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Best CPU under £200 in the UK
The fastest processor under £200 at the UK shops we track is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (gaming score ~117) at £199.86 from GamingKit. For the most performance per pound, the Intel Core i3-12100F costs £79.97: £1.13 per point against £1.71 for the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D. 36 of the 86 CPUs we price at UK shops fit this budget.
Prices (new, UK shops only; stock not verified). Ranked by gaming score: relative 1080p gaming performance, Ryzen 5 7600X = 100. We may earn a commission from shop links; it never changes the order.
| # | Processor | Gaming score | Multi-core | Cores / socket | Lowest UK price | £ per point | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D processor 4 GHz 96 MB L3 Tray | ~117 | – | 6C/12T AM5 | £199.86 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £1.71 | GamingKit also at PCHUB.UK · PcNova £206.33 |
| 2 |  Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus processor 30 MB Smart Cache Tray | ~109 | 210 | 18C/18T LGA1851 | £199.46 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £1.83 | PcNova also at GamingKit £204.64 · PCHUB.UK £204.64 |
| 3 |  AMD Ryzen 5 9600X AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 6 Core AM5 Zen 5 Processor | 108 | 117 | 6C/12T AM5 | £164.99 Low £164.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £1.53 | Box |
| 4 |  AMD Ryzen 7 7700 AMD Ryzen 7 7700 processor 3.8 GHz 32 MB L3 Tray | ~102 | 119 | 8C/16T AM5 | £164.89 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £1.62 | PcNova also at GamingKit £170.87 · PCHUB.UK £170.87 |
| 5 |  AMD Ryzen 5 7600X AMD Ryzen 5 7600X processor 4.7 GHz 32 MB L3 Tray | 100 | 100 | 6C/12T AM5 | £153.28 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £1.53 | PcNova also at GamingKit £159.20 · PCHUB.UK £159.20 |
| 6 |  Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF 14 Core LGA 1851 Arrow Lake Processor | ~100 | 176 | 14C/14T LGA1851 | £160.97 Low £160.97 (now)at 30-day avg | £1.61 | Laptops Direct |
| 7 |  Intel Core Ultra 5 245K Intel Core Ultra 5 245K 6+8 Core 4.2GHz LGA 1851 Processor - BX80768245K | 100 | 172 | 14C/14T LGA1851 | £179.99 Low £179.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £1.80 | AWD-IT |
| 8 |  AMD Ryzen 5 7600 AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Six Core Socket AM5 5.2GHz Processor - 100-100001015BOX | ~94 | 86 | 6C/12T AM5 | £164.99 Low £164.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £1.76 | AWD-IT |
| 9 |  Intel Core Ultra 5 225F Intel Core Ultra 5 225F LGA 1851 Processor | ~93 | 107 | 10C/10T LGA1851 | £143.14 Low £143.14 (now)at 30-day avg | £1.54 | Box |
| 10 | Intel Core Ultra 5 225 Intel Core Ultra 5 225 processor 20 MB Smart Cache Tray | 93 | 107 | 10C/10T LGA1851 | £168.35 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £1.81 | PcNova also at GamingKit £173.53 · PCHUB.UK £173.53 |
| 11 |  AMD Ryzen 5 7500F AMD Ryzen 5 7500F processor 3.7 GHz 32 MB L3 Tray | ~91 | 94 | 6C/12T AM5 | £115.92 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £1.27 | PcNova also at GamingKit £121.67 · PCHUB.UK £121.67 |
| 12 |  AMD Ryzen 5 7500 AMD Ryzen 5 7500 6 Core AM5 Processor / CPU | ~91 | – | 6C/12T AM5 | £167.99 Low £167.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £1.85 | Novatech |
| 13 |  Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF Alder Lake LGA 1700 20MB Smart Cache Processor | ~90 | 108 | 10C/16T LGA1700 | £152.99 Low £152.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £1.70 | Box |
| 14 |  Intel Core i5-12600K Intel Core i5-12600K Alder Lake LGA 1700 20MB Smart Cache Processor | 90 | 100 | 10C/16T LGA1700 | £194.95 Low £194.95 (now)at 30-day avg | £2.17 | Box |
| 15 |  AMD Ryzen 5 7400 AMD Ryzen™ 5 7400, AM5, Zen 4, 6 Core, 12 Thread, 3.3GHz, 4.3GHz Turbo, 16MB Cache, PCIe 5.0, 65W, CPU | ~88 | – | 6C/12T AM5 | £119.99 Low £119.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £1.36 | Scan |
| 29 |  | ~71 | 50 | 4C/8T LGA1700 | £79.97 Low £79.97 (now)at 30-day avg | £1.13 | Laptops Direct |
Showing the 15 fastest of the 36 processors under £200 plus the best value pick. Every one, sortable by price or value: all CPU deals.
