Can you believe the 11th-gen series of Intel processors launched nearly four years ago? It seems like only yesterday and to show just how powerful these processors were for their time, I've rounded up some of the best CPUs still in use today. When planning a new PC build, picking one of these CPUs can save you money without taking a severe hit in performance. The latest and greatest will always be best, but for budget builds and those who don't require a clock speed of 6.0 GHz, check out some of these "classics."

8 AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

When the 12-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900X was released in 2020, it was an incredibly powerful processor. Being able to boost up to 4.8GHz before manual overclocking, the 5900X is also a very capable CPU for today's workloads. I used it for a year or so on my main rig, smashing through X4: Foundations and editing images in GIMP like it was nothing. The only drawback to the 5900X and other older processors from previous platforms and sockets is the lack of DDR5 RAM support, but this does mean you can find some memory at bargain prices.

7 Intel Core i9-12900K

Intel's Core i9-12900K was only released in 2021, but it has already been almost four years. The 13900K and 14900K have already come and gone, leaving us with the Core Ultra 285K. This makes the 12900K four generations old, so it should be considered "old" even if we are talking about a relatively new chip. If you can find stock at a store or come across a bargain on a classified site, the 12900K is still a beast CPU by today's standards. 16 cores consist of 8 P-cores and 8 E-cores, resulting in 24 threads and enough performance to handle the latest games and software. Whether you're streaming, working with video, or have the funds to spare, the 12900K is great for enthusiast usage.

6 Intel Core i9-11900K

If the Intel Core i9-12900K isn't old enough for you, how about the 11900K? This wasn't a great processor, acting as a stopgap between 10th and 12th-gen Intel SKUs, but it still handled well under heavier loads. 8 cores and 16 threads shouldn't have issues with heavier software such as video editors. Compared to the incredible AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, it's nothing to write home about and is a reminder of how far behind Intel was in the early 2020s, which is why I feel it deserves a spot on this list. The Intel Core i9-13900K that came after this chip (pictured above) was a better chip in many aspects, but if you want to find the cheapest i9 on the same platform, you'll struggle to beat the 11900K.

5 AMD Ryzen 5 3600

We're traveling back in time with the AMD Ryzen 5 3600. The 6-core processor was reviewed as the best-value CPU of its generation, taking on the Intel Core i5-9600K and i5-10600K. Even though this CPU is from 2019, it's still a good pick for a PC build five years into the future. So long as you don't plan on working it too hard, you shouldn't have any trouble with this chip. Using the AM4 platform, you can always upgrade to a Rzyen 5000 processor.

4 AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

AMD's Ryzen 5 5600X was an incredible process launch. It utterly decimated the competition for performance and value. Intel was still scrambling to get something out the door and the 11th-gen series wasn't well received. This provided the Ryzen 5000 series room to breathe and claw back yet more market share from its rival. The Ryzen 5 5600X was among the most popular SKUs, thanks to its low price tag and 6 cores with a maximum speed of 4.6GHz.

3 AMD Ryzen 7 5700G

AMD's APUs with integrated Radeon graphics weren't anything to write home about. They were decent enough, but you couldn't push them for butter-smooth and high-fidelity gaming at 1080p, let alone 1440p. This changed with the AMD Ryzen 8000 series but I would still consider the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G if you require a CPU with capable graphics that isn't Intel UHD. Whether you're building a low-power PC or homelabs server, the Ryzen 7 5700G can do plenty.

2 Intel Core i5-12400F

Intel's Core i5-12400F didn't cost too much at launch, coming in at $184. That's a brilliant price for a 6-core processor without integrated graphics, making this a solid choice for gamers who use discrete graphics cards. It's still a good chip for today's games and will work well with many of the best GPUs you can afford, so long as you steer clear of heavy 4K gaming. Pairing this up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 would be an interesting partnership, to say the least.

1 Intel Core i5-12600K

When the 12th Gen Intel series finally launched, it brought competition back to AMD and the 12600K was a great processor. A solid mid-range chip to take on the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, this 10-core chip was a beast once Intel managed to work with Windows and Linux teams to work in support for the new thread director. It marked the start of using P-cores and E-cores, alongside the 12900K. If you need a capable chip that doesn't suck too much power yet can boost fairly high, consider the 12600K.