The tenth generation Intel Core series has changed the CPU sector considerably. For this reason, we decided that it was a good time to create a guide for choosing the best processors for less than 200 euros we can find that at the moment.
This is exactly the strip in which an important part of the PC users moves, and it is understandable since we can find processors that offer them in it very solid price-performance ratio. We talked about it in previous articles, but for newbies at MuyComputer and also for our veterans with poor memory, I remind you that the best option is not always the most powerful and therefore the most expensive.
For example in the world of PC gaming It makes no sense to use a processor of 400 euros or more, because the difference in performance compared to a model of less than 200 euros is minimal in most cases and will only make a significant difference in a few years.
It doesn’t make sense to pay an extra for something you won’t be using today, with the excuse that you will use it in a few years, and the reason is very simple: until then, it will be identical or superior solutions At a much lower price, your brand new top processor has been devalued so that your investment it will not have been written off.
When we talk about professionals who want to The compatibility of work and leisure is changingand the most expensive and powerful processors get their full meaning. However, this does not mean that there are no processors for less than 200 euros that can fully meet the requirements of many users of this type, and that we should always choose the most expensive models. The Ryzen 9 3900X, for example, offers very good value for money thanks to its 12 cores and 24 threads and is much cheaper than the Core i9 10900K. Single wire performance is lower, but performance in general is much higher.
The example I gave above perfectly shows how important it is to find the best value for money, instead of simply striving for the best possible performance. The difference between buying the fastest gaming processor and a processor that does almost the same performance but only loses 6% or 10% can be up to 400 euros. To say that It is not worth taking this price difference if we can enjoy a perfect experience with other processors for less than 200 euros.
Processors for less than 200 euros: three models that are worth buying
We already have the goal of this guide clear and we’ve seen why we shouldn’t spend like crazy and always choose the most powerful processor. Now we are ready to see which processors are for less than 200 euros a good buy.
To help you find all of the interesting options that fit your budget, I’ve made a full selection that ranges from what we can consider low-end, including Processors of less than 100 eurosup to the limit specified by us, i.e. up to 200 euros.
At the end of the article, I will leave you with a selection of processors that are and are also in this price range a bad choice. We start without further ado.
AMD Ryzen 3 1200 AF
The Ryzen 3 1200 AF is a Zen + -based quad-core, quad-core processor with 3.1 GHz and 3.4 GHz that supports the AM4 socket. It has a TDP of 65 watts, supports overclocking and costs 55 euros.
Why is it a good buy? Well, because it performs very well thanks to its high IPC and configuration of four physical cores. Thanks to the Ryzen Master tool we can overclock it very easily and it is practically able to move practically any current game without any problems. It offers a lot for what it costs.
What type of user are you targeting? Especially for those who want to build a powerful, but very cheap PC. We can accompany it with a mid-range graphics card like the RTX 2060 or the RX 5600.
AMD Ryzen 3 3100
Sunnyvalen’s company discontinued the Ryzen 5 1600 AF and has The price of the Ryzen 5 2600 has risenA decision that made the situation in the strip between 100 and 150 euros considerably more difficult.
With this panorama there is no doubt that at the moment Ryzen 3 3100 This is the best option if we want to maximize value for money. This processor has four cores and eight threads, is based on the Zen 2 architecture, works with 3.6 GHz to 3.9 GHz, supports overclocking and is compatible with the AM4 socket. The TDP is 65 watts and costs 110.90 euros.
Why is it a good buy? Since the performance is very good both with one thread and with several threads and the price is quite cheap, the performance is almost on the level of a Core i3 10100 and costs 30 euros less. Represents a fixed value.
What type of user are you targeting? Mainly for those who are on a tight budget but want to enjoy superior performance in applications that are able to use more than four threads, including games, with little effort.
Intel Core i5 10400F
Not only is it one of the best processors for less than $ 200 currently in existence, it is without a doubt one of the best. the best processor we can find that today in the range of 150 to 200 eurosand my recommendation today if we want to assemble a cheap PC to play and work with all the guarantees without having to make a big investment.
The letter “F” indicates that the integrated GPU is deactivated on this processor. To have six cores and twelve wires at 2.9 GHz-4.3 GHzThe TDP is 65 watts, is compatible with the LGA 1200 socket and uses the Comet Lake-S architecture. The Core i5 10400F costs € 172.90.
Why is it a good buy? Well, because thanks to its high IPC and its six cores and twelve threads, it offers excellent performance for what it costs. It’s ready to postpone any game with no problems and face the transition that PS5 and Xbox Series X will mark.
What type of user are you targeting? Without a doubt, those who are on a budget and want to build a powerful but perfectly balanced PC that can move professional games and applications smoothly and without spending more money to get a permanent configuration.
Processors for less than 200 euros: three models that are not worth buying
The three processors for less than $ 200 that we saw in the previous section are today the best in every price range, But what are the worst? I promised you that we will discover it at the end of this article and I always keep my promises.
Before I go into the subject, I would like to remind you that the fact that we chose these processors does not mean that they cannot offer good performance, but simply that they do not offer good value for money They are very expensive for what they offer.
With this clarity, we’re ready to see these three processors for less than $ 200 we have to avoid at all costs.
AMD Ryzen 3 1200
Don’t worry, I’m not wrong. This is the model Original Zen based versionIt has four cores and four threads at 3.1 GHz to 3.4 GHz, supports overclocking, has a TDP of 65 watts and is compatible with the AM4 socket.
His price round between 60 and 78 euros, depending on the dealer we are looking for.
Why is it not a good option? It’s very simple because it costs more than the Ryzen 3 1200 AF and has less power.
Intel Core i3-9100F
It is a processor from four cores and four threads is based on the Coffee Lake Refresh architecture, which works with 3.6 GHz to 4.2 GHz, has a TDP of 65 watts and is compatible with the LGA1151 platform. Does not support overclocking.
As in the previous case, the letter “F” indicates that the integrated GPU is deactivated and the price is 75.99 euros.
Why is it not a good option? Because it offers a very small performance improvement compared to the Ryzen 3 1200 AF and it is even less if we overclock the second. The price is too high for what it offers.
Intel Core i3-10100
It is a version of the previous model that uses and has the Comet Lake-S architecture four cores and eight threads at 3.6 GHz-4.3 GHz. The TDP is 65 watts, does not support overclocking and is integrated in the LGA1200 platform.
The performance improvement it offers is significant since HyperThreading technology can handle eight threads, but the high price is around between 140 and 160 eurosit makes no sense at all.
Why is it not a good option? Because we can buy the Core i5 10400 for a bit more, which has six cores and twelve threads. It delivers more and has a much longer service life.
