AMD or Intel CPU? Like macOS vs. Windows, the rivalry AMD vs. Intel is one of the biggest debate among computer connoisseurs. And now that AMD has released its Ryzen 7000 CPUs, it’s time to review the dynamic between AMD and Intel in 2022. Both companies have new generations in the works, neither of which have hit shelves yet, so there’s still a lot more to come. this story that will continue to unfold.
Desktop computers
In the past, AMD CPUs were the best option only in the budget and entry-level portions of the market, but that was in 2019. Now, Intel actually offers slightly better value with cheaper prices on its Alder Lake CPUs from 12th generation overall. But that doesn’t mean Intel is losing out to AMD. In fact, its Core i9-12900KS is generally considered the fastest CPU you can buy.
The most affordable AMD or Intel chips will set you back $40-$60 for a couple of low-power cores and clock speeds. The best mid-range CPUs will run you between $200 and $350, while a top gaming CPU is priced around $600. If you want to speed up intensive tasks like video editing and transcoding, you can spend between $600 and $1,000.
Intel and AMD have great processors for gaming and productivity tasks like video editing and transcoding. However, neither Intel nor AMD have a single CPU that is the best at both . Intel’s Core i9-12900KS is great for productivity and gaming, beating the Ryzen 9 5950X in both categories, but AMD’s focused Ryzen 7 5800X3D is much faster at gaming.
However, you don’t need to buy the best to get a great CPU for gaming or work. At $250-300, Intel’s Core i5-12600K is hands down the best CPU you can buy. It’s fast at gaming and productivity, even beating AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600X, which was our favorite for the mid-range.
Intel has also been releasing a lot of budget-level CPUs in the $100-$200 range, like the Core i5-12400 and Core i3-12100. It was actually quite easy for Intel to dominate this segment with its new 12th generation CPUs because AMD had seriously neglected the budget segment. AMD finally refreshed its budget offerings in April with CPUs like the Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 5 5500, but these CPUs haven’t been received very favorably due to their price and use of older architectures.
If you plan to build a cheap system without discrete graphics, Intel is pretty much your only option. AMD’s modern line of Ryzen 5000 APUs starts with the Ryzen 5 5600G, which costs almost $200. While Intel’s integrated graphics are typically slower than AMD’s, the Core i3-12100 with integrated graphics is cheap, fast enough, and pairs well with a future mid-range GPU.
Looking ahead, AMD confirmed that its next-generation Ryzen 7000 CPUs will arrive on September 27. They bring features like DDR5, the new Zen 4 architecture, and an increase in clock speed. AMD claims these will be the fastest CPUs on the market, but we’ll have to wait for third-party reviews to see if that’s the case.
Meanwhile, Intel is preparing its Raptor Lake-based 13th-gen CPUs, which at the moment look like more powerful versions of Alder Lake. Intel hasn’t talked much about architectural improvements, but it has said that the Raptor Lake won’t be in a new process, which means the new CPU probably won’t be as radical an upgrade as the Ryzen 7000 could be.
High end desk
If you want to use your computer for heavy video editing at high resolutions, doing video transcoding, or any other intensive task that may require much more power than the best conventional processors can offer, then high-end desktop chips ( or HEDT) might be what you need.
Both AMD and Intel have their own options on this spectrum, with higher core and thread counts. However, AMD’s options remain the most capable and cost-effective. Intel’s HEDT lineup goes up to 18 cores and 36 threads with the 10980XE, but even if you can find them in stock, they often carry well above the $980 MSRP.
While technically a 10th-gen processor, the 10980XE and its X-series Core i9 “mates” are based on Intel’s already “old-fashioned” Cascade Lake-X technology, and are therefore much less capable than the older ones. Mainstream Comet Lake from Intel. It’s still a powerful processor, but when you consider AMD’s alternatives, it’s hard to recommend.
The mainstream AMD 5950X processor already offers credible competition to the 10980XE for under $800, so it offers a lot more value for money. But if you want extra performance, the sky’s the limit.
AMD’s third-generation Threadripper processors offer 24, 32, and even 64 cores with support for twice that number of concurrent threads, all while maintaining clock speeds around 4 GHz.
If your software can make use of all those extra cores, AMD’s Threadrippers offer unparalleled performance outside of obscenely expensive server processors, so they easily beat out the competition from Intel.
They also support a higher number of PCIExpress lanes (64 vs. just 44 on Intel alternatives), making them better suited for larger storage arrays.
No one here has talked about cheap: the 3960X, 3970X, and 3990X cost $1,400, $1,850, and $3,600, respectively. However, if they can make your job more efficient and even more profitable in the long run, it might be worth the cost.
