Best CPU for Coding | WePC

According to Statista, the global developer population will reach about 28.7 million by 2024. That’s a lot of developers, and there are many that are still in the learning stages of coding and programming. So, beginners might be asking themselves a lot of questions, which is par for the course for newcomers. Something you may be asking yourself is: What’s the best CPU for coding?

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Well, you first need to know that you don’t need an incredibly powerful CPU just for writing code. Something like a high-end Core i7 processor or even a Ryzen 7 processor (or higher) would be overkill. However, some of you might be into game development or software development, which does benefit from extra horsepower. 

Keeping that in mind, we’ll be recommending the best CPU for coding in 2022, based on two factors: value for money and performance.

Best CPU for Coding – Intel Core i5 13600K

The Intel Core i5 13600K is by far the best processor you can buy right considering the excellent price-to-performance ratio. Whether you’re a gamer, video editor, freelancer, or programmer, this processor can easily handle it all. It has a high-core count, features good support for cheaper DDR4 motherboards, and decent power efficiency.

Intel Core i5 13600K

Intel Core i5-13600K

Base speed

P-cores 3.5 GHz / E-cores 2.6 GHz

Boost speed

P-cores 5.1 GHz / E-cores 3.9 GHz

The main reason we are dubbing this processor as the best CPU for coding is because of the high core count and excellent single-core performance. Even if your workload benefits from multi-core performance, the 13600K can handle it thanks to the excellent implementation of the P-cores and E-cores.

This processor will fare well in environments such as Flutter, Visual Studio, and Android Studio. While you could go ahead and buy the 13700K, you’ll have a harder time cooling that chip. You also have to consider that if you care about gaming performance, the 13600K can easily keep up with its bigger brother.

Finally, the best part about this CPU is that you get DDR5 support, and it’s optional. This means that if you want to save money, you can still go with a DDR4 board, but if you want better performance, you can go with DDR5.

Best Budget CPU for Coding – AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

Reviewers and hardware enthusiasts just can’t help recommending the Ryzen 5 5600X. As you can see, we’re in that same camp. This is because you can easily find the Ryzen 5 5600X for quite cheap these days. Considering the upgradability, this is the best CPU for coding if you are on a budget.

Ryzen 5 5600X

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

If you are on a tighter budget and can’t afford to go with a 13600K/B660 combo, then you should get the Ryzen 5 5600X. You will get good single-core performance, superb multi-core performance, and an upgrade path to powerful processors like the Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

There’s also the fact that B550 motherboards can be found for cheap these days. The 5600X is also an excellent processor if you care about good gaming performance. Finally, the best part is that it only has a TDP of 65W, meaning it is highly power-efficient and easy to cool.

Final Word

Whether you go with the AMD or Intel processor, you will be happy with your purchase. The 13600K will give you excellent performance out of the box, and you won’t feel the need to upgrade for years to come. 

On the other hand, the AMD processor costs half the price, and will still deliver performance that will satisfy people that are new to coding and programming. In summary, both the 5600X and 13600K are the best CPUs for coding in our opinion.