The best gaming PC 2020: top desktops for PC gamers
Equipped with the latest processors and graphics cards, these are the best gaming PCs of 2020.
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Best processors 2021: the best CPUs for your PC from Intel and AMD
Start with choosing one of the best processors if you want that new PC you're building or that existing one you’re upgrading to rival one of the best computers on the market. Only a powerful CPU is good enough to see you through your demanding computing needs, from playing the best PC games to editing 4K videos.
There’s simply no match to the best processors. And, with Intel and AMD locked in a fiery competition, there are more excellent offerings out there touting competitive prices. That means that you can get a powerful CPU without breaking the piggy bank. So, now’s a great time to invest.
However demanding your computing needs are, you’ll see and feel the difference with one of the best processors under the hood of your PC. Whether Intel’s impressive Comet Lake-S is appealing to you or you want AMD’s Ryzen 5000 chips, there are plenty of options to choose from. Here are our top picks.
Best CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Best CPU for high-end gaming
Cores: 12 | Threads: 24 | Base clock: 3.7GHz | Boost clock: 4.8GHz | L3 cache: 64MB | TDP: 105W
Amazing performance
A new single-core champion
Same power consumption
Price went up
No included cooler
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X brings the biggest gen-on-gen jump in a single performance in years, making it a terrific upgrade. This latest release from AMD is not just a stronger processor across the board. It’s also an incredibly powerful processor for gaming and creative work full stop. The fact that you won’t need a new motherboard is just a nice perk.
Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Best high-end CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
A mainstream CPU moonlights as an HEDT processor
Cores: 16 | Threads: 32 | Base clock: 3.5GHz | Boost clock: 4.7GHz | L3 cache: 64MB | TDP: 105W
Performance powerhouse
Cheaper than HEDT
PCIe 4.0
Needs extra cooling
Limited gaming advantage
The highest tier in the Ryzen 3000 series is the performance powerhouse you’re looking for, if you want something for heavily threaded computer work. Besides high-end gaming, the Ryzen 9 3950 also blasts through processing tasks. It’s expensive, but for a mainstream processor that can go toe-to-toe with HEDT processors, that’s hardly a surprise. And, it’s also well worth the price, if you need its level of performance. Just remember that it may take a bit to keep cool so be sure to follow AMD’s guidance.
Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Best mid-range CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Top performance on a budget
Cores: 6 | Threads: 12 | Base clock: 3.8GHz | Boost clock: 4.4GHz | L3 cache: 32MB | TDP: 95W
Excellent performance
Affordable
Includes a cooler
Still 6-cores
With more threads than the Intel Core i5-9600K, this mid-range graphics card delivers impressive multi-threading performance. However, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X doesn’t just stop there: it takes that budget-minded stage of performance to a new level, with its increased IPC (instructions per clock) performance and a higher clock speed while staying at the same price point. It also stays competitive in even the most intense single-threaded applications.
Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Best entry-level CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3100
PC gaming just got cheaper
Cores: 4 | Threads: 8 | Base clock: 3.5GHz | Boost clock: 3.6GHz | L3 cache: 16MB | TDP: 65W
Excellent performance
Affordable
Doesn't suck up much power
Not as fast as the 3300X
May bottleneck high-end GPUs
Budget-minded consumers who missed out on all the 3rd-generation Ryzen excitement the first time will appreciate AMD’s latest attempt in the entry-level sphere. There’s no denying that the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 is appealingly cheap, but it does so without compromising on performance. In fact, this chip delivers a performance that could almost rival that of processors double its price, without sucking up much power. And, it’s an excellent choice for budget gamers who are looking for something that can handle 1080p gaming.
Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 3 3100
Best gaming CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Ryzen to the top
Cores: 8 | Threads: 16 | Base clock: 3.8GHz | Boost clock: 4.7GHz | L3 cache: 32MB | TDP: 105W
Excellent single-core performance
Strong for gaming
Low power
Price jump from Ryzen 3000
No included cooler
Intel no longer has the monopoly on gaming CPUs. Rocking 8 cores and 16 threads, along with much stronger single-core performance, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is among the best CPUs for gaming – as well as less demanding creative work – right now. And it comes with a much more approachable price tag compared to most of Intel’s offerings, making it a much better value.
Read the full review: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Best VR CPU: Intel Core i5-10600K
Hyper-Threading for everyone
Cores: 6 | Threads: 12 | Base clock: 3.5GHz | Boost clock: 4.7GHz | L3 cache: 64MB | TDP: 105W
Excellent multi-core performance
Affordable
Good thermal performance
No PCIe 4.0
Higher power consumption
Mid-range buyers will appreciate the fact that they actually don’t have to shell out quite a bit of cash for Intel’s hyper-threading technology. With Intel’s Core i5-10600K, among Intel’s latest chips to hit the streets in 2021, it’s possible to have it for much less than $500. This chip may lack PCIe 4.0 support and has a higher power consumption, but it makes up for those in spades. Besides hyper-threading, this processor also delivers superb multi-core performance as well as improved single-core performance. What’s more is that it’s got great thermals to keep that pesky heat down.
