CPU tier list and rankings
368 desktop processors · 167 workstation and server processors · 264 with current offers in the United States · The snapshot is when this market was assembled. Each source and each offer keeps its own check time, shown in your time zone. An offer that stops appearing stays listed as last seen, outside current prices and Value.Sources refreshed – · 3/5 within 24 h
This CPU tier list ranks every model we can grade, scenario by scenario. A grade from S to F says how well the hardware handles the job, and # is its place among the models ranked for that scenario. Price is left out of every grade; Value and the current market sit on the right. Click a column to sort by it.
Filters
S ExceptionalA ExcellentB GoodC UsableD LimitedF Not suitable How grades are set →
368 models · 232 with current offers
How to read this list
- A grade is read from the model's own specifications against a fixed rubric for the scenario. Price, availability and the models around it play no part.
- # is the processor's place among the processors ranked for that scenario. Gaming and efficiency rank desktop processors; productivity ranks workstation and server processors too. Filter by socket to see what fits a motherboard you already own.
- Models without a current offer stay in the list: an older card is still a fair yardstick, and it is often what a used listing offers.
- Value and price come from today's offers in the United States. Sort by a scenario and Value follows that scenario's priorities.
What each scenario grades
Gaming
Frame rates and 1% lows in modern games — driven by single-thread speed and cache, not core count. X3D-style parts lead.
Productivity
All-core throughput for rendering, video encode and heavy multitasking — core count and multi-thread score. Many-core parts lead.
Performance per Watt
Sustained performance per watt for a cool, quiet or small build — multi-thread work relative to power draw. NOT inverted: more perf-per-watt is better.
From capability to a purchase
A grade answers "can it do the job". Whether today's price is good for what you get is a different question — the market answers it with Value under your own priorities.
Questions
What does a CPU tier list show?
It ranks every CPU model we can grade for each job, from S (exceptional) to F (not suitable), by reading its specifications against a fixed rubric. It shows how models compare in capability. It does not rank by price or name a best buy; for that, open the best list or the market page.
Does price affect a CPU grade?
No. Grades come from specifications against a fixed rubric per scenario, so a model gets the same grade whatever it costs. Price enters only in the Value and Price columns.
What does the # next to a grade mean?
Its place among every model ranked for that scenario: by grade first, then by measured capability. Sorting by another column does not change it.
Why are workstation and server processors ranked for productivity only?
Threadripper, Xeon and EPYC parts are built for many-core work on their own platforms. Ranking them for gaming would crowd the desktop list with processors nobody would put in a gaming PC. Switch Segment to Workstation & server or All to see them.
Why are models that are not for sale included?
Capability does not depend on availability. Older models stay comparable for upgrades and used listings. Choose "With current offers" to keep only what is on the market in the United States today.