Processors under $300

3 processors under $300 from Intel and AMD. Prices run $210 to $289.

Intel

12 Cores, LGA1700, 125W, Intel

+12 cores for multitasking and heavy workloads

+Boosts from 5.0 to 5.4 GHz

+Integrated graphics included

−125 W thermal design power needs solid cooling

$289.71-8%Was: ~~$314.31~~

as of 11/04/2026 16:08 PST - Details

Intel

12 Cores, LGA1700, 125W, Intel

+12 cores for multitasking and heavy workloads

+Boosts from 5.0 to 5.4 GHz

+Unlocked for manual overclocking

−No integrated graphics, a discrete GPU is required

−125 W thermal design power needs solid cooling

$264.50

as of 11/04/2026 16:08 PST - Details

AMDSpec score 9.3

12 Cores, 180W, AMD, Ryzen Threadripper

+12 cores and 24 threads for heavy multithreaded work

+Boost clock up to 4.9 GHz

+180 W thermal design power requires robust cooling

−180 W thermal design power is high for a processor

$209.99

as of 11/04/2026 12:08 PST - Details

Compare specs

Cores	Socket	TDP	Maker	Processor line	Spec score	Price
12	LGA1700	125W	Intel	Core i7	n/a	$289.71 as of 11/04/2026 16:08 PST - Details
12	LGA1700	125W	Intel	Core i7	n/a	$264.50 as of 11/04/2026 16:08 PST - Details
12		180W	AMD	Ryzen Threadripper	9.3	$209.99 as of 11/04/2026 12:08 PST - Details

Spec scores, pros and cons, and prices are explained in the How it works section of the About page.