Read the full review: Intel Core i5-10600K
Best performance processor: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Perfecting the Threadripper line
Cores: 24 | Threads: 48 | Base clock: 3.8GHz | Boost clock: 4.5GHz | L3 cache: 128MB | TDP: 280W
Excellent single and multithreaded performance
Competitive price
Not backwards compatible
Launched alongside the even more potent Ryzen Threadripper 3970X, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X may have the same core count as its predecessor. However, it comes with a brand-new architecture that delivers performance gains as well as PCIe 4.0, making it among the best processors in the Threadripper arena. The 3960X delivers dramatically improved single-threaded performance and has successfully reduced its predecessors’ idiosyncrasies that affect their own performance. It may come with a higher price tag and require the TRX40 motherboard – not to mention, a powerful cooler – but it’s certainly worth the fuss if you can maximize its skills to your advantage.
Best budget CPU: AMD Athlon 300GE
A best value performer
Cores: 2 | Threads: 4 | Base clock: 3.4GHz | Boost clock: 4.0GHz | L3 cache: 4MB | TDP: 35W
Incredibly cheap
Low power usage
Not powerful enough for demanding tasks
Whether you’re looking for a processor for your media center or for your desktop PC, the AMD Athlon 300GE is among the best processors you can find on the market today in terms of value. It’s reliable and surprisingly fast for what it can do. It’s never going to deliver a breathtaking performance, but for a processor in the budget space, it’s definitely going to impress you.
Best HTPC CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Best for 720p gaming
Cores: 4 | Threads: 8 | Base clock: 3.7GHz | Boost clock: 4.2GHz | L3 cache: 4MB | TDP: 65W
Affordable
Radeon Vega graphics
Bundled cooler
Lower performance in applications than alternatives
With a noticeable, if small, performance advantage over its predecessor, AMD’s Ryzen 5 3400G is a capable option for your home theater PC and budget gaming computer. That means that it’s among best processors for folks who don’t quite take gaming as seriously as the big gamers, touting a solid 720 and a fairly decent 1080p gaming performance.
Date
14 Jan 2021Sources
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The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 looks like it's going to absolutely destroy the RTX 2080 Ti
Nvidia just published a video of Id Software's best-selling and visually-stunning Doom Eternal running on one of their new RTX 3080 cards and you need to stop everything and watch it right now
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Bitdefender free antivirus is closing - here's all you need to know
Read MoreSome Bitdefender customers will soon need to look for a new way to keep their computers protected against the latest threats and viruses after the company announced it would be closing the free version of its antivirus software.
While Bitdefender has a number of paid antivirus solutions to help users protect their PCs, the company also offers Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition. However, in an email sent to its customers seen by TechRadar Pro, the company has revealed that it will soon end support for its free antivirus.
In the email, Bitdefender explained that immense changes in the security industry have upended many of its plans for product development and unfortunately, beginning January 1 2022, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition will officially be discontinued and will no longer be available for use.
Time for an upgrade
“We are focusing product development around multi-platform protection and as a result, we are retiring Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows starting on December 31, 2021. Current users will be supported through June 30, 2022," the company told TechRadar Pro in a statement.
"Bitdefender values its customers and user base; all existing Antivirus Free users will receive privately (via email) a special discounted offer for Bitdefender Total Security.”
Although Bitdefender is discontinuing its free antivirus, the company says that it will continue to offer tech support for the product until June 30 of next year. This will give its customers more than enough time to install an alternative antivirus solution to keep their devices protected.
For those that want to continue using Bitdefender's silent “set-in-and-forget-it” style of antivirus protection, the company is running a promotion where it will upgrade the subscriptions of its free users to Bitdefender Total Security.
Normally a one year subscription to the software costs £69.99 but Bitdefender will provide Free Edition users with a 5 device / 1 year subscription for just £8.98. However, this offer is only available to Free Edition users and will expire on December 31 of this year, so if you want to keep using Bitdefender to protect your PC, now is the time to claim it.
Alternatively, Microsoft Defender is another free antivirus software solution that comes built-in with every Windows PC though it doesn't include nearly as many features as Bitdefender Total Security like a VPN and mobile apps for Android and iOS.
We've also highlighted the best antivirus, best malware removal software and best endpoint protection software
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iPad Air 5 release date rumors, news, leaks and what we want to see
Read MoreIf leaks are to be believed then the iPad Air 5 might land sooner rather than later, which makes sense, as the iPad Air 4 is getting on a bit now.
The first three generations of iPad Air had all sported a fairly similar look, but the iPad Air 4 brought a design overhaul to the series, moving it from merely being a larger entry-level iPad into effectively an 'iPad Pro Lite' device. The 2020 iPad Air hit the shelves with a modern-looking design, generous processing power and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, but without some of the premium features that make the iPad Pro the top-dog tablet.
So what could the iPad Air 5 bring? Another design update? Improvements to the screen? An extra camera? We've heard that all of these and more might be in the works, and you can read full details of all the leaks and rumors below. We've also put forth a wish list of what we'd like Apple's next generation of tablet to look like.
