Independent · sourced · Updated June 2026
Best CPUs (2026)
The cheapest cpus is AMD Ryzen 5 9600X at $279. Best by the numbers — AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (lowest price), AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (newest). This page compares 12 cpus across 2 brands on price and key specs — every figure sourced, updated June 2026.
12 cpus compared on the specs that matter and US price — ranked cheapest-first. Every spec and price links to its source and the date we captured it.
Key takeaways
- Lowest price: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X at $279 (US launch MSRP $279; PassMark current price ~$176 (June 2026) reflects post-launch pricing; launched August 2024 at $279).
- Typical price: from $279, median $464, up to $699 — across 12 priced.
- Tracked: 12 products across 2 brands, current through 2026-06-15.
- Compared on: cores, threads, base clock ghz, boost clock ghz, l3 cache mb, tdp w.
Best by the numbers
Objective winners — each is the leader on one measured spec, with the figure. No subjective ranking.
- Lowest price: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X ($279)
- Newest: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (2025-Q1)
- Highest cores: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (24 cores)
- Highest threads: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (32 threads)
- Highest base clock ghz: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (4.7 base clock ghz)
- Highest boost clock ghz: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (5.7 boost clock ghz)
Comparison
| # | CPU | Price | cores | threads | base clock ghz | boost clock ghz | l3 cache mb | tdp w | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMD Ryzen 5 9600X | $279 | 6 | 12 | 3.9 | 5.4 | 32 | 65 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 2 | Intel Core Ultra 5 245K | $309 | 14 | 14 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 24 | 125 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 3 | Intel Core i5-14600K | $319 | 14 | 20 | 3.5 | 5.3 | 24 | 125 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 4 | AMD Ryzen 7 9700X | $359 | 8 | 16 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 32 | 65 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 5 | Intel Core Ultra 7 265K | $394 | 20 | 20 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 30 | 125 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 6 | AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D | $449 | 8 | 16 | 4.2 | 5 | 96 | 120 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 7 | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | $479 | 8 | 16 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 96 | 120 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 8 | AMD Ryzen 9 9900X | $499 | 12 | 24 | 4.4 | 5.6 | 64 | 120 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 9 | Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | $589 | 24 | 24 | 3.7 | 5.7 | 36 | 125 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 10 | AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D | $599 | 12 | 24 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 128 | 120 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 11 | AMD Ryzen 9 9950X | $649 | 16 | 32 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 64 | 170 | cpubenchmark.net |
| 12 | AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D | $699 | 16 | 32 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 128 | 170 | cpubenchmark.net |
Specs are as published by the manufacturer (or a reputable spec source where the official page was unavailable); prices are US launch MSRP. Full per-product records and all spec columns are in our open dataset.
Popular comparisons
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest cpus?
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is the cheapest at $279 (US launch MSRP $279; PassMark current price ~$176 (June 2026) reflects post-launch pricing; launched August 2024 at $279), as of 2026-06-15.
How much does cpus cost?
Across the 12 cpus with a published price, the median is $464, ranging from $279 to $699, as of 2026-06-15.
Which cpus is best by the numbers?
Lowest price: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X ($279). Newest: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (2025-Q1). Highest cores: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (24 cores).
How many cpus are compared here?
12 cpus across 2 brands, with US price and key specs, current through 2026-06-15.
More hardware comparisons
How we compiled this
Specs sourced primarily from PassMark CPU benchmark detail pages (cpubenchmark.net) and verified against manufacturer/authoritative sources. CORRECTIONS APPLIED during adversarial review (2026-06-15): (1) Ryzen 9 9950X3D priceUsd corrected $899->$699 (AMD launch MSRP per Tom's Hardware/HotHardware), boost_clock_ghz 5.6->5.7, l3_cache_mb 192->128 (192 MB belongs to the later 9950X3D2 Dual Edition, not the standard 9950X3D), and release 2025-Q4->2025-Q1 (launched March 12, 2025). (2) Ryzen 9 9900X3D priceUsd $499->$599 (AMD launch MSRP). (3) Ryzen 9 9950X priceUsd $549->$649 (AMD Aug-2024 launch MSRP, The FPS Review). (4) Ryzen 9 9900X priceUsd $449->$499 (AMD Aug-2024 launch MSRP, The FPS Review). Intel Arrow Lake (Core Ultra 200S) launch MSRPs ($589/$394/$309 for 285K/265K/245K) are Intel RCP from the October 24, 2024 launch (285K verified vs Intel ARK/retail). Ryzen 7 9800X3D ($479), 9700X ($359), Ryzen 5 9600X ($279), Ryzen 7 7800X3D ($449), and Intel Core i5-14600K ($319, Oct 2023) launch MSRPs verified and unchanged. base_clock_ghz reflects the P-core base clock for hybrid Intel CPUs. boost_clock_ghz reflects max single-core turbo for all CPUs. tdp_w reflects base TDP/PBP for Intel CPUs (125W for all three Arrow Lake K-series). All numbers are unit-free; units implied by key name. accessedAt is 2026-06-15 on all sources.
Last verified 2026-06-15. We re-check published specs and prices on a recurring cadence and update this page when they change.
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