Choosing the CPU is one of the most important decisions you can make when buying a laptop or PC. Although they are both powerful and very well-known processors, there are a great deal of differences between them.
This article is about the never-ending argument of AMD vs Intel desktop CPUs. We will talk about the strengths and weaknesses of each processor, as well as what to consider when purchasing a CPU so you know exactly what to expect.
Intel Vs Amd: The Processors
A processor is the electronic circuitry that executes instructions comprising a computer program. It performs basic arithmetic, logic, controlling, and input/output operations specified by the instructions in the program. So basically, all the essentials that a device needs to operate.
It is for this reason that you should be aware of the specific features that distinguish Intel from AMD, so you know which type of processor will best suit your needs.
AMD
An Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processor is a computer processor designed or manufactured by AMD, an American semiconductor and technology company. It is a powerful type of processor and can be found in many laptops and desktops across a wide range of different brands globally.
Intel
Intel is the world’s largest manufacturer for pc and desktop processors, founded back in 1968. It has always been the dominant force when it comes to overall revenue and stock sales, however in recent years this has begun to change.
AMD vs Intel: Performance
After setting up a budget for a new CPU processor, you of course want something that has the best performance. With performance specifically, both Intel and AMD have been on a pretty even level. The deciding factor when it comes to performance is how you are planning on using your pc or laptop, whether you need to multitask well or want to play games at their highest settings.
There are very few AMD processors that have integrated graphics, and those that do are known as Accelerated Processing Units. An example of this includes the very budget friendly AMD Athlon 240GE that retails for around £62 and features Radeon Vega 3 integrated graphics. This makes it perfect for low- to mid-grade gaming as well as video streaming for high quality graphics rendering at a low price.
If you’re into higher-end gaming, however, you’ll have to pair a Ryzen 7 or 9 CPU with a dedicated GPU to take your gaming experience to the next level. For something more mid-range, the Ryzen 3 3100 offers great performance at an affordable price for 1080p gaming.
For day-to-day work and multitasking, the AMD Ryzen line offers excellent performance that offers a super-fast computer startup and file recall.
Intel on the other hand, is a little more advanced when it comes to performance as each chip comes integrated with a graphics card. This means you can download and play most mainstream games or watch high-quality video right out of the box, no matter what type of CPU you pick.
Also when it comes to performance, AMD processors do tend to run a little hotter than Intel ones. So if you decide on an AMD processor, then it may also be worth investing in a supplementary fan or liquid cooling system to keep your new CPU running smoothly.
AMD Vs Intel: Security
If you can’t guarantee the security of the hardware in your device, then all the security features of your favorite operating system or applications are basically irrelevant. That is why the security of your processor is so important, but which of the two companies rates higher in terms of security?
If we look at this from a Coordinated vulnerability disclosure angle, Intel currently has 242, whilst AMD only has 161. Also with the release of the new Zen architecture that has hardware encryption features by AMD, they seem to be one step ahead of Intel.
So whilst Intel focuses on improving in security image and fixing the issues that it currently has, AMD’s processors seem like the safer and more secure platform to choose as of right now.
AMD vs Intel: Price
This is a major deciding factor when it comes to CPUs as you want a processor that is worth the investment, and will provide you with all the power and features that you need.
It has always been known that AMD is overall the cheaper option between the two, but that has been changing in recent years. AMD has been stepping up their game, and with the development of their latest generation of Ryzen CPUs, they have been in the same price range, if not even surpassed, Intel components.
AMD’s most expensive unit is the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, which currently retails for around £580. It is a very powerful processor that is perfect for gaming as it has been built using advanced manufacturing technology to deliver winning performance while keeping your system astonishingly cool & quiet.This is a big gap in comparison with some of their cheaper units such as the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 which currently retail for around £79.
In comparison, Intel actually has the most expensive CPu which is the Intel Xeon Platinum 8280L. It has an overclocking speed of 4.0 GHz (and a normal clock speed of 2.70 GHz), a 38.50 MB cache, 28 cores and 56 threads and retails for £27,000.
Bringing things down a notch or two, Intel offers some great (affordable) processors that AMD have been competing with for years. Thai includes the Core i7-10700K line that offers 8 cores and 16 threads with a 5.1GHz turbo for around £300.
Intel does also offer low-budget processors such as their Intel Pentium Gold G7400 that can be purchased for around £79.
AMD Vs Intel: CPU Gaming Performance
Both AMD and Intel have extremely competitive chips in the respective price ranges, and you’ll often be hard-pressed to notice a difference between them in real-world gaming. With that being said the specifications do differ from one processor to another.
If you are looking more for performance and overclocking, then Intel is the clear answer. Their Core i9-12900K processor offers leading performance rates, including single-core performance. And since a lot of games are now designed with single-core performance in mind, Intel is the winner in this bracket.
However, if your main interest is integrated graphics performance, there’s no beating AMD. The company’s current generation of Cezanne APUs offers the best performance available from integrated graphics with the Ryzen 7 5700G and Ryzen 5 5600G.
So while high-end Intel CPUs are mostly a better choice for professional use and some types of gaming due to their overclocking abilities and superb single-core performance, AMD offers so much more for less money when it comes to gaming.
Amd Vs Intel: Which Processor Is Best For You?
In conclusion, Intel CPUs are worth the money if you’re building a high-end gaming or workstation PC and plan on overclocking your CPU to get as much performance out of it as you can.
AMD is the definite way to go if you are looking to work with your processor performing intensive multithreaded tasks like video editing and heavy-duty gaming. AMD CPUs are also easy to upgrade and come at a much more budget-friendly cost.
