Best Gaming CPU under £200


£200 is a good CPU target for a new PC build costing around £850-£1350, and this is generally a price point where there are lots of good value parts, both GPU, and CPU wise. Here we'll be looking at a a range of good CPU offerings in the £100-£200 range. Let's get into it!




1. Ryzen 3 3300x (~£120)

     Advantages:

       - Cheap

       - AM4 platform allows for many upgrade options

     Disadvantages:

       - Not much room to OC

The Ryzen 3 3300X offers impressive gaming performance, for the lowest price in this roundup, only falling marginally behind the older value king, the Ryzen 5 3600. This makes it a good option for a cheaper midrange PC, or as an upgrade from a 1st gen Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 3 part. Unfortunately overclocking this part is largely pointless, and can even be damaging to gaming performance, but it's stock performance is still pretty impressive for the price. 





2. Core i5 10400F (~£130)

     Advantages:

       - Impressive gaming performance for a low cost 

     Disadvantages:

       - Locked skew

Great value and fairly low price, the 10400(F) offers a huge generational improvement over the 9400, partly due to the fact that it has hyper threading, although there are also some respectable single core improvements. The use of the LGA 1200 platform also allows for an upgrade to either an 11400, 10600k, 11600k, or even a higher performing i7 part. The 10400 offers a nice performance uplift from the 3300X as well, so if you're building a new system, and have a little extra money, the 10400 could be a good choice. 





3. Core i5 11400F (~£180)

     Advantages:

       - Slightly superior 10400F, for a slightly higher price

     Disadvantages:

       - Locked skew 

The 11400(F) is part of Intel’s 11th Gen lineup, and is slightly higher performing than the 10400, for slightly more, in a price range that has currently been abandoned by AMD for now after the Ryzen 5 3600 has increased in price, and the 11400 is higher performing anyway, making it a good choice. Unfortunately it is situated on the LGA 1200 socket, reducing the upgrade options, as the 11th gen i7 and i9 parts aren't particularly impressive, limiting the upgrade options significantly. Once prices have come down more on 10th Gen parts however, you could upgrade to an i7 or i9 part. If you are searching for impressive, but affordable entry level or midrange gaming CPU, and have a little extra money again over the 10400, this could be a good build choice. 





4. Core i5 10600KF (~£190)

     Advantages:

       - Unlocked

       - Reduced significantly in price since launch

     Disadvantages:

       - High power draw and temperatures when overclocked, and even at stock

The 10600K, and KF have come down in price significantly since they were released, and this unlocked skew offers impressive value, and could potentially be upgraded to a higher end 10th Gen i7 or i9 part once they've reduced in price some more. Unfortunately an overclock doesn't offer dramatic gaming improvements, and can lead to very high power draw and heat dissipation. The 10600KF could provide an upgrade from a 10100, or possibly 10400, but the performance improvements are minimal, and probably not worth it in that case. 





5. Core i5 9600KF (£110)

     Advantages:

       - LGA 1151v2, so could upgrade a cheaper 9th Gen or 8th Gen part.

       - Unlocked skew

     Disadvantages:

       - Only 6 cores (No HT) 

The 9600K is a little bit behind the 10400(F), in both performance and value, so it doesn't seem an obvious choice. If, however, you're upgrading a system with a Core i5 8400, or 8th or 9th Gen i3 part, it could be a better value option than buying a new motherboard for a 10th Gen part. Which skew is best depends a lot on what your situation is, so the best value CPU for a new build could be very different from the best option for someone upgrading an older PC. This CPU is generally best value for someone upgrading from an older Intel CPU, and isn't advised for a new build, unless you can get it for below £100.


Conclusion

As usual, the best option for below £200 varies depending on whether you're upgrading an older PC, or building a new one, along with a few other factors. When building a new PC the 10400F, or 10600KF is probably the best option. If you are upgrading an older PC though, the 3300X would be a good upgrade for a Ryzen system, or if you're upgrading a cheaper 8th or 9th Gen Intel PC then you could choose a second hand Core i5 9600K(F). Once the 11400(F) has decreased in price it cou ld also be a good choice for a new build. 

Comments

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