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intel’s-core-i5-13400f-is-down-to-$165-after-a-$50-best-buy-discount Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Intel’s Core i5 13400F is down to $165 after a $50 Best Buy discount

June 1, 2023RockPaperShotgun

Intel’s mid-range Core i5 processors have long been some of the best choices for gaming PCs, versus Core i7 and Core i9 models that require much more cooling while not providing much more performance in GPU-limited scenarios. Their 13th-gen models are a particular favourite, and today we have a US deal on perhaps the best value gaming CPU in that lineup: the Core i5 13400F is now down to $164.99 at Best Buy following a $50 discount. Read more

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careful-with-that-soc:-overclocked-amd-ryzen-7000-cpus-are-burning-out Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Careful with that SoC: overclocked AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs are burning out

April 25, 2023RockPaperShotgun

Owners of AMD Ryzen 7000 processors, you may wish to reconsider any overclocking plans. This hardware family may include some good gaming CPUs but several users have recently reported cases of fatal overheating, sometimes even with their processors burning the motherboard socket in the process. Investigations by Tom’s Hardware and YouTuber der8auer suggest the culprit is SoC (system on chip) voltages being pushed beyond safe levels during memory overclocking attempts. AMD haven’t confirmed this directly, but are supposedly working on a fix that would prevent this accidental overvolting from happening again. Read more

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the-octo-core-amd-ryzen-7700x-is-$299-in-the-us Rock,Paper,Shotgun

The octo-core AMD Ryzen 7700X is $299 in the US

March 1, 2023RockPaperShotgun

AMD’s Ryzen 7000X3D processors are now available (in theory), so we’re seeing some big discounts on previously-released options that bring them into newfound relevance. Such is the case with the Ryzen 7 7700X, the middle child of the Zen 4 lineup and an absolutely beastly performer when it comes to gaming thanks to its full-fat eight-core, one-CCD design. This chip launched at $399 but is now $100 cheaper thanks to a discount code at Newegg, where you can pick up the 7700X for $298.99 when you use code BTSCP2655 at the checkout. Read more

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the-ryzen-5600-is-much-better-value-than-the-5600x-–-especially-with-this-deal Rock,Paper,Shotgun

The Ryzen 5600 is much better value than the 5600X – especially with this deal

December 29, 2022RockPaperShotgun

AMD’s Ryzen 5600X was a favourite of value-oriented gamers when it debuted in late 2020 – to say nothing of RPS head big honcho Katharine – so unsurprisingly AMD followed it up with an even cheaper model, the 5600, about a year later. This non-X variant performs more or less identically, with a slightly low rated boost clock that translates into one or two percent worse performance in CPU-limited scenarios. Given the fact that the 5600 is £13 cheaper on Amazon right now, we’d recommend it over the X any time. Read more

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grab-the-excellent-intel-core-i5-12400f-six-core-cpu-for-167 Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Grab the excellent Intel Core i5 12400F six-core CPU for £167

November 30, 2022RockPaperShotgun

The Core i5 12400F is a surprisingly excellent gaming CPU, offering the power of Intel’s new Alder Lake architecture in a simple six-core twelve-thread configuration. The CPU supports PCIe 5.0 and DDR5, but it also works with cheaper DDR4- and PCIe 4.0-based hardware. It’s normally £200, but it’s down to £167 on AWD-IT which is a pretty decent deal if you want to build a powerful gaming PC on a budget. Read more

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intel-announce-13th-gen-raptor-lake-cpus,-confirm-arc-a770-limited-edition-gpu-release-date Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Intel announce 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs, confirm Arc A770 Limited Edition GPU release date

September 28, 2022RockPaperShotgun

Seems it’s that time of year again: the annual Intel CPU refresh is upon us, with CEO Pat Gelsinger announcing the 13th Gen “Raptor Lake” processor family onstage at Intel Innovation 2022 last night. These chips will stick to the hybrid Performance core/Efficiency core design introduced by the 12th Gen Alder Lake range – probably wisely, given that includes some of the best gaming CPUs ever – but ups the E-core counts, L2 cache capacities and clock speeds. Raptor Lake will go on sale on October 20th, a few weeks after the just-launched AMD Ryzen 7000 series. The showcase also…

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amd’s-fastest-gaming-processor-is-down-to-$375 Rock,Paper,Shotgun

