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46 articles in this category
Best Gaming Motherboards 2026: AM5 and Intel Picks
Jun 19, 2026
The best gaming motherboards for 2026, from value B850 boards to X870E and Z890 flagships. Honest picks by platform and budget so you don't overspend.
Best CPUs for Star Wars: Zero Company (2026)
Jun 17, 2026
The best CPUs for Star Wars: Zero Company, from the Ryzen 5 7600 to the 9800X3D. What the tactics engine actually needs and where to spend your upgrade budget.
Best CPUs for Baldur's Gate 3 (2026): Five Picks by Tier
May 15, 2026
Best CPUs for Baldur's Gate 3 in 2026, picked by tier. X3D cache wins Act 3 Lower City; the budget and Intel paths still clear Acts 1 and 2 cleanly.
Best CPUs for Marathon (2026): Top Picks for Extraction FPS
Jun 15, 2026
The best CPUs for Marathon in 2026, ranked. Marathon is CPU-bound in contested fights, so we judged each pick on extraction FPS and 1% lows, not spec sheets.
Best CPU Deals for Prime Day 2026: 5 Worth Buying
Jun 10, 2026
The best Prime Day 2026 CPU deals worth buying, with board pairing notes and honest Zen 6 context so you know whether to buy now or wait.
Best X870 Motherboards for Ryzen 9000 (2026): AM5 High-End Picks by Build Profile
Jun 9, 2026
X870 and X870E are AM5’s high-end chipsets. We pick 5 boards for Ryzen 9000 builds, from value-tier ATX to flagship overclocker.
Is the Ryzen 7 7800X3D Still Worth Buying in 2026?
Jun 9, 2026
The 7800X3D still tops most gaming benchmarks, but with the 7700X3D arriving and 9800X3D prices falling, here is exactly who should buy it and who should wait.
Best Intel CPUs for Gaming in 2026 (Core Ultra Buying Guide)
Jun 9, 2026
AMD wins pure gaming benchmarks, but Intel still makes sense for QuickSync streaming, content creation, and memory-bandwidth workloads. Here are the five Arrow Lake chips worth building around.
Best CPUs for 1080p Gaming (2026): Five Picks by Tier
Jun 8, 2026
The best CPUs for 1080p gaming in 2026, from budget to premium. Five picks with honest trade-offs, refresh-tier guidance, and an APU path for dGPU-free builds.
Best CPUs for Streaming and Gaming (2026): Picks by Streamer Cohort
May 22, 2026
Best CPUs for streaming and gaming in 2026, picked by streamer cohort. NVENC offload changes the math, so the right CPU is rarely the 16-core flagship.
Best CPUs for Gaming in 2026: Top Picks for Every Budget
Aug 7, 2025
The best gaming CPUs for 2026 across every budget — from Intel’s Core i5 picks to the Ryzen 9 9950X3D — with live US pricing and frame-rate guidance.
Best CPUs for Video Editing and Gaming: 2026 Picks
Jun 8, 2026
Five CPUs that handle 4K timeline work in DaVinci Resolve plus serious gaming without compromise. From the 9800X3D to the 9950X3D, ranked by creator-hybrid split.
Intel vs AMD 2026: The Right CPU for Gaming & Work
Aug 7, 2025
Intel vs AMD CPUs in 2026 — Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Ryzen 9 9950X3D, and Core Ultra 9 285K compared for gaming and productivity. Live US pricing on every pick.
Best Motherboards for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D (2026 Picks)
May 9, 2026
The 9800X3D doesn't need a flagship VRM. We pick 5 AM5 motherboards by build profile: flagship, premium, value, B650E budget, and ITX.
Best Motherboards for Ryzen 5 9600X: Budget Picks That Don't Bottleneck
May 29, 2026
The Ryzen 5 9600X is a 65W chip. Most boards overprice it. These B650 and B850 picks get you the features that matter without the tier-premium markup.
Core Ultra 9 285K vs Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Which Flagship Should You Buy in 2026?
