A new desktop processor is also a decision about the board, the memory and how long you can keep both. In 2026 that choice is unusually stark: AMD's AM5 platform is still being promised years of new chips, while Intel's current LGA 1851 socket is widely described as reaching the end of the line.
Forge PC hasn't run a platform comparison in our own lab. The socket facts below come from AMD, from Intel's current product stack, and from published reporting and reviews, all credited at the end. Processor prices are the lowest new UK prices on SpecPrice, updated at 07:57 GMT on 13 November 2026, and are approximate. Both platforms need DDR5, and memory is expensive — see DDR5 vs DDR4 before you budget.
The short version
| AMD AM5 | Intel LGA 1851 |
|---|
Current chips | Ryzen 7000, 9000 and X3D, including the 9800X3D and 9850X3D | Core Ultra 200S and 200S Plus (Arrow Lake and its refresh) |
Official socket plan | AMD has said it will support AM5 through 2029 | No equivalent multi-year promise for LGA 1851 |
Next generation | Reporting says Zen 6 "Olympic Ridge" is planned for AM5 | Reporting expects the next desktop generation to need a new socket and board |
Memory | DDR5 | DDR5 |
Typical reason to choose it | Gaming and a longer upgrade path | Strong multi-core value on a chip such as the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus |
AM5: a board you may be able to keep
AM5 launched in 2022 with Ryzen 7000. At Computex 2026, AMD said it was extending support for the socket through 2029, describing that as a long-term commitment to upgradeability. Independent reporting from TechPowerUp and VideoCardz later found AMD's technical documentation listing the Zen 6 desktop family, Olympic Ridge, as AM5-compatible. That is not a launch announcement: there are still no official desktop model names, prices or a date. It is, however, the clearest sign yet that a current AM5 board is intended to accept another generation of chips, provided the motherboard maker ships a BIOS.
The chips you can buy now already cover most needs. On 13 November, a Ryzen 5 9600X started at about £160 and a Ryzen 7 9800X3D at about £350. The 9800X3D and the slightly dearer 9850X3D (about £370) are the usual recommendations when gaming is the priority; our CPU guide sets out the wider range. Boards run from cheaper B840 and B850 models to X870, as covered in our AM5 motherboard guide.
The usual AM5 caveats still apply. You need DDR5, which is the painful line on a 2026 parts list, and a first-time install may involve a BIOS update, especially on an older board. If you already own AM4, dropping in a used 5700X3D or similar can still be the cheaper way to get more gaming performance without paying for DDR5. Our upgrade guide walks through that decision.
LGA 1851: fine chips, short runway
Intel's current desktop line, Core Ultra 200S and the 200S Plus refresh, uses LGA 1851 and 800-series boards. The refresh chips, including the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, fit the same socket after a BIOS update. Ars Technica's report on the Plus launch noted that the K-series chips still use LGA 1851 and 800-series chipsets, and that their neural processing unit is rated at 13 TOPS — well short of the 40 TOPS Microsoft requires for a Copilot+ PC. For what that label does and doesn't mean, see our NPU explainer.
The 270K Plus is the Intel chip that comes up most often against AMD's mid-range. It was about £280 on 13 November, £70 cheaper than a 9800X3D. Tom's Hardware's review called it a "productivity dominator at an unbelievable price" with a "nice boost" in Arrow Lake gaming performance, but it also flagged the platform: "too bad it's on a platform that's heading out the door." Tom's Hardware has separately reported that Intel's next desktop generation, Nova Lake, is expected to need a new socket and motherboard, and it describes LGA 1851 as reaching the end of its life with the 200S Plus chips. The same site reports that Intel's chief executive, Lip-Bu Tan, said earlier this year that Nova Lake is coming at the end of 2026. The exact socket name and consumer launch details should be treated as unconfirmed until Intel announces them.
In other words: LGA 1851 can be a good place to land if the 270K Plus (about £280) or the cheaper Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (about £196) is the right chip for you. It is a weak place to plan a second CPU upgrade.
Gaming, work and the rest of the PC
For games, AMD's X3D chips remain the usual advice. That is the consistent conclusion in reviews of the 9800X3D and 9850X3D, including Tom's Hardware's, and it is why those chips sit at the top of our CPU guide. If most of your time is in heavily multi-threaded work, the 270K Plus is the Intel counter-argument on price, according to Tom's Hardware.
Neither platform saves you from the rest of a 2026 build. You still need DDR5, a graphics card at today's prices, and a power supply that matches the GPU. The board and CPU are not where most of the money goes, so the upgrade path is the thing AM5 is really selling.
Our verdict
If you are buying a new platform and might want a newer processor in a few years, choose AM5. AMD has publicly promised support through 2029, and reporting points to Zen 6 desktop chips using the same socket. If you want the most gaming performance from the CPU, an X3D chip on AM5 is the straightforward choice. Intel's Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is the better buy only if you care more about its productivity performance and price than about a future CPU upgrade, because LGA 1851 is widely expected to end with this generation. In that case, buy the chip for what it does today, not for what you might plug in later.
