Selecting your esports CPU can be confusing because there is a lot of information involved. You will also need to make a lot of different individual decisions, which will each impact your final choice. For instance, will you opt for an Intel or AMD esports processor? How many cores do you want? What clock speed do you need? Are you interested in overclocking and will the rest of your setup allow for it?

Read on for more information on how to choose the best gaming CPU and don’t forget to check out ViewSonic Elite and some of the best gaming monitors on the market. 

There are many different aspects of an esports setup that can have an impact on performance and your experience, ranging from your choice of computer and graphics card, through to your choice of gaming monitor and keyboard, but having the right esports CPU (central processing unit) is one of the most important points of all.

In this article, we will explore some of the different features you should look out for when selecting your gaming CPU, and explain what their significance is when it comes to esports usage.

Intel vs. AMD

Until relatively recently, the gaming and esports CPU market was dominated by Intel. While AMD has been making processors for a long time, they were historically considered to be more budget-friendly options, providing lower levels of performance. However, since the introduction of the AMD Ryzen line in 2017, AMD is now firmly embedded in the high-performance CPU market, making the decision between Intel and AMD harder for gamers.

Despite this, it is fair to say that Intel continues to hold a substantial lead in terms of overall market share and, for most gamers, Intel processors represent a fairly safe pick. Nonetheless, it is worth considering the AMD options, especially in instances where they are able to provide similar features and performance, for a comparatively low price.

Cores and Clock Speed

In the past, it was common for even high-quality CPUs to have a single core, but almost any modern esports CPU will now have multiple cores. Effectively, the more cores a processor has, the more intensive tasks it will be able to handle. A current gaming CPU will typically have at least four cores, while Intel Core i5 and i7 CPUs have six cores and i9 CPUs have 10 cores. The very top models in the Intel range now have 18 cores, but this may be excessive for most gamers.

With that being said, clock speed is also a relevant consideration here. Again, high clock speeds are better than low clock speeds and, as a general rule, you should aim for the highest speed you can get within your budget. It is worth noting that a high clock speed on a CPU with four cores may outperform a CPU with six cores and a lower clock speed.

Ultimately, as long as you have high clock speeds (approximately 3GHz and above) and at least four cores, your CPU should be able to cope with current demands and the demands of gaming for the foreseeable future too. Having a higher number of cores becomes more important if you also want your PC to perform other demanding tasks too.

Overclocking

One of the more complicated considerations linked to your esports CPU relates to the issue of overclocking. In simple terms, overclocking refers to the process of getting your CPU to run at speeds above its official speed grade. It can have a bearing on performance, helping you to get the most from games, but it does also generate far more heat.

With this in mind, you should only entertain the idea of overclocking if your esports setup includes a very reliable cooling system. If you are using a laptop, the cooling is unlikely to be sufficient, so it is probably not worth the risk involved. However, if you are using a desktop and you do have reliable cooling, it may be worth considering.

When purchasing an Intel esports processor, you should look out for a CPU with a name ending in either ‘K’ or ‘X’. Both K-models and X-models are listed as “unlocked” and this indicates that they are able to be overclocked by the end-user. A good example is the Intel Core i9-10900K processor. The ‘K’ in the name indicates that it can be overclocked, and it offers 10 cores and 3.70GHz base speeds, both of which should be perfectly sufficient for all current esports needs.

Final Thoughts

The gaming CPU you opt for can have a major impact on how well your computer actually copes with running some of the more demanding games, so it is important to make the right choice. Regardless of whether you opt for Intel or AMD, you need to consider the number of cores, the clock speed, and whether or not you want overclocking to be possible.

Once you have found the perfect gaming CPU, check out ViewSonic’s Elite Gaming selection to complete your setup.

Also, don’t forget to check out The Best Esports Setup: A Complete Guide and ViewSonic Elite to double check that you got everything you need for the perfect esports setup.