May 17, 2026
Intel's 24-core Arrow Lake flagship versus AMD's 16-core X3D flagship, by workload. Pick by gaming, productivity, platform longevity, or QuickSync need.
Best B860 Motherboards for Core Ultra 200 Series (2026): Mid-Range Done Right
Jun 1, 2026
The best B860 motherboards for Intel Core Ultra 200 Series builds in 2026 : six picks by build tier, with honest VRM callouts and a plain-English B860 vs Z890 breakdown.
Best CPUs for Path of Exile 2 (2026): Five Picks by Tier
May 13, 2026
Best CPUs for Path of Exile 2 in 2026, picked by tier. X3D cache rules endgame map juicing; the budget and Intel paths still clear 6-portal Atlas runs.
Ryzen 5 9600X vs Core Ultra 5 245K: Which Mid-Range CPU Should You Buy in 2026?
May 18, 2026
AMD's 6-core gaming-tilted Zen 5 versus Intel's 14-core Arrow Lake hybrid. Pick by gaming, productivity mix, build efficiency, or platform horizon.
Ryzen 9 9900X3D vs Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Which 12 or 16 Core X3D Should You Buy?
May 16, 2026
Ryzen 9 9900X3D vs 9950X3D, by workload. Pure gaming or hybrid creator? We unpack the asymmetric CCD topology and pick the right one for your build.
Ryzen 7 9700X vs Core Ultra 7 265K: Which CPU Wins in 2026?
Jun 1, 2026
Ryzen 7 9700X vs Core Ultra 7 265K — a scenario-by-scenario breakdown of gaming fps, platform cost, multitasking headroom, power draw, and upgrade path to help mid-high budget builders pick the right chip in 2026.
Best B850 Motherboards (2026): Mid-Tier AM5 Picks by Build Profile
May 14, 2026
B850 is the AM5 mid-tier sweet spot for Ryzen 9000 builds. We pick 5 boards by profile, from flagship ATX to compact ITX.
![Best Motherboards for Ryzen 7 7800X3D [2026]](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/roisunrd/production/8b94478354626a5f0f5a8cfc3f6c624c0f1fbd8e-2752x1536.png?rect=224,0,2304,1536&w=300&h=200)
Best Motherboards for Ryzen 7 7800X3D [2026]
May 24, 2026
The five best motherboards for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D across every budget and form factor, from B650 budget picks to X670E premium boards.
Best CPUs for Forza Horizon 6 (2026): Five Picks by Tier
May 17, 2026
Best CPUs for Forza Horizon 6 in 2026, picked by tier. X3D rules high-refresh freeroam crowds; the budget and Intel paths cruise 1440p fine.
Best AMD Gaming CPUs 2026: Ranked by Price-to-Performance
Aug 22, 2025
The best AMD gaming CPUs for 2026, ranked by price-to-performance — from budget Ryzen 5 picks to the 9950X3D, with live US pricing on every tier.
Best CPUs for Counter-Strike 2 (2026): Five Picks by Tier
May 12, 2026
Best CPUs for Counter-Strike 2 in 2026: five picks across competitive tiers from 144 Hz to 480 Hz OLED, with X3D cache analysis and 1% lows benchmarks.
Best CPUs for 1440p Gaming (2026): Five Picks by GPU Pairing and Use Case
May 20, 2026
Best CPUs for 1440p gaming in 2026, picked by GPU pairing and library. Honest answer on whether the 9800X3D is overkill, and when the 9700X wins.
Best DDR5 RAM for the Core Ultra 9 285K (2026 Picks)
May 12, 2026
Best DDR5 RAM for the Core Ultra 9 285K: 5 kits by workload. DDR5-6400 UDIMM is the gaming sweet spot. CUDIMM 8400 unlocks Arrow Lake's productivity ceiling.
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X Review: Is It the Best Gaming CPU Under $200?
Jun 2, 2026
The Ryzen 5 9600X delivers Zen 5 IPC and a 65W TDP in the sub-$200 tier — but how much does it give up vs. the 9800X3D? Here's the verdict for budget AM5 gaming builds.
