Hardware
the best gaming CPU in 2026 is a $480 chip that humbles a $590 Intel — it's not close
AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D is 35% faster than Intel's flagship in games, for less money. Here's the honest best-gaming-CPU answer for 2026, and when you should ignore it.
Ravi Malhotra · Jul 31 · 11 min