 2022 at 4:53 pm

    The i9-11900K is easily the worst desktop CPU since the debut of Ryzen, and might even be worse than Bulldozer.



  37. Qwe Rty on January 16, 2022 at 4:54 pm

    I LOVE MY 10900K….
    5Ghz all core 10/20 ……………………………………………………………………………….



  38. Foyva on January 16, 2022 at 4:55 pm

    Ryzen APUs are the real winners with graphic card prices as is



  39. sdruba90 on January 16, 2022 at 4:57 pm

    Is it worth to buy a 12700kf right now (dec 2021) or wait for amd? I have a 8700k and a 3080ti.



  40. Softnumnums on January 16, 2022 at 4:58 pm

    I got my NZXT prebuilt on the 3rd and its been great! $1799 for a 3070ti and a r7 5800x.



  41. Luca Caligari on January 16, 2022 at 4:59 pm

    For rendering work AE mainly ignoring price factor would you go for the TR 3700X or the 5850x ? I know it has more cores but its getting old now. Is it still a viable option to buy today?



  42. Nightwatch on January 16, 2022 at 4:59 pm

    10850K is the best overall in my opinion. I wouldn’t recommend 12th beta generation to anyone except enthusiasts. 10850K kills everything for its price.



  43. Ammar Darhou on January 16, 2022 at 4:59 pm

    i want a cpu for editing and gaming, i still dont know which one to chose bahaha



  44. stephen daniels on January 16, 2022 at 5:00 pm

    if iam was going to build best pc with 2 Tesla K80 GPU Accelerator is designed for servers and offers a total of 24 GB of GDDR5 on-board memory with one more gpu on pc board £100.00 to £150.00 each and 2x xeon platinum servers best gameing more 18 teraflops single-precision performance with NVIDIA GPU Boost with 1600mhz dddr3 256gb of ram for no more £1000.00 used servers parts from OR2



  45. royjonzejr on January 16, 2022 at 5:04 pm

    3:20 I think that’s what Elon Musk used to break the window of the Cybertruck



  46. JigoLo_Gaming on January 16, 2022 at 5:05 pm

    I9 10th gen or i9 11th gen???



  47. Mahesh Walatara on January 16, 2022 at 5:05 pm

    How do you do those smooth camera moves exactly?



  48. Of Xaos on January 16, 2022 at 5:06 pm

    Actual video starts 4:14 if you don’t care to hear all the rambling on that they do now.



  49. Maverick Bonato on January 16, 2022 at 5:06 pm

    I chose a 5800x before really looking at a lot of reviews since I knew it was pretty good and the 5900x in my configuration was like $200 more but now I feel bashed everytime it’s mentioned lmao



  50. Edgar Gonzaga on January 16, 2022 at 5:06 pm

    I got the i9 10900k and z490 tomohawk for $350, Im good