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Choosing a CPU

Your Central Processing Unit - also referred to as your processor or CPU - acts as the mastermind of your computer. The CPU processes thousands of instructions and calculations per second that happen inside a computer, with a speed measured in gigahertz (GHz). Thus, your CPU provides a great deal of the computational power behind everything from creating graphics in PC games to executing functions on Excel spreadsheets.

Other components such as RAM and GPUs help determine a computer's overall power. However, the CPU is ultimately the priority factor in your PCs performance. A CPU with sufficient processing power is important for avoiding the CPU bottleneck phenomenon, which can limit the performance of other hardware, such as your GPU. That is why selecting your CPU is a major decision, and why it is so important to have a wide selection of CPU models to choose from.

Computer processors are available from two major brands: AMD and Intel. Both offer cutting edge processing technologies in their latest and most powerful incarnations, including Intel 14th Gen and AMD Ryzen Zen 4. Coming as early as 2024, AMD will be releasing Zen 5. Both Intel and AMD offer a wide range of entry and mid level CPU options. Both companies use the same architecture, and their product series are named using a similar numbering scheme.

That said, the two brands are not interchangeable. Motherboards only support particular processors, making it very important to be mindful of component compatibility when building a PC. By choosing a processor first, you are setting up the foundation of your PC and eliminating much of the guesswork on your other PC components.

Ultimately, the best CPU for you will depend on your individual needs and budget.

What Do You Need From Your CPU?

The number of cores in a CPU plays a major role in determining its performance. For entry level PCs a quad or six core CPU may be all you need - for power users, we have options between 8 and 64 cores. Note that many processors now also include threading technologies - such as Intel's hyper threading and AMD's simultaneous multi threading - which create multiple logical threads within the same physical CPU core, greatly increasing the CPU's efficiency and parallel processing capability. Multi threaded CPUs are perfect for digital artists, gamers, streamers and anyone else who needs their machine to handle multiple simultaneous apps and processes with no sweat.

As previously noted, you may have the best graphics card on the market, but if you don't pair it with the appropriate CPU, you might not see the full potential of your GPU. However, the best CPU for gaming may not necessarily be the most powerful. When it comes to gaming, CPUs don't need to be the most powerful because the graphics card handles the majority of the workload for video encoding. Instead, gaming CPUs are designed to work with modern graphics cards to create high quality gaming experiences without steep initial costs.

Top of the line mobile and desktop processors can be higher in cost and are typically reserved for such professional tasks as advanced simulations or high resolution renderings. This is why you will often find the most high powered processors used in workstations and applications such as professional 4k video editing. Additionally, if you are planning on doing any streaming or content creation, it may be worth getting a slightly more powerful processor than you initially need, or one with integrated graphics.

Matching Your CPU and Other Computer Hardware

Finding a processor and compatible hardware can be challenging and time consuming when building a computer. CPU Motherboard Combos help alleviate the stress of component purchases and highlight part compatibility while saving money on initial costs.

On top of finding a compatible motherboard for your processor, you will need to find a CPU cooler that fits both components and your PC case. Luckily, some processors come with included coolers that ensure compatibility and provide quality performance for no additional costs. Both AMD's Wraith Stealth Cooler technology and Intel's stock cooling units can offer sufficient performance. However, when buying a separate CPU cooler, be sure to check the socket compatibility to make sure it matches your motherboard's socket and will work with your build.

Browse our whole selection of Intel and AMD processors right here. If you have more questions about component compatibility or need some help with your next build, you can always use our Micro Center Custom PC Builder.

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Showing 1–20 of 227 for “ryzen 5 5600x”
Community Article AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Review and Benchmarks — Micro Center Today’s release of the new AMD 5000 Series has us excited for the future of PC gaming. Community Article Undervolting AMD Ryzen 5 5600X? — Micro Center Hello! I am having a very difficult time finding a solid answer/tutorial on how to undervolt a Ryzen 5 5600X CPU. Anyone have any helps they could share? Community Article Your listing of the Ryzen 5 5600X - MSRP is incorrect — Micro Center You have the MSRP for the AMD Ryzen 5600X listed as $449.99 but advertise "SAVE $150.00" to purchase for $299.99. Community Article ASUS Prime B450M-A II Ryzen 5 5600X CPU Overheating — Micro Center Has anyone else purchased this combo, and had crazy CPU overheating issues? Out the box. in bios running 60 - 70c. Community Article The Ryzen 5 5600x Bios for Gigabytes B450M DS3H WIFI motherboard — Micro Center Pc Part Picker shows that the Ryzen 5 5600x requires Bios F61 for Gigabytes B450M DS3H WIFI motherboard and on Gigabytes website all it shows is Bios FB and FA. Community Article Ryzen 5 5600x — Micro Center As of today (Nov 12) i was wondering if yall have the Ryzen 5 5600x in store an if not when can i expect it tobe in store. Community Article Ryzen 5 5600x & b550 BIOS — Micro Center I bought a ryzen 5 5600x and I am planning on getting a msi b-550 a pro. Will I need to do a BIOS update? Community Article Ryzen 5, 5600X And Msi B450? — Micro Center I’m new here and this is my first pic build, picked up some parts to start my first build. Corsair tower ryzen 5 5600x  msi b450 tomahawk max 16gb ram 1tb- ssd 750w power supply I didn’t go for a great video card because quite frankly they had nothing with the $300-400 price range that was worth it. Community Article Ryzen 5 5600x cpu (Tustin CA) — Micro Center Hi -- first time poster,  Just want to make sure i'm doing this right so I started a separate thread.... Community Article BIOS Update on X570 Mother Board — Micro Center I have a new Ryzen 5 5600X CPU for a new build I'm making. Community Article How do I figure out what is faulty in my system? — Micro Center I bought a Ryzen 5 5600x and a b550 tomahawk and transplanted everything else from my old system. Community Article Any Advice? — Micro Center So a couple days ago, I was customizing my mid ranger and asked for advice. I got replied to. Shoutout to @LandShark. Community Article restock ETA for the 5600x? — Micro Center As you all know, micro center released a $50 coupon for the 5600x and other CPUs. Community Article i need help for my $1000 build — Micro Center CPU AMD - Ryzen 5 5600X Vermeer 3.7GHz 6-Core AM4 Boxed Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler $299.99 Community Article Are the in-store prices the same as the online prices? — Micro Center I have a coupon and I want to get the 5600x 50 dollars off. Community Article are these compatible — Micro Center Crucial - Ballistix Gaming RGB 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3600 PC4-28800 CL16 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit BL2K16G36C16U4BL - Black Community Article NZXT AIO Installation Issues — Micro Center Hi! I just recently purchased a NZXT Kraken Z63 AIO Cooler to replace the stealth cooler than came with my Ryzen 5 5600X. Community Article AMD RX 6700 XT Build Guide — Micro Center Picking up one of the new AMD RX 6700 XT cards, but don’t know what type of computer you want to build around it? Community Article Build Guide: ASUS Moonlight White Inspired Desktop — Micro Center Written by @Lambdaben Today we’re taking our inspiration from the ASUS Moonlight White series of peripherals and components and putting together a build that would fit perfectly right alongside them. Community Article Component compatibility question! — Micro Center Heya, so I have a ASuS Strix x570-e, G.Skill Trident Z 32gb 3600 DDR4 CL19 RAM, and a Ryzen 5 5600x.

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