Instead, gaming CPUs are designed to work with modern graphics cards to create high quality gaming experiences without steep initial costs. The best CPU for gaming may not necessarily be the most powerful. You may have the best graphics card on the market, but if you do not pair it with the appropriate CPU, you will never see the full potential of your GPU. Other components such as RAM and graphics cards help to determine the overall power of a computer, however the CPU is ultimately the limiting factor in your PC's performance. Motherboards specifically only support particular processors making it very important when building a PC to be mindful of component compatibility. Choosing a processor is a great place to start when building a PC because it will narrow down your remaining choices for other components.

Processors are available from two major brands, and while each functions similarly, they are not interchangeable. Your processor or CPU is like the mastermind of your computer. Computer Parts options - 11 groups of items - 40 total selectionsĮlectronics options - 12 groups of items - 56 total selectionsĪccessories options - 10 groups of items - 50 total selections

I5 vs core 2 duo