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Best CPU under £300 in the UK
The fastest processor under £300 at the UK shops we track is the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (gaming score 127) at £263.35 from PcNova. For the most performance per pound, the Intel Core i3-12100F costs £79.97: £1.13 per point against £2.07 for the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D. 59 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 7 7800X3D AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor 4.2 GHz 96 MB L3 Tray | 127 | 122 | 8C/16T AM5 | £263.35 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £2.07 | PcNova also at GamingKit £269.80 · PCHUB.UK £269.80 |
| 2 |  AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D AMD Ryzen™ 7 7700X3D, AM5, Zen 4, 8 Core, 16 Thread, 4GHz, 4.5GHz Turbo, 96MB Cache, PCIe 5.0, 120W TDP, CPU | ~120 | – | 8C/16T AM5 | £289.99 Low £289.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £2.42 | Scan |
| 3 |  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 |
| 4 |  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 |
| 5 |  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 |
| 6 |  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 |
| 7 |  AMD Ryzen 7 9700X AMD Ryzen 7 9700X processor 3.8 GHz 40 MB L2 & L3 Tray | ~108 | 149 | 8C/16T AM5 | £217.64 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £2.02 | PcNova also at GamingKit £225.02 · PCHUB.UK £225.02 |
| 8 |  Intel Core i5-14600KF 14th Generation Intel Core i5 14600KF Socket LGA1700 CPU/Processor | ~108 | 157 | 14C/20T LGA1700 | £219.98 Low £219.98 (now)at 30-day avg | £2.04 | Novatech |
| 9 |  Intel Core i5-14600K Intel Core i5-14600K Raptor Lake LGA 1700 24MB Smart Cache Processor | 108 | 150 | 14C/20T LGA1700 | £230.49 Low £230.49 (now)at 30-day avg | £2.13 | Box |
| 10 | 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 |
| 11 |  Intel Core i7-13700F Intel Core i7-13700F processor 30 MB Smart Cache Tray | ~105 | – | 16C/24T LGA1700 | £269.33 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £2.57 | PcNova also at GamingKit £275.81 · PCHUB.UK £275.81 |
| 12 |  Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF LGA 1851 Processor | ~104 | 234 | 20C/20T LGA1851 | £259.99 Low £259.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £2.50 | Box |
| 13 |  Intel Core Ultra 7 265K Intel Core Ultra 7 265K 20 Core LGA1851 Processor | 104 | 228 | 20C/20T LGA1851 | £289.99 Low £289.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £2.79 | Novatech |
| 14 |  AMD Ryzen 9 7900X AMD Ryzen 9 7900X processor 4.7 GHz 64 MB L3 Box | 103 | 178 | 12C/24T AM5 | £274.92 Tracking since 20 Oct 2026 | £2.67 | PcNova also at GamingKit £281.44 · PCHUB.UK £281.44 |
| 15 |  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 |
| 52 |  | ~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 59 processors under £300 plus the best value pick. Every one, sortable by price or value: all CPU deals.
Just over £300
| # | Processor | Gaming score | Multi-core | Cores / socket | Lowest UK price | £ per point | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – |  Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus 24 Core LGA 1851 Arrow Lake Processor | 115 | 281 | 24C/24T LGA1851 | £301.97 Low £301.97 (now)▼ 1% below 30-day avg | £2.63 | Laptops Direct |
| – |  Intel Core i7-12700 Intel Core i7 12700 12 Core LGA 1700 Alder Lake-S Processor | ~98 | 121 | 12C/20T LGA1700 | £302.97 Low £301.97at 30-day avg | £3.09 | Laptops Direct |
| – |  AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU Sixteen Core 3.4GHz Processor Socket AM4 - Retail | ~77 | 169 | 16C/32T AM4 | £307.99 Low £307.99 (now)at 30-day avg | £4.00 | AWD-IT |
New at this budget: £200 to £300
23 processors we price only come in above £200: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (score 127, £263.35), AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D (score ~120, £289.99), Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (score 109, £204.97), AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (score ~108, £217.64), Intel Core i5-14600KF (score ~108, £219.98), Intel Core i5-14600K (score 108, £230.49), AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (score 105, £202.39), Intel Core i7-13700F (score ~105, £269.33) and 15 more. The fastest of them, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, is the top pick on this page.
What £300 gets you
- Games: the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D meets the estimated 1080p High processor need in 59 of 59 games we cover.
- For rendering, compiling or encoding: the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF has the highest multi-core score under £300 (234 vs 122) at £259.99.
- 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 £400: the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D scores 149 (+17%) for £399.98, £136.63 more. Best CPU under £400.
- Saving money: the best under £200 is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D at £199.86, -8% on score. Best CPU under £200.
FAQ
What is the best CPU under £300 in the UK?
On 2026-10-20, by gaming score: the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D at £263.35 from PcNova, then the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D (~120) at £289.99. Prices change hourly, so check the shop before buying.
What is the best value CPU under £300?
The Intel Core i3-12100F: £1.13 per performance point at £79.97. It scores ~71 against 127 for the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D.
Which socket should I pick under £300?
Today's top pick, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, is socket AM5. Remember to budget for a matching motherboard and memory: AM5 and LGA1851 are DDR5-only.
Is it worth spending £400 instead?
The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D at £399.98 scores 17% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D for 52% 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.