Core Ultra 7 265K vs Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Gaming and Productivity Tested
May 29, 2026
Core Ultra 7 265K vs Ryzen 7 9800X3D compared across pure gaming, streaming, and productivity scenarios. Find out which CPU belongs in your build.
Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Core Ultra 9 285K (2026 Verdict)
May 11, 2026
Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Core Ultra 9 285K in 2026: gaming benchmarks, productivity wins, power draw, and AM5 vs LGA1851 longevity. Which one wins your build?
How to Choose a CPU and Motherboard
May 17, 2026
The buyer's framework for picking a CPU and motherboard pair: use case first, socket second, chip tier third, then the board class that matches.
Ryzen 9 9950X vs Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Cores or Cache for Your Build?
May 19, 2026
Picking between the 16-core 9950X and the V-cache 9800X3D? Use-case matrix across gaming, streaming, and productivity to settle the choice.
Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs 9800X3D: Is the Upgrade Worth It? (2026)
May 9, 2026
Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs 9800X3D in 2026. Where each X3D wins, the upgrade tax math, and the buyer profile each chip is built for.
Best Low-Profile CPU Coolers 2026: Height Chart for Every SFF Case
May 30, 2026
The best low-profile CPU coolers for SFF and ITX builds in 2026, with a height-versus-case compatibility chart no other roundup has built. Five picks from 37mm to 77mm for every clearance constraint.
Ryzen 5 9600X vs Core Ultra 5 235: Which CPU to Buy in 2026?
Jun 1, 2026
Gaming vs multitasking, platform cost, and upgrade path compared. Find out which mainstream CPU wins for your build in 2026.
Best LGA 1851 Mini-ITX Motherboards: Compact Intel Builds Covered
Jun 1, 2026
The best LGA 1851 Mini-ITX motherboards for compact Arrow Lake builds — from sub-budget B860I options to full-featured Z890I boards for enthusiasts.
Is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D Worth It for Gaming in 2026?
Jun 2, 2026
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the fastest gaming CPU you can buy in 2026, but it costs nearly as much as two 9600Xs. Here's exactly when the X3D tax pays off, and when it doesn't.
Best CPUs Under $300 for Gaming (2026): Five Picks by Tier
May 19, 2026
Best gaming CPUs under $300 for 2026, picked by buyer profile. The Ryzen 5 9600X anchors AM5; X3D, Intel, and AM4-upgrader paths all covered honestly.
Best DDR5 RAM for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D
May 11, 2026
A focused guide to the best DDR5 RAM kits for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D: why DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO is the AM5 sweet spot, which exact SKUs to buy, and how to avoid the 4-DIMM performance trap.
Best B650 Motherboards for Ryzen 9000 (2026): Mid-Tier AM5 Picks by Build Profile
May 18, 2026
B650 is the AM5 value lane for Ryzen 9000. We pick 5 boards by build profile, with a BIOS-update buying framework built in.
Best B850 Motherboards for Ryzen 9000: The Missing Middle Tier
Jun 1, 2026
B850 hits the sweet spot between B650 and X870E for Ryzen 9000 builds. These are the picks that actually fit the build, not the chipset upsell.
Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Should You Save on Last-Gen or Pay for Zen 5 X3D?
May 18, 2026
Zen 4's 16-core X3D against Zen 5's 16-core X3D, same AM5 socket, very different value math. Pick by buyer cohort and workload.
Best CPUs for Battlefield 6 (2026): 128-Player Multiplayer Picks
May 25, 2026
The best CPUs for Battlefield 6 ranked by 128-player Conquest performance. Five picks from budget to premium, with real benchmark data and 32GB RAM pairing advice.
Ryzen 7 9700X vs Ryzen 7 9800X3D
May 17, 2026
Ryzen 7 9700X vs 9800X3D: when the X3D cache pays back for your library, when the 9700X's lower TDP and price hold up, and how to decide by workload.
Best CPUs for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (2026): Five Picks by Tier
May 14, 2026
Best CPUs for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 in 2026, picked by tier. X3D cache rules photogrammetry-heavy hubs; the budget and Intel paths fly cruise fine.