How to choose a CPU: Intel or AMD, the socket and the letter F

Someone who sets out to build a computer starts with the processor question: Intel or AMD? In fact that question comes second, because it is the motherboard socket that chooses the processor, not you. The Dona catalogue has 52 processors, from 576,000 UZS for the cheapest to 8,928,000 UZS for the most expensive, and to find the right model among them you only need to know three things.

What the processor affects#

The processor does the computing work of the system: opening programs, unpacking archives, encoding video, and the lower limit of the frame rate in games. But it does not decide everything. If the browser slows down with many tabs, the problem is often the memory; if a game lacks frames, look at the graphics card first.

So the order is this: first work out what kind of work you need to do, then take a processor that is enough for that work, and spend the rest of the money on memory and storage. For office work and study a four-core i3 is still enough, while editing and 3D need a model with more cores.

The socket is the first thing to check#

The socket is the processor’s slot on the motherboard. Intel’s models in the catalogue are spread across three sockets: LGA1151 for the old i3-9100, LGA1700 for most 12th, 13th and 14th generation chips, and LGA 1851 for the new Core Ultra line. On the AMD side there are two sockets: the 5000 series runs on AM4, the 7000 and 9000 series on AM5.

These numbers are not compatible with each other. An LGA1700 processor cannot go into an LGA 1851 board, and an AM4 processor does not fit an AM5 board. If you are upgrading an existing computer, write down the motherboard model and look only at processors for that socket. If you are building a new system, you choose the processor, the board and the memory type at the same time: AM5 and LGA 1851 work only with DDR5.

What the letters F, K and X3D mean#

The letters at the end of the names in the catalogue are not empty decoration.

In practice it means this: F models are cheaper because they have no integrated graphics. If you are buying a graphics card, taking the F version to save money is the right call. If you are not buying a graphics card, you need a model without the F, otherwise the computer will not put a picture on the monitor.

What OEM means#

Many processor names in the catalogue say OEM. This is the type of packaging: the processor comes without a box and without a cooler. So if you buy an OEM model, you need to count the cooler separately. The BOX version comes in a box and sometimes with a stock cooler. Keep this in mind when comparing prices, because OEM looks cheaper, but the price of the full set comes out differently.

Real prices (Dona, September 2026)#

Prices are taken from the app catalogue as of 11 September 2026. A seller can change a price at any time; the current price and availability are shown on the product page in the app.

• Intel Core i3-9100 — 4 cores, LGA1151, for upgrading an old platform — 576,000 UZS.
• AMD Ryzen 5 Cezanne 5500 — 6 cores/12 threads, AM4 — 1,224,000 UZS.
• Intel Core i3-12100F — 4 cores, LGA1700, no graphics — 1,396,800 UZS.
• Intel Core i5-12400F — LGA1700, 6 cores — 1,814,400 UZS. The base of a budget gaming system.
• Intel Core i5-14400F — LGA1700, 10 cores — 2,001,600 UZS.
• AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Raphael — 6 cores/12 threads, AM5, DDR5 — 2,232,000 UZS.
• Intel Core i5-13500 — 14 cores, has integrated graphics — 3,124,800 UZS.
• AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D — 8 cores/16 threads, large cache, for gaming — 3,888,000 UZS.
• Intel Core i7-14700F — 20 cores, for editing and rendering — 4,132,800 UZS.

Choose the memory type together with the processor: compatible modules are in the RAM section, and which type you need is covered in the RAM guide.

Why a CPU is easier to buy in a live stream#

A processor is a product you cannot judge from the box, but two things get settled in a live stream. First, the seller brings the product close to the camera and you read the full model number with your own eyes, for example that it is a 12400 and not a 12400F. Second, you type your motherboard model in the chat and ask during the sale whether the socket matches. This prevents a “it did not fit” situation after the order. Before joining the stream, write down your motherboard model, your memory type and whether you have a graphics card.