AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D is now down to £390 this Black Friday, making the champion of all gaming CPUs the cheapest it's ever been
This is the best CPU you can buy for gaming, though it's also a very good all-round processor. If you need any other reason to buy one, you should know that this is as cheap as it's ever been right now.
Key specs: 8 cores | 16 threads | 5.2 GHz boost | 96 MB L3 | 120 W
Price check: Scan £395.99 | Overclockers £399.95View Deal
Do I really need to say anything as to why you should buy the Ryzen 7 9800X3D? You know, the best CPU for gaming you can buy. That processor. Probably not, but I will say a few things that you need to be aware of if you're new to the whole CPU upgrade thing.
First of all, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D will only work in an AM5 socket motherboard. If you're not sure what socket your current motherboard has, then download CPU-Z (it's completely free) and look for the package details in the CPU tab.
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If it says anything other than Socket AM5 (LGA 1718), then you'll need to buy a new AM5 motherboard. Also note that AMD's latest CPUs only use DDR5 RAM, so if you're using DDR4 (you can use CPU-Z again to check), then you'll need a new set of memory too. Sadly, DDR5 prices have shot through the roof, and you're looking at £120 just for 16 GB of the stuff.
Lastly, if you've been using an older, budget-level processor that has four or six cores, for example, it's important to note that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D uses quite a lot of power: up to 120 W or more. In games, it's often not quite that high, but it'll still be more than something like a Ryzen 5 5500.
That means you might need a new CPU cooler to go with the 9800X3D, but at least you don't need to spend a lot. MSI's Coreliquid A13 360 mm liquid cooler is just £59 at Amazon, or if you prefer simple air cooling, then the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE is a ridiculously cheap £36 at Amazon.
Of course, if you already have an AM5 socket motherboard and DDR5 RAM, you'll be all set to drop a 9800X3D right in. Just make sure you're using the latest BIOS/UEFI code for the board, and you'll be fine.