CPU Information

Choosing your processor consists of a couple of steps. First you need to determine what type of processor you want: Intel or AMD, and which of their respective product lines. Each motherboard only supports a single type of socket, which may have one or more CPU types that fit it, so if you aren't seeing the options you want you may need to adjust the motherboard first. Once you have taken care of that step, you need to decide the exact model you'd prefer. Within a single product line the differences between processors will be one or more of the following specifications:

Clock Speed: This is the easiest metric to see when looking at a processor, and when comparing models within the same product line can be very helpful. If all other specs are equal, then this will show a linear performance difference: if the clock speed of one chip is 10% higher than another then it will perform tasks ~10% faster. Be careful of using this when comparing different processor series or brands, though, as there are many other differences that can have a larger effect - some of which are listed below.

Number of Cores: Modern CPUs have multiple cores in them, each of which can independently work on processing something. If you tend to run multiple programs at the same time, or if you have very demanding software that can use multiple processor cores at the same time, then getting a chip with as many cores as possible will help. Some chips from Intel also support Hyper-threading technology, where each core can switch back and forth between two tasks very quickly. One Hyper-threaded core isn't as effective as actually having two real ones, but it can be a way to improve performance without adding additional real cores.

On-Chip Cache: This is super-fast and efficient memory integrated into the processor, which it uses to store short-term or frequently accessed data. This type of memory is so zippy because it runs at the full clock speed of the processor, meaning at the gigahertz level. Cache is the first place the CPU looks for instructions. If not found, then the CPU must rely on the much slower system RAM, which operates at the megahertz level. Most CPUs today have on-chip L1 (level 1) and L2 cache, and some also have on-chip L3 cache. The L2 cache size will often be one of the main differences between CPUs, and as a general rule of thumb the larger the L2 cache the better the performance will be.

Enough technical jargon, which is faster?!?

CPU technology changes so often that anything we write proclaiming one processor to be the best will quickly be outdated. If you want the latest info you can call or email our sales team - they keep up on these things so that you don't have to! If you are just looking for a decent performing computer, though, none of the processor options we list will be a bad choice. For the best value, look at the price differences between models in relation to the speed jumps - and select one where the next model up costs a lot more, but the model down doesn't save much.