This includes fixes to some of the iPad Air 4's niggles, some new features missing from the current edition, and plenty more.
Latest newsThe iPad Air 5 seems to have been certified by a regulatory organization, suggesting it's landing very soon.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next generation in Apple's mid-range tablet line
- How much will it cost? Likely around $599/£579/AU$899
- When will it be out? Possibly early 2022
iPad Air 5 release date and price
(Image credit: TechRadar) Apple doesn't generally keep to a yearly release schedule for its iPad Air line, but one is likely due soon, as the iPad Air 4 had its first birthday in October 2021.
A source has now even specifically said to expect the iPad Air 5 this 'spring', meaning between March and May, while an older leak also suggested an early 2022 announcement. Plus, the slate appears to have been certified by the EEC (Eurasian Economic Commission), which further suggests it should be landing soon.
Price-wise, the iPad Air 4 costs $599/£579/AU$899 for a model with 64GB of storage, with prices going up for more storage or cellular connection. We could see prices for the iPad Air 5 in the same ballpark.
- Browse all the latest cheap iPad deals
News and rumors
We haven't heard much about the iPad Air 5 yet, but one source claims that an iPad Air model launching probably in early 2022 will have a 10.9-inch OLED screen.
That size is the same as the iPad Air 4, but the technology is different, as current models use LCD. A move to OLED could lead to better contrast and colors, among other upgrades.
However, more recent whispers about this Apple tablet suggest that OLED isn't working out as Apple wanted, so the iPad Air 5 is going to stick with LCD instead. That's come from not one but two reports now.
One other source meanwhile didn't mention OLED but did say the iPad Air 5 will have a 10.9-inch screen, along with an A15 Bionic chipset (also found in the iPhone 13 range), plus 5G, a dual-lens camera (with an ultra-wide joining the main one), four stereo speakers, and a design that's similar to the iPad Pro 11 (2021) - though still without Face ID.
Some of those claims have been reiterated in a more recent leak, saying that the iPad Air 5 will have an A15 Bionic chipset and 5G, along with a similar design to its predecessor (complete with squared edges), a 10.9-inch screen, a single-lens rear camera, and a 12MP ultra-wide front-facing camera.
What we want to see
Here's what we want to see in the next iPad Air model.
1. Generous storage options
(Image credit: TechRadar) The iPad Air 4 is available with two storage options: 64GB, which is unlikely to be enough for most users; and 256GB, which is quite a bit more expensive.
Most tablets come with 128GB, because it caters well to the majority, and would work well with iCloud (or your cloud storage tool of choice) for those who require extra storage still.
We'd like to see the iPad Air 5 arrive with 128GB of storage, with Apple dropping the 64GB option entirely. The latter may be a suitable provision for entry-level iPads, but is unlikely to ever be sufficient for the types of power-users who would be investing in the iPad Air.
2. Improved selfie camera
We took issue with the iPad Air 4's selfie camera – a 7-megapixel unit, it wasn't great for video calling, taking selfies, or recording video of yourself.
Bumping up those numbers to a 10- or 12-megapixel unit would make the selfie camera more useful. Better still would be the inclusion of iPhone selfie technology.
3. Even more color choices
We were pleased to see Apple offer the iPad Air 4 in a range of color options. In particular, we liked the addition of the pastel shades.
We'd like to see more of the same with the iPad Air 5, with perhaps some new color options too. The iPhone XR and iPhone 12 are available in some great, vibrant colors, so let's see them used more!
(Image credit: Apple) 4. Longer-lasting battery
The iPad Air 4's battery lasted around 10 hours of use. This is similar to that offered by the majority of iPads; 9-12 hours is the quoted figure for general use. If you're using your iPad to watch movies in bed, or work in coffee shops from time-to-time, this is totally acceptable.
However, if you're a creative using your iPad on a film shoot, a businessperson trying to work on a long-haul flight, or a parent looking to entertain your kids on a long car ride, then you may struggle with that amount.
We'd like to see the iPad Air 5 boost battery life, or at least include software optimizations that keep the device ticking over for longer.
5. Better iPad widget handling
This is more a problem with iPadOS 14 and Apple's software, than iPad hardware, but it's a change we'd welcome.
One of the key features of iOS 14 is the ability to create widgets based on your apps, and leave them on the home screen for easy use. In iPadOS, you can only add these widgets to a carousel on the 'main' home page, making them difficult to find if you have lots of apps, and therefore much less useful.
We'd like to see iPadOS 14 improved so you can add widgets to your home menu wherever you like, not just in the same position.
6. Thinner bezels
The iPad Air 4 and iPad Pro designs don't sport the huge bezels of the entry-level iPad and iPad Mini, but there remains a pretty chunky border separating the screen from the edge of the tablet.
A thinner bezel around the iPad Air 5 would offer an improvement to the design, making the tablet's body size more closely match its screen size. This isn't a deal-breaking demand, which is the reason it sits last on this, but thinner bezels always look better – and this is a wish-list, after all.
- These are the best iPads you can buy right now
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