CPU hierarchy 2026
52 desktop processors released from 2017 to 2026, ranked by the Atlas performance index and grouped into tiers. Tier S is within 40% of the fastest processor here.
Tier S 15Tier A 15Tier B 14Tier C 8
S Tier S: the fastest
| # | Processor | Year | Index | Power | Launch price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3DZen 5 | 2025 | 960 | 170 W | $699 |
| 2 | AMD Ryzen 9 9950XZen 5 | 2024 | 940 | 170 W | $649 |
| 3 | Intel Core Ultra 9 285KArrow Lake | 2024 | 900 | 125 W | $589 |
| 4 | AMD Ryzen 9 7950XZen 4 | 2022 | 880 | 170 W | $699 |
| 5 | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3DZen 4 | 2023 | 860 | 120 W | $699 |
| 6 | Intel Core i9-14900KRaptor Lake Refresh | 2023 | 800 | 125 W | $589 |
| 7 | Intel Core i9-13900KRaptor Lake | 2022 | 790 | 125 W | $589 |
| 8 | Intel Core Ultra 7 265KArrow Lake | 2024 | 760 | 125 W | $394 |
| 9 | AMD Ryzen 9 9900XZen 5 | 2024 | 760 | 120 W | $499 |
| 10 | Intel Core i7-14700KRaptor Lake Refresh | 2023 | 750 | 125 W | $409 |
| 11 | AMD Ryzen 9 7900XZen 4 | 2022 | 720 | 170 W | $549 |
| 12 | Intel Core i7-13700KRaptor Lake | 2022 | 700 | 125 W | $409 |
| 13 | AMD Ryzen 9 5950XZen 3 | 2020 | 640 | 105 W | $799 |
| 14 | Intel Core i5-14600KRaptor Lake Refresh | 2023 | 610 | 125 W | $319 |
| 15 | Intel Core i5-13600KRaptor Lake | 2022 | 590 | 125 W | $319 |
A Tier A
| # | Processor | Year | Index | Power | Launch price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Intel Core i9-12900KAlder Lake | 2021 | 575 | 125 W | $589 |
| 17 | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3DZen 5 | 2024 | 570 | 120 W | $479 |
| 18 | Intel Core Ultra 5 245KArrow Lake | 2024 | 560 | 125 W | $309 |
| 19 | Intel Core i7-12700KAlder Lake | 2021 | 540 | 125 W | $409 |
| 20 | AMD Ryzen 9 5900XZen 3 | 2020 | 540 | 105 W | $549 |
| 21 | AMD Ryzen 7 9700XZen 5 | 2024 | 530 | 65 W | $359 |
| 22 | AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3DZen 4 | 2023 | 520 | 120 W | $449 |
| 23 | AMD Ryzen 7 7700XZen 4 | 2022 | 490 | 105 W | $399 |
| 24 | Intel Core i5-12600KAlder Lake | 2021 | 450 | 125 W | $289 |
| 25 | AMD Ryzen 5 9600XZen 5 | 2024 | 420 | 65 W | $279 |
| 26 | AMD Ryzen 9 3900XZen 2 | 2019 | 420 | 105 W | $499 |
| 27 | AMD Ryzen 5 7600XZen 4 | 2022 | 405 | 105 W | $299 |
| 28 | AMD Ryzen 7 5800XZen 3 | 2020 | 400 | 105 W | $449 |
| 29 | AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3DZen 3 | 2022 | 395 | 105 W | $449 |
| 30 | AMD Ryzen 5 7600Zen 4 | 2023 | 390 | 65 W | $229 |
B Tier B
| # | Processor | Year | Index | Power | Launch price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Intel Core i5-14400FRaptor Lake Refresh | 2024 | 380 | 65 W | $196 |
| 32 | Intel Core i9-10900KComet Lake | 2020 | 380 | 125 W | $488 |
| 33 | AMD Ryzen 7 5700XZen 3 | 2022 | 375 | 65 W | $299 |
| 34 | Intel Core i5-13400FRaptor Lake | 2023 | 370 | 65 W | $196 |
| 35 | AMD Ryzen 5 8600GZen 4 | 2024 | 350 | 65 W | $229 |
| 36 | Intel Core i9-9900KCoffee Lake Refresh | 2018 | 330 | 95 W | $488 |
| 37 | Intel Core i7-10700KComet Lake | 2020 | 320 | 125 W | $374 |
| 38 | AMD Ryzen 7 3700XZen 2 | 2019 | 320 | 65 W | $329 |
| 39 | Intel Core i5-12400FAlder Lake | 2022 | 310 | 65 W | $167 |
| 40 | AMD Ryzen 5 5600XZen 3 | 2020 | 300 | 65 W | $299 |
| 41 | AMD Ryzen 5 5600Zen 3 | 2022 | 285 | 65 W | $199 |
| 42 | Intel Core i7-9700KCoffee Lake Refresh | 2018 | 275 | 95 W | $374 |
| 43 | AMD Ryzen 7 2700XZen+ | 2018 | 260 | 105 W | $329 |
| 44 | Intel Core i5-11400FRocket Lake | 2021 | 250 | 65 W | $157 |
C Tier C
| # | Processor | Year | Index | Power | Launch price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | AMD Ryzen 5 3600Zen 2 | 2019 | 235 | 65 W | $199 |
| 46 | Intel Core i3-12100FAlder Lake | 2022 | 215 | 58 W | $97 |
| 47 | Intel Core i5-10400FComet Lake | 2020 | 215 | 65 W | $157 |
| 48 | Intel Core i7-8700KCoffee Lake | 2017 | 215 | 95 W | $359 |
| 49 | Intel Core i5-9600KCoffee Lake Refresh | 2018 | 195 | 95 W | $262 |
| 50 | AMD Ryzen 5 2600Zen+ | 2018 | 195 | 65 W | $199 |
| 51 | AMD Ryzen 7 1700Zen | 2017 | 175 | 65 W | $329 |
| 52 | Intel Core i5-8400Coffee Lake | 2017 | 170 | 65 W | $182 |
How this ranking works
The index is an editorial estimate of relative performance (Core i7-2600K = 100, weighted towards multi-core work. For gaming, X3D chips such as the Ryzen 7 9800X3D do better than their rank here suggests). Only parts with a hand-checked index are ranked here; parts with just a model estimate are listed on their own pages and in the full CPU list. Laptop, server and embedded parts are left out. Prices are launch prices (MSRP), not today's street prices. Spot a mistake? Every part page has a correction form.
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See also: GPU hierarchy 2026 · every rated CPU since 1998 · compare any two