Just over £200
| # | Processor | Gaming score | Multi-core | Cores / socket | Lowest UK price | £ per point | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | AMD Ryzen 7 7700X AMD Ryzen 7 7700X processor 4.5 GHz 32 MB L3 Tray | 105 | 123 | 8C/16T AM5 | £202.39 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £1.93 | PcNova also at GamingKit £208.56 · PCHUB.UK £208.56 |
| – |  Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus 18 Core LGA 1851 Arrow Lake Processor | 109 | 210 | 18C/18T LGA1851 | £204.97 Low £204.97 (now)at 30-day avg | £1.88 | Laptops Direct |
| – |  AMD Ryzen 7 5800X AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU Eight Core 3.8GHz Processor Socket AM4 - Retail | ~84 | 98 | 8C/16T AM4 | £204.99 Low £204.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £2.44 | AWD-IT |
New at this budget: £100 to £200
28 processors we price only come in above £100: AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (score ~117, £199.86), Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus (score ~109, £199.46), AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (score 108, £164.99), AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (score ~102, £164.89), AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (score 100, £153.28), Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (score ~100, £160.97), Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (score 100, £179.99), AMD Ryzen 5 7600 (score ~94, £164.99) and 20 more. The fastest of them, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, is the top pick on this page.
What £200 gets you
- Games: the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D meets the estimated 1080p High processor need in 59 of 59 games we cover.
- For rendering, compiling or encoding: the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has the highest multi-core score under £200 (210 vs –) at £199.46.
- Platforms in the top 5: AM5, LGA1851. AM5 and LGA1851 need DDR5; AM4 uses DDR4; LGA1700 boards come in DDR4 or DDR5 versions.
- Stretching to £300: the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D scores 127 (+9%) for £263.35, £63.49 more. Best CPU under £300.
- Saving money: the best under £100 is the Intel Core i3-14100F at £84.91, -37% on score. Best CPU under £100.
FAQ
What is the best CPU under £200 in the UK?
On 2026-10-20, by gaming score: the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D at £199.86 from GamingKit, then the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus (~109) at £199.46. Prices change hourly, so check the shop before buying.
What is the best value CPU under £200?
The Intel Core i3-12100F: £1.13 per performance point at £79.97. It scores ~71 against ~117 for the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D.
Which socket should I pick under £200?
Today's top pick, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, is socket AM5. Remember to budget for a matching motherboard and memory: AM5 and LGA1851 are DDR5-only.
Is it worth spending £300 instead?
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D at £263.35 scores 9% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D for 32% more money.
Other budgets
How we rank: each model's cheapest new price at UK shops (AWD-IT, Box, GamingKit, Laptops Direct, Novatech, PCHUB.UK, PcNova, Scan) against SpecPrice's performance index (compiled from published review averages, updated 2026-10-17; "~" = estimate). CPUs without a gaming score are left out. PCHUB.UK, PcNova and GamingKit prices come from their Awin product feed (refreshed about daily, VAT included, stock as the feed reports it). More on our method.