The 4 Best CPUs for Giving Your Gaming PC an Upgrade

Do I go with Intel or AMD?

Again, the answer depends on what you've already been using and which compatible motherboard you have. If you are starting from scratch, though, there are equally valid reasons to go with either brand. Many gamers currently prefer AMD. It is admittedly the company that gives the most options and allows you to more easily and freely customize and upgrade its components. On the other hand, Intel products tend to currently be more affordable, and many of the CPUs have onboard integrated graphics.

What are Integrated Graphics vs. Discrete Graphics?

This is typically more of a GPU questions, but some CPUs (like that Intel we touched on) come with integrated graphics. That means that, to some degree, the CPU can also act as a graphics card (or GPU) and play games without the requirement of another part. PC gamers tend to prefer discrete graphics cards because they are the only way to access the highest of high-end graphics options. They also give you more flexibility with your build, letting you update without switching out your CPU. Integrated graphics can be pretty good in a laptop or a device like the ROG Flow, but in PCs, you should probably go with a discrete GPU.

What is overclocking, and what does it do?

Without getting into exactly how it's done, overclocking allows you you to eke an extra couple GHz of power out of your CPU. This comes with the trade-off of pushing your processor to its absolute limit, which will result in excess heat and noise. You will need an extra liquid cooler to offset this. In my opinion, overclocking is often not worth it to get slightly better performance out of an already great CPU. Once set up, it is a configuration that you can turn on and off

What is Turbo Boost vs. overclocking?

Modern Intel CPUs come with their own built-in feature that replaces overclocking with a friendlier, more automated experience. When activated, it will increase power on a per-core basis to whichever level it assess to be correct, whereas overclocking boosts all your cores at once to a level set by the user.