Best New Gaming CPU for 2012

When gaming it's just as important to have a good CPU as it is to have an awesome GPU so you don't reach a bottleneck. While 2011 was a groundbreaking year for CPU 2012 should be as well as manufacturers continues the Tick Tock which it calls the process of not only a die shrink but also the introduction of technologies like Quick Sync Video.

Ivy Bridge is Intel's latest project which promises even more performance out of the new 22nm lithography. Considering the performance improvements we saw in 2011, it's exciting to see what's coming next.

Even with Ivy bridge looking there have been a lot of improvements to Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors with the introduction of several new processors at the end of 2011.

To the right I've listed some of the most popular CPU models among gamers in 2012. The most popular last year was the i7-2600k which gave gamers unrivaled performance with the combination of Intel's Sandy Bridge architecture with unparalleled overclocking. It's still probably the most popular option with the i5-2500k being a great budget alternative that will give you nearly identical in-game performance. While the i7-2700k was released in late 2011 as well at its price most gamers would rather skip up to the enthusiast i7-3930k enthusiast for significantly more performance.

Late 2011 the i7-3930k and the extreme performance enthusiast i7-3960x were released. According to sites like CPU benchmark the performance boost of said CPU is quite extreme indeed.

i7-3930k vs. i7-3960x Comparison

In the picture to the right I've given a specification comparison of the 3930k, 3930x, i7-2600k, i7-2700k, and the i5-2500k. You can click on the image in order to see the full resolution.

While the i7-2600k and i5-2500k certainly give gamers the performance they need for extreme performance fans the i7-3930k enthusiast CPU provides a huge performance boost at around only 60% of the price of Intel's Extreme 3960x series CPU.

While for some $600 may seem like a lot for a processor it's certainly a deal considering the performance you get with it. The main difference between the 3930k and the 3960x is the cache with the 3930k having 12MB and the 3960x have a massive 15MB of cache. Still, for me personally, I'll stick with the performance that the 3930k gives me over spending $400 more on an extreme performance CPU that only gives me a slight boost to overall speed.

Want an "e" series Intel CPU?

If you're interested in Intel's new enthusiast CPU be sure to look for a LGA 2011 socket motherboard. In addition to more cores and cache these CPU also allow for 40 lanes of PCIe bandwidth for PCI Express devices. You also get a quad channel memory controller vs. the standard triple channel memory controller found in the standard consumer i3, i5, and i7 processors.

*Tip - E series CPU do not include cooling options or fans so you'll need to purchase a separate fan or water cooling system to go along with it. Intel has released new CPU fan and water cooling options for this year as well for you to consider.

What about AMD?

I simply can't recommend AMD's CPU after doing extensive research on their performance with today's latest games. That doesn't mean that they don't have a lot of budget options for workstations and business computers, but for gaming, I recommend you stick with Intel's Sandy Bridge and leave the Bulldozer out of the equation.

I hope you've enjoyed this quick review. Be sure to check out my profile for more reviews of today's latest new gaming hardware in 2012.