 CPU Included With SystemAMD EPYC 8124P 2.45GHz 16 Core 125WAMD EPYC 9124 3.0GHz 16 Core 200WAMD EPYC 9224 2.5GHz 24 Core 200WAMD EPYC 9254 2.9GHz 24 Core 200WAMD EPYC 9354P 3.25GHz 32 Core 280WAMD EPYC 9174F 4.1GHz 16 Core 320WAMD EPYC 9334 2.7GHz 32 Core 210WAMD EPYC 9274F 4.05GHz 24 Core 320WAMD EPYC 9354 3.25GHz 32 Core 280WAMD EPYC 9454P 2.75GHz 48 Core 290WAMD EPYC 9374F 3.85GHz 32 Core 320WAMD EPYC 9454 2.75GHz 48 Core 290WAMD EPYC 9474F 3.6GHz 48 Core 360WAMD EPYC 9554P 3.1GHz 64 Core 360WAMD EPYC 9654P 2.4GHz 96 Core 360WAMD EPYC 9534 2.45GHz 64 Core 280WAMD EPYC 9634 2.25GHz 84 Core 290WAMD EPYC 9654 2.4GHz 96 Core 360WAMD Ryzen 7 7700X 4.5GHz 8 Core 105WAMD Ryzen 9 7900X 4.7GHz 12 Core 170WAMD Ryzen 9 7950X 4.5GHz 16 Core 170WAMD Ryzen Threadripper 7960X 4.2GHz 24 Core 350WAMD Ryzen Threadripper 7970X 4.0GHz 32 Core 350WAMD Ryzen Threadripper 7980X 3.2GHz 64 Core 350WAMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7965WX 4.2GHz 24 Core 350WAMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7975WX 4.0GHz 32 Core 350WAMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7985WX 3.2GHz 64 Core 350WAMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7995WX 2.5GHz 96 Core 350WIntel Core i7 14700K 3.4GHz 20 Core 33MB 125WIntel Core i9 14900K 3.2GHz 24 Core 36MB 125WIntel Xeon w3-2435 3.1GHz 8 Core 22.5MB 165WIntel Xeon w5-2465X 3.1GHz 16 Core 33.75MB 200WIntel Xeon w7-2495X 2.5GHz 24 Core 45MB 225WIntel Xeon w5-3435X 3.1GHz 16 Core 45MB 270WIntel Xeon w7-3455 2.5GHz 24 Core 67.5MB 270WIntel Xeon w9-3475X 2.2GHz 36 Core 82.5MB 300WIntel Xeon w9-3495X 1.9GHz 56 Core 105MB 350W
Product Line  EPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCEPYCRyzenRyzenRyzenThreadripperThreadripperThreadripperThreadripper ProThreadripper ProThreadripper ProThreadripper ProCore i7Core i9Xeon WXeon WXeon WXeon WXeon WXeon WXeon W
Code Name  GenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaGenoaRaphaelRaphaelRaphaelStorm PeakStorm PeakStorm PeakStorm PeakStorm PeakStorm PeakStorm PeakRaptor LakeRaptor LakeSapphire RapidsSapphire RapidsSapphire RapidsSapphire RapidsSapphire RapidsSapphire RapidsSapphire Rapids
Socket  SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5SP5AM5AM5AM5sTR5sTR5sTR5sTR5sTR5sTR5sTR5170017004677467746774677467746774677
Process  5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm5 nm10 nm10 nm10 nm10 nm10 nm10 nm10 nm10 nm10 nm
Total Number of Threads  324848643264486496649696128192128168192162432486412848641281922432163248324872112
Total Number of Cores  1624243216322432483248486496648496812162432642432649616248162416243656
Number of Efficient Cores                             816       
Base Clock Speed  3.0 GHz2.5 GHz2.9 GHz3.25 GHz4.1 GHz2.7 GHz4.05 GHz3.25 GHz2.75 GHz3.85 GHz2.75 GHz3.6 GHz3.1 GHz2.4 GHz2.45 GHz2.25 GHz2.4 GHz4.5 GHz4.7 GHz4.5 GHz4.20 GHz4.0 GHz3.20 GHz4.20 GHz4.0 GHz3.20 GHz2.50 GHz3.4 GHz3.2 GHz3.10 GHz3.10 GHz2.50 GHz3.10 GHz2.50 GHz2.20 GHz1.90 GHz
Efficient Core Base Clock Speed                             2.5 GHz2.5 GHz       
Hyperthreading                             YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Simultaneous Multi-Threading  YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes         
Turbo Boost                   YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Max. Turbo Boost  3.7 GHz3.7 GHz4.15 GHz3.8 GHz4.4 GHz3.9 GHz4.3 GHz3.8 GHz3.8 GHz4.3 GHz3.8 GHz4.1 GHz3.75 GHz3.7 GHz3.7 GHz3.7 GHz3.7 GHz5.4 GHz5.6 GHz5.7 GHz5.30 GHz5.30 GHz5.10 GHz5.30 GHz5.30 GHz5.10 GHz5.10 GHz5.6 GHz6.0 GHz4.50 GHz4.70 GHz4.80 GHz4.70 GHz4.80 GHz4.80 GHz4.80 GHz
Efficient Core Max Turbo Boost                             4.3 GHz4.4 GHz       
Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0                               4.50 GHz4.70 GHz4.80 GHz4.70 GHz4.80 GHz4.80 GHz4.80 GHz
All-Core Turbo Boost  3.6 GHz3.65 GHz3.9 GHz3.75 GHz4.15 GHz3.85 GHz4.1 GHz3.75 GHz3.65 GHz4.1 GHz3.65 GHz3.95 GHz3.75 GHz3.55 GHz3.55 GHz3.1 GHz3.55 GHz          5.5 GHz5.7 GHz       
Long Duration Power Limit                             125 W125 W165 W200 W225 W270 W270 W300 W350 W
Short Duration Power Limit                             253 W253 W198 W240 W270 W324 W324 W360 W420 W
Thermal Output  200 W200 W200 W280 W320 W280 W320 W280 W290 W320 W290 W360 W360 W320 W280 W290 W320 W105 W170 W170 W350 W350 W350 W350 W350 W350 W350 W         
PCI-E Lanes  1281281281281281281281281281281281281281281281281282424244848481281281281282424646464128128128128
Bus Type                               DMI4DMI4DMI4DMI4DMI4DMI4DMI4
Max Temperature                   95 C95 C95 C95 C95 C95 C95 C95 C95 C95 C100 C100 C94 C95 C94 C95 C95 C95 C99 C
Socket Count  1P/2P1P/2P1P/2P1P1P/2P1P/2P1P/2P1P/2P1P1P/2P1P/2P1P/2P1P1P1P/2P1P/2P1P/2P   1P1P1P1P1P1P1P         
Cache
L2                   8MB12MB16MB24MB32MB64MB24MB32MB64MB96MB         
L3  64MB64MB128MB256MB256MB128MB256MB256MB256MB256MB256MB256MB256MB384MB256MB384MB384MB32MB64MB64MB128MB128MB256MB128MB128MB256MB384MB         
Smart Cache                             33MB36MB22MB33MB45MB45MB67.582.5MB105MB
Onboard Graphics
Processor Type                   Radeon GraphicsRadeon GraphicsRadeon GraphicsN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AUHD Graphics 770UHD Graphics 770       
Core Speed                   2,200 MHz2,200 MHz2,200 MHz       1.60 MHz1.65 MHz       
DirectX Version                   121212       1212       
Cores on Die                   222       3232       
# of Displays Supported                   333       33       
Memory Specification
Memory Type  DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5DDR5
Maximum Frequency  480048004800480048004800480048004800480048004800480048004800480048005200520052005200520052005200520052005200560056004400480048004800480048004800
ECC Support  YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes   YesYesYesYesYesYesYes  YesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Registered Support  YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Advanced Technologies
vPro                             YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Virtualization Technology (VT-x)                               YesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)                               YesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Trusted Execution Technology                             YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes