In 2026, neither Intel nor AMD introduced brand-new desktop processor architectures; instead, they opted to supplement and upgrade their existing product lines. Intel released the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, enhancing performance by adding efficiency cores (E-cores), increasing frequencies, and accelerating interconnect technologies. Among them, the Ultra 7 270K Plus features an increased core count to 24 cores, delivering a significant boost in multi-threaded performance compared to its predecessor, with an average 15% improvement in gaming performance. It is also compatible with existing motherboards, offering exceptional cost-effectiveness. AMD, on the other hand, launched the Ryzen 9 9850X3D at the beginning of the year, further accelerating the performance of its top gaming processor. Subsequently, they plan to release the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2, which is the first to adopt dual CCD stacked 3D cache technology, boasting a massive 192MB of cache capacity to further optimize performance in gaming and creative scenarios.