The CPU landscape for PC builders has been more or less dominated by a handful of chips. These parts are incredibly capable, and you know exactly which ones I'm referring to. The AM5 X3Ds and 14th Gen i9s of the world, despite the latter still suffering from instability issues, have been the primary choices for those looking to build high-performance systems now.

The cutting-edge stuff is an excellent place to start, but what if you're looking for a diamond in the rough? Just something to get your build off the ground, and get things up and running. These 5 CPUs are some of the most underrated when it comes to building a new system, and if I was starting a build from scratch today, I'd reach for one of these first.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

The former gaming GOAT still has plenty to give

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D was one of those CPUs that granted such a massive performance boost in gaming workloads over anything else available at the time, it's all you heard about. The knee-jerk recommendation for gamers is still X3D CPUs, but the OG is still more than capable. It still sits near the top of a lot of gaming benchmark charts, and because of that, its used price is still quite high.

If you can find one for a bargain, it's definitely still worthy of a spot in your rig. The biggest downside is the fact that it's on the AM4 platform, which means you've effectively reached a dead end in terms of upgrades. It also means you're stuck on DDR4, but with RAM prices the way they are, picking up a kit of pre-owned DDR4 for a decent price will likely be a lot easier than a new kit of DDR5.

Intel Core i5-13600

Great performance, but it's on the clock

The Intel 13th and 14th Gen CPUs have a very complicated backstory, and the 13600 was no exception; it was right in the trenches, right along with its peers. The degradation issues are impossible to ignore, and while the non-K SKUs definitely aren't exempt from rapid degrading over time, you might be able to find new(er) ones a little easier than the K SKUs.

As a platform, LGA1700 is at the end of the road, so don’t expect a next-gen upgrade path. But if you find a 13600 that hasn't been run into the ground, it's still a decent buy. Even with some more conservative settings, this chip is still a great performer.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600

Affordability on a new platform

The Ryzen 5 7600 is everything the 5600 was for AM4, but only faster, cooler, and on a new platform. It’s the ideal budget entry point into AMD’s AM5 ecosystem for anyone looking for good performance, and is expected to last through at least another couple of CPU generations.

Six Zen 4 cores and twelve threads are still more than enough for most gaming and creative workloads today, and while the requirement of DDR5 will decimate your wallet, the CPU itself won't.

AMD Ryzen 7 8700G

If you just want to get up and running in a hurry, this is the CPU

The Ryzen 7 8700G is the best option on this list for anyone who just wants to get up and running without hunting down a GPU. Its integrated RDNA 3 graphics won’t win any performance contests, but they’re more than capable of 1080p gaming in lighter or older titles. Even newer titles with upscaling can be enjoyed with playable framerates.

It’s also a solid productivity chip, with eight Zen 4 cores that make it feel like a “real” desktop CPU rather than an entry-level APU. More importantly, it lives on the AM5 platform, so you can always drop in a dedicated GPU along with a much more capable CPU later, without the need to replace your board or memory.

This chip is for a very specific kind of buyer, though. If you're not willing to go through the trouble of finding a pre-owned GPU bargain to pair with a much more capable AM5 chip, and you just want to get up and gaming quickly, the 8700G makes a lot of sense. Otherwise, it's not the best value at full price, but on sale, it's an incredibly valid way to start a new system.

Intel Core Ultra 7 265K

Price dependent, of course

Intel's "Core Ultra" processors haven't got off to the best start on the desktop front, especially when you consider that the socket they're on (LGA1851) is already marked for replacement. With that said, though, Arrow Lake CPUs (as far as we know) shouldn't degrade themselves to be non-functional over a short period of time, so at least there's that.

Currently, in terms of value, they're all a bit too expensive for the performance they offer, but with a sale, the script can flip pretty fast. A great example of that is the Ultra 7 265K, which is a capable CPU that excels in gaming and productivity, but is just a little too expensive for what it is. Because of how poorly this generation of Intel desktop chips are selling, I wouldn't be surprised if these went on sale for a pretty hefty discount on top of the drastic shift that's already taken place. If you can find one for a substantial discount, in the neighborhood of 20–25% off, it's a pretty great buy, despite being on a dead-end platform.

The best sellers are there for a reason

The cutting edge chips at the top of the stack are selling the best for a reason, especially on the AM5 front. If you're not willing to make compromises in waiting, buying pre-owned, or limiting future upgrades, it might just be best to splash the cash now. Otherwise, these 5 chips are still worth their salt in terms of performance, but it might take a little bit of waiting or hunting on the used market to get the most out of your hard-earned cash.