Best AMD & Intel CPUs Under $500
Currently, both AMD and Intel has great high-end desktop processors on the market. When it comes to finding the best AMD and Intel CPUs under $500, there are plenty of great choices to choose from. Both AMD and Intel offer powerful and reliable processors, so it really comes down to personal preference. Ultimately, whichever processor you decide on should provide excellent performance and reliable performance, while also falling within your budget.
We have tested and reviewed latest AMD and Intel CPUs price under $500, and below are top recommended ones:
Best AMD CPUs Under $500:
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Newegg
The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is latest AMD Zen 4 CPU on the market, currently best CPU price under $500. It features 12 cores and 24 threads to help quickly load and multitask demanding applications. Designed for socket AM5 motherboards using the powerful Zen 4 architecture with the 5nm process, this high-performance Ryzen processor delivers significantly improved speeds compared to its predecessor while maintaining high energy efficiency. With a base clock speed of 4.7 GHz and a max boost clock speed of 5.6 GHz in addition to 64MB of L3 Cache, the Ryzen 9 7900X is built to deliver the power needed to smoothly handle tasks ranging from content creation to immersive gaming. The performance of the Ryzen 9 7900X is outstanding, as it can handle even the most demanding workloads without breaking a sweat. It delivers excellent performance in gaming, streaming, content creation, and productivity applications. It also offers great efficiency, as it has a default TDP of only 170W. Overall, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is an excellent choice for enthusiasts who want to push their PCs to the limit. It delivers exceptional performance, minimal noise levels, easy installation process, and an eye-catching design that sets it apart from other processors.
Features:
- 12 cores and 24 threads that can handle demanding workloads such as gaming, streaming, content creation, and productivity applications.
- Base clock of 4.7 GHz and a boost clock of up to 5.6 GHz that deliver high performance in single- and multi-threaded tasks.
- Based on the new Zen 4 architecture that uses TSMC’s 5nm process node with 6.57 billion transistors.
- Supports DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 interface for faster data transfer speeds.
- Integrated AMD Radeon graphics core with a frequency of 2200 MHz that can handle basic graphics tasks.
- Unlocked for overclocking for enthusiasts who want to push their PCs to the limit.
- Default TDP of only 170W that offers great efficiency.
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Newegg
The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is an impressive processor that offers top-of-the-line performance, boasting a high-end 7nm chip design, 16 cores and 32 threads of processing power, and a 105W TDP rating. Currently one of the most powerful CPU that price under $500. This powerful processor is ideal for gamers who want to get the most out of their gaming machines. It offers plenty of internal memory and storage capacity, with up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM and 4TB of NVMe SSD storage. It’s also optimized for virtual reality gaming and computer-aided design applications. The Ryzen 9 5950X has impressive clock speeds, reaching up to 4.9GHz when all cores are loaded, making it suitable for intense workloads. It’s also equipped with an advanced Precision Boost Overdrive algorithm that can tune core frequencies for maximum performance on single-thread tasks. Overall, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a powerful processor that provides excellent performance for demanding tasks, especially gaming, and it’s more than capable of handling the latest AAA titles. Despite its hefty price tag and the need for a separate GPU, the processor is still a solid choice for those looking for the best overall performance.
Features:
- 16 Cores & 32 Threads
- 3.4 GHz Base Clock
- 4.9 GHz Max Boost Clock
- Socket AM4
- 8MB L2 & 64MB L3 Cache
- DDR4-3200 Memory
- Unlocked Processor
- Supports PCIe 4.0 x16
- Zen 3 Architecture
Best Intel CPUs Under $500:
Intel Core i7-13700K – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Newegg
The Intel Core i7-13700K is one of the most powerful consumer desktop processors that Intel has launched yet, featuring the new Raptor Lake architecture and seeing the max boost clock speed climb up to a whopping 5.4GHz. Currently best Intel CPU price under $500. The Core i7-13700K features 16 cores and 24 threads that can handle demanding workloads such as gaming, streaming, content creation, and productivity applications. It has eight performance cores (p-cores) that run at a base clock of 3.4 GHz and a boost clock of up to 5.4 GHz, and eight efficient cores (e-cores) that run at a base clock of 2.5 GHz and a boost clock of up to 4.2 GHz. The processor is based on the new Raptor Lake architecture that uses Intel’s 7nm process node with 30 MB of L3 cache. The processor also supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 interface for faster data transfer speeds. The performance of the Core i7-13700K is outstanding, as it can beat AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700X in most types of workloads, including gaming. It also offers great efficiency, as it has a default TDP of only 125W. Overall, the Intel Core i7-13700K is an excellent choice for gamers and enthusiasts who want to get the best performance out of their PCs. It delivers exceptional performance, minimal noise levels, easy installation process, and an eye-catching design that sets it apart from other processors.
Features:
- 16 Cores & 24 Threads
- 3.4 GHz P-Core Clock Speed
- 5.4 GHz Maximum Turbo Boost Frequency
- LGA 1700 Socket
- 30MB Cache Memory
- Dual-Channel DDR5-5600 ECC Memory
- Integrated Intel UHD 770 Graphics
- Hybrid Core Architecture
- Unlocked for Overclocking
- 13th Generation (Raptor Lake)
Intel Core i9-12900K – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Newegg
The Intel Core i9-12900K is still a powerful CPU on the market. It is another best selling CPU price under $500. Featuring the new Alder Lake architecture and seeing the max boost clock speed climb up to a whopping 5.2GHz. It features 16 cores and 24 threads that can handle demanding workloads such as gaming, streaming, content creation, and productivity applications. It has eight performance cores (p-cores) that run at a base clock of 3.2 GHz and a boost clock of up to 5.2 GHz, and eight efficient cores (e-cores) that run at a base clock of 2.4 GHz and a boost clock of up to 3.9 GHz. The performance of the Core i9-12900K is outstanding, as it can beat AMD’s Ryzen 9 7900X in most types of workloads, including gaming. It also offers great efficiency, as it has a default TDP of only 125W. Overall, the Intel Core i9-12900K is an excellent choice for gamers and enthusiasts who want to get the best performance out of their PCs. It delivers exceptional performance, minimal noise levels, easy installation process, and an eye-catching design that sets it apart from other processors.
Features:
- 16 Cores & 24 Threads
- 3.2 GHz P-Core Clock Speed
- 5.2 GHz Maximum Turbo Frequency
- LGA 1700 Socket
- 30MB Cache Memory
- Dual-Channel DDR5-4800 Memory
- Integrated Intel UHD 770 Graphics
- Hybrid Core Architecture
- Unlocked for Overclocking
- 12th Generation (Alder Lake)