The graphics card might be the star of your PC build, but you can never ignore the importance of the CPU. After all, your entire PC is more often than not built around the CPU — the platform, memory, and cooling depend on your CPU choice. For production-heavy systems, the CPU becomes even more important. This makes picking one of the best CPUs a non-negotiable factor when building a PC.

But, in a quest to build the most decked-out system they can, PC builders often go overboard with their CPU choice and end up spending more than they should. Some extra CPU horsepower won't hurt anyone, but if you don't need all that performance for your needs, you're just throwing money away that would be better spent on the GPU and other components of your build. Based on the kind of user you are, there are always smart choices you can make to avoid overspending on your CPU.

Mainstream gamers don't need overkill CPUs

Latest-gen 6-core chip is ideal

By mainstream gamers, I'm referring to the majority of users who build gaming PCs around the $1,000 budget. A mainstream gaming PC with an RTX 4060 or RX 7600 will be able to run any modern title at 1080p medium-high settings. To keep up with the GPU in such a build and provide enough raw performance for additional multitasking and occasional productivity workloads, a 6-core AMD or Intel chip is more than enough.

You can snag a Ryzen 5 7600 or a Core i5 13400F for less than $200 and expect a pretty powerful build at the $1,000 price point. You can even bump up the GPU to an RTX 4070 for a $150 premium, and still not worry about any CPU bottlenecking. Both the Ryzen 5 7600 and Core i5 13400F can easily keep up with even an RTX 4070 Ti Super.

Games have started to leverage more than 6 cores, but even at the $1500 budget range, you're not really losing out on gaming performance by picking a 6-core CPU.

Even enthusiast gamers don't need 8+ cores

AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D is still king

If you think that 6 cores might be enough for most regular people, but believe that you will need a flagship CPU (which costs a ton) for your no-holds-barred gaming rig, think again. Prior to the launch of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D (the first of its kind) back in 2022, gamers eyeing top-of-the-line performance mostly stuck with high-end chips like the Core i7-12700K or the Core i9-12900K.

But, the 5800X3D turned the gaming CPU market on its head by offering virtually identical or better gaming performance than Intel's (or even AMD's) flagship CPUs at a lower price (in most cases). Today, its successor, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the unchallenged crown prince of the gaming CPU space, while being cheaper than the Core i7-14700K, Core i9-14900K, and the Ryzen 9 7950X.

The 8-core 7800X3D leverages its 3D V-Cache to deliver top tier gaming performance. For those focused primarily on gaming, there's no reason to look elsewhere. It even beats or matches its pricier X3D cousins like the Ryzen 9 7900X3D or Ryzen 9 7950X3D. The 7800X3D is regularly available for around $340, and that's a seriously phenomenal price for a chip of this caliber.

You don't need flagship CPUs

The mid-range is where it's at

When you need a PC that isn't just a gaming powerhouse but can also provide fantastic productivity performance in video editing, streaming, rendering, and other heavy multitasking workloads, you can't rely on a 6-core chip. Having additional cores at your disposal always comes in handy to speed up your production-heavy workloads. But this doesn't mean you need to always splurge on the costliest chip on the market.

For instance, the Core i7-14700K offers significantly more performance than the 14600K but isn't too far from the 14900K. The Core i9 CPU will not deliver enough gains to justify the premium you pay for it. Sure, professionals who're looking solely for peak productivity performance can go for the flagship chip, but the 14700K makes a lot more sense as a value champion and an all-rounder. Plus, in gaming, it's virtually identical to the 14900K.

On the AMD side, there's a similar case to be made for the relatively cheaper Ryzen 9 7900X. It delivers most of the performance of the pricier Ryzen 9 7950X for around $150 less. You could even go for the Ryzen 7 7700X, but honestly the drop in productivity performance compared to the 7900X would be significant. Hence, the 7900X becomes the sweet spot for an all-rounder system.

Casual or home office users don't need 4+ cores

Entry-level Intel chips or AMD APUs should be your target

Finally, if you're neither a hardcore gamer nor a serious productivity user, you don't have any use for the latest and greatest CPUs. Even the latest 6-core chips can be overkill for a PC that's only meant to browse the web, work on documents and spreadsheets, or serve as a home theater PC. A Core i3-12100 or Ryzen 3 3200G will provide enough performance and snappiness for such a system.

Using these processors, you won't need to add a discrete graphics card either, as they have integrated graphics on the CPU chip itself. You can build a decent $300-$400 PC around these CPUs, and build something more powerful down the line if you want a dedicated gaming or workstation PC.

Don't over-spec your build with an overkill CPU

CPUs with crazy core counts have their place. After all, professionals looking for the best performance to save every second possible should consider picking the very best chips on the market. But, if you're building a PC solely for gaming, putting together a productivity build that can also play any modern game, or configuring a home office or home theater PC, these high-end chips don't actually make a whole lot of sense for you.

Hardcore gamers have AMD's Ryzen X3D chips, productivity users will find the mid-range 8-core chips ideal, and entry-level PCs can work with almost any older 4-core CPU or APU. So, make sure you're carefully assessing your needs and buying only what you need. Even if you're after a bit of forward-looking performance, you actually don't need to go as high on the product stack as you might think.