AMD’s fastest gaming processor is down to $375

September 18, 2022RockPaperShotgun

The ‘world’s fastest gaming CPU‘, according to AMD, is on sale in the US today. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is down from $450 to $375 via Antonline’s Ebay store, an awesome price for an extremely quick eight-core and 16-thread processor blessed with AMD’s new stacked L3 cache design, which allows it to beat almost every current-gen CPU in gaming performance. Read more

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one-of-the-best-value-amd-cpus-for-gaming-is-32%-off-at-amazon-uk Rock,Paper,Shotgun

One of the best value AMD CPUs for gaming is 32% off at Amazon UK

September 6, 2022RockPaperShotgun

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a cheaper, better-value version of the Ryzen 5600X – the CPU took the world by storm when Ryzen 5000 launched back in 2020. With six cores and 12 threads to access, you get good performance in modern game engines, while the higher single-core speeds introduced with this generation of AMD processors allows for better performance in single-core-limited (often older) games. It’s a potent combination that makes the 5600X – and the 5600 – the best value AMD CPUs for gaming out there. Normally the 5600 retails for £173, in comparison to £185 for the…

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pick-up-a-powerful-ryzen-5000-processor-for-113 Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Pick up a powerful Ryzen 5000 processor for £113

July 5, 2022RockPaperShotgun

The Ryzen 5 5500 is one of AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 processors, but a strong competing Intel lineup means it’s already gotten a 33% reduction on Amazon, dropping from £176 to £113. This six-core twelve-thread chip is a solid upgrade over the likes of the Ryzen 5 3600 from the previous generation, but mostly makes sense in a new budget gaming build or as an upgrade for an older Ryzen 1000 or Ryzen 2000 system. Read more

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amd-ryzen-7000:-everything-we-know-so-far Rock,Paper,Shotgun

AMD Ryzen 7000: everything we know so far

May 24, 2022RockPaperShotgun

The AMD Ryzen 7000 family of CPUs is preparing for launch in 2022, two years after the Ryzen 5000 series. AMD have spent a good chunk of that time on its laptop chips, but back in the realm of desktops, Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake chips have leveraged major design improvements to beat the Ryzen 5000 series on performance and features. One suspects it would take a considerable rejigging for these Ryzen 7000 chips to get back into the best gaming CPUs conversation – and so far, that’s exactly what seems to be happening. Now, AMD haven’t revealed all things…

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intel’s-core-i9-10850k-flagship-cpu-is-down-to-$290-at-newegg Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Intel’s Core i9 10850K flagship CPU is down to $290 at Newegg

April 21, 2022RockPaperShotgun

The Intel Core i9 10850K is the defacto 10th-gen flagship CPU for Intel, and it’s going cheap at Newegg today. It’s been reduced to $290 when you use code 4FSBR2Z26 at the checkout, compared to a launch price of $450. Not bad for a CPU that launched less than two years ago – and a damn sight cheaper than upgrading to a 12th-gen system that requires a new CPU, motherboard and potentially expensive new DDR5 RAM as well. Read more

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intel-play-down-alder-lake-cpu-bending,-“strongly-recommend-against”-socket-mods Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Intel play down Alder Lake CPU bending, “strongly recommend against” socket mods

April 11, 2022RockPaperShotgun

Some of Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake processors are among the best gaming CPUs you can buy, but certain owners have noticed a seemingly worrisome trend: their LGA 1700 motherboard socket puts so much pressure on the chip that its IHS (integrated heat spreader, the big grey bit on top) starts to bend. This isn’t so much a concern for the CPU’s structural integrity as it is a cooling issue, as a non-flat IHS will struggle to transfer heat to the CPU cooler plate as effectivity. In a statement to Tom’s Hardware, however, an Intel spokesperson has essentially said it’s…

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intel-core-i5-12400f-review:-core-i5-12600k-performance-for-100-less Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Intel Core i5-12400F review: Core i5-12600K performance for £100 less

January 25, 2022RockPaperShotgun

There was cause for joy and concern alike when Intel revealed the Core i5-12400F, alongside loads of other new 12th gen Alder Lake CPUs. Here was a much more affordable, still gaming focused-alternative to the Core i5-12600K, yet it would lack the signature hybrid of fast Performance cores and flexible Efficiency cores that made that chip one of the best gaming CPUs ever made. Turns out, the concern was for naught: the Core i5-12400F is a cracking slice of silicon, both for the money and for games specifically. Although the sole reliance on Performance cores (or P-cores) puts it behind…

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