Best Budget CPUs to Buy

1. AMD Ryzen 5 7600

Released in 2023, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is still one of the better CPUs on the market for first-time PC builds. This CPU uses the current generation’s AM5 socket, ensuring upgrade paths if you start with this chip. Even if you don’t have the money to spend big now, you can come back with upgrades later. With it being on the AM5 chipset, there is also a lower cost of entry, with plenty of low-priced motherboards available, like the B650 and the X670. Having 6 cores and 12 threads is the average for CPUs as of 2025; the technology isn’t lagging and will last between 3 and 5 years. The base clock speed is 3.8GHz, again, another comfortably average feature for the 2025 market.

The Ryzen 5 7600 supports all three resolutions quite well, that’s 1080p, 1440p and 4K graphics, so you’re covered on all bases, provided that you have a suitable GPU to pair with it. This CPU often beats Intel’s budget CPUs in many titles. Another benefit that this CPU offers is that it has a low power requirement; in fact, it’s at the lower end of the threshold of what typical CPUs require. You shouldn’t need as high-powered a power supply, which would cost less in the long run. One last bonus is that this CPU typically come with an AMD Wraith Stealth, another expense that you don’t have to pay.

2. AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

Released in 2024, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is the most powerful of this budget trio, without requiring any extra power. This CPU clocks higher in terms of both base clock and boosted clock speeds, going from 3.9GHz to an impressive 5.4GHz. This is a strong component for both single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks. If you can spend a little more on the higher-end spec of ‘budget’ and also care about performance and longevity, this is the CPU for you. As of August 2025, this CPU is cheaper than the 9600, a great bargain. You will not get a cooler with it, which is why it might end up costing you more in the long run. This is likely because the 9600X runs hotter than the 9600, meaning that a decent cooler, as opposed to the standard one, is required.

The 9600X clocks higher than the 9600, offering more out-of-the-box performance, which is going to be more noticeable in CPU-heavy games. But also, the CPU is more ideal for competitive gamers, where the extra clock speed can push out higher framerates in esports titles. This CPU is the one offering the best performance on a budget, maintaining a budget-friendly price versus the higher-tiered Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 chips, just as long as you don’t mind spending a little extra on appropriate cooling components.

3. AMD Ryzen 5 9600

Released in 2025, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600 has 6 cores and 12 threads, and remains a testament to its acceptability two years later, being more than enough to handle general tasks and perform well when gaming at the same time. This CPU has the same clock speed as the Ryzen 5 7600 at 3.8GHz, and can be boosted ever so slightly higher to 5.2GHz, and the Ryzen 5 7600’s overclock of 5.1GHz; in our opinion, this is not a spec worthy of investing more into, however.

The newest platform that AMD have released is Zen 5, and this CPU is built with it. You’re getting a future-ready CPU with strong performance at a lower average entry price, especially when compared to AMD’s rival, Intel and the MSRP price of their CPUs.

In comparison, the Ryzen 5 7600 built on Zen 4 delivers better instructions per cycle and improved power efficiency, giving you an overall efficiency boost whilst still only requiring 65W. This is quite impressive. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600 usually comes with an additional cooler, another cost that you won’t have to factor in.

When paired with a budget or mid-range GPU, it’ll offer substantial gaming value, holding stable and smooth framerates in more CPU-dominant titles like Civilisation VI. This CPU is meant to be the budget-friendly version of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, so when it is retailing for less than the 9600X, we would suggest this as the value-for-money choice; but we must reiterate that only when it costs less.