The 12th Generation "Alder Lake" Core i7-12700K handily outperforms its "Rocket Lake" predecessor and stands up to competing AMD CPUs. Its toughest competition is its Core i5 kin.
Windows 11 has only been available for a few days, and we're already starting to see issues surfacing around Microsoft's new operating system. Some of them are.
Microsoft Relaunches Compatibility Tool That Can Tell If Your PC Can Run Windows 11, But it Has Some Problems techtimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from techtimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Ultra-Low-Budget Options (MSRPs Below $90)
Midrange Budget Processors (MSRP $90 to $150)
Upper-End Budget Processors ($150 to $200)
A Key Consideration: Thinking About Platforms
Shopping Budget CPUs: A 2021 Chip Cheat Sheet
Need More Info on Which Budget CPU to Buy?
Compare Specs: Our Picks Side by Side
When shopping for computer components, it’s often tempting to buy the latest, fastest hardware you can afford but there’s a line of diminishing returns that’s too easy to cross. That’s double-true here in 2021, with shortages of CPUs and GPUs up and down the market especially at the top making the PC DIY and upgrade world fraught with pinches and aches.
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Best desktop PC for 2021
Look beyond laptops. We choose the best options for tower PCs, all-in-ones and desktop Macs that you can buy right now.
Laptops and tablets make up about 80 percent of the PC market, but that still means one out of every five computers sold is a good old-fashioned desktop. And why not? If you want more power and expandability, or if you already spend your day tethered to a big-screen monitor, a desktop PC makes a lot of sense. These days, a desktop is generally going to be either a tower or an all-in-one (with an integrated screen), though there are smaller designs available for tighter spaces. In addition to Windows and Macs available for as little as $500 to $700, there are also options for Chrome and Linux fans, too.