Which CPU do you need for your PC or laptop?

Wondering whether your current CPU is still good enough, or how popular CPU models compare? This guide compares well-known Intel and AMD CPUs released since 2018. Desktop and notebook CPUs are shown in separate charts.

When should you upgrade your PC or notebook?

After my many years of experience with computers, I have learned that when the PassMark CPU score of your CPU model (see the tables below) is below 8,000 points, I would really recommend that you upgrade your PC or notebook.

Here I assume you have at least 8 GB of memory and an SSD for storage, not a hard drive. If you still have a PC with only a hard drive, upgrading is always necessary.

For browsing, email, office work and watching videos, a modern entry-level or mid-range CPU is usually sufficient.
For gaming, the graphics card is often at least as important as the CPU.
For video editing and other demanding tasks, a higher multi-thread score can help, depending on the software you use.

For notebooks, the model name does not tell the whole story: two laptops with the same CPU can perform differently because of cooling and the power limits set by the manufacturer.

How to read the CPU rankings

The charts use PassMark CPU Mark, a composite CPU benchmark. This ranking uses the multi-thread score, which reflects results in tests that use multiple cores at once. A higher score means a higher result in this benchmark. It does not predict exactly how fast a particular game or application will run.

New test results are submitted continuously, which can change the scores. The scores in these charts are therefore updated every week. The desktop and notebook charts each use their own scale, so compare scores within the same chart.

The year in parentheses after each CPU name is the year the model was introduced.

Desktop CPUs

Below are 38 selected desktop models from Intel and AMD, ranked by PassMark CPU Mark.

If you cannot find your current CPU in the chart, use PassMark's Intel CPU list for an Intel CPU or PassMark's AMD CPU list for an AMD CPU.

The scores are updated every week because new test results are constantly added and can affect the benchmark score.

Notebook CPUs

The notebook chart contains 30 selected Intel and AMD models. Notebook CPUs are listed separately from desktop CPUs because their performance can depend heavily on the laptop's design and cooling.

If you cannot find your current CPU in the chart, use PassMark's Intel CPU list for an Intel CPU or PassMark's AMD CPU list for an AMD CPU.

The scores are updated every week because new test results are constantly added and can affect the benchmark score.

Sources

• PassMark desktop CPU benchmarks
• PassMark laptop CPU benchmarks
• PassMark Intel CPU list
• PassMark AMD CPU list
• Intel CPU launch dates
• AMD Ryzen desktop CPUs
• AMD Ryzen laptop CPUs

Threadripper models are excluded from the desktop chart. Scores were retrieved on November 9, 2026.