Above high-end processors, Intel and AMD have server processors. AMD has the AMD series, which is in the third generation. The AMD Epyc 7763 server processor comes with 64 cores and 128 threads, 256 MB cache and is clocked at 3.68 GHz.
Intel has nothing comparable in its Xeon server processors. The Intel Xeon W-3275 is the most impressive of the lot with 28 cores and 56 threads, 38.5 MB cache and a max turbo of 4.6 GHz.
Intel will launch next year its Sapphire Rapids Xeon processors, which are based on the Intel 7 manufacturing process, which also appears in the Alder Lake desktop platform.
Despite having an immense amount of power, an Intel Xeon CPU or an AMD Epyc CPU can be more of a pain than what it offers. Unless you’re going to be using one of them in the data center, you’re better off choosing one of the HEDT offerings from AMD and Intel for maximum multi-threaded performance.
Laptop processors
The laptop market is a different story. Most of what you’ll find is based on multi-generation Intel processors and integrated graphics. As a Dell representative once said, Intel’s portfolio is simply huge compared to AMD’s, and its current lineup of laptops — and the processors that go into them — are better than ever.
Where Intel’s desktop processors seem to have slowed down, laptops have gone in the opposite direction. The Ice Lakes introduced a more efficient design with much more capable 11th generation graphics.
In addition to offering enough performance to test electronic sports games at about 60 frames per second without the need for a graphics card. Mobile 11th generation Tiger Lake processors go further, like the one found in the Acer Swift 5.
For even more power, Intel offers Tiger Lake H processors. These high-performance chips use the Tiger Lake design, but push the limits of power, delivering faster clock speeds and higher core counts.
You can find Tiger Lake H processors in high-end gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 15. As of mid-2021, you could find many computers using a 10th-gen Intel processor based on the Comet Lake design. These machines are frequently discounted compared to their Tiger Lake H counterparts.
The breadth of options and manufacturing support mean that most laptops still offer an Intel processor as standard, but just like desktops, AMD is also making strides.
The Acer Swift 3 and 15-inch Surface Laptop 3 were some of the first examples of AMD’s recent mobile breakthrough, and while they weren’t stellar, they did show plenty of promise.
That momentum continued from 2020 with stronger offerings like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, which served as the launch pad for AMD’s new Ryzen 4000 chips for laptops.
Lenovo updated its Legion gaming laptops in July 2020 with Ryzen 4000 mobile processors and paired them with RTX 20-series graphics. Now, there are dozens of options worth considering.
AMD announced its Ryzen 5000 mobile processors at CES 2021, bringing the new Zen 3 architecture to thin and light laptops. You can find these processors in laptops like the HP Pavilion Aero 13 and HP Envy x360 15.
Anandtech saw the 35W Ryzen 5980HS achieve performance levels of the desktop Ryzen 5 5600X during benchmark tests, far outperforming the Ryzen 4000 and any processor Intel can offer. Very similar to the desktop Ryzen 5000, it looks like the new mobile lineup will be ahead of its competitors.
Other benchmarks show equally impressive performance. The eight-core Ryzen 9 5900HS outperforms Intel’s i9-10980HK, which is one of the most powerful processors. AMD chips are competitive with Intel in Laptops. That said, you’re more likely to find an Intel processor, making this market an easy win for the blue team.
AMD and Intel offer credible performance for work and play, and there are many more considerations to make when shopping for a laptop than just the processor, so you should check out models individually. That’s especially important in 2021, when the Ryzen 5000 mobile platform is challenging Intel and its throne.
But then which one is the best for you?
For everyday web browsing, Netflix watching, and email answering, Intel and AMD will give you great performance right out of the box. However, there are certain tasks where one manufacturer’s options will work better than another’s.
If you’re looking to work on intensive multi-threaded tasks – like video editing or transcoding, or heavy multitasking with dozens of browser tabs open – AMD processors are more capable at the higher end and more cost-effective. .
Intel processors aren’t bad, but you’ll have to pay more for the same performance, though it might be worth it if Thunderbolt 3 is something you really need and you’re looking forward to new versions.
If you’re working and playing on your desktop, or even just gaming, AMD’s Ryzen 5000 processors are still the best option. Everything from the 5600X to the mighty 5950X offer the best gaming performance and productivity.
Intel’s options are getting more affordable to make them more competitive, which might make them worth your while, but for a natural powerhouse, AMD has the upper hand.
If you are going to buy a laptop, the situation is a little different. Intel’s Tiger Lake offers the best graphics options onboard, and its Tiger Lake H processors are capable of more. However, Ryzen 5000 chips with Zen 3 cores are also amazing and very efficient.
Intel holds the crown of mobile processors right now, but the upcoming Ryzen 5000s look very competitive. We advise you to look at the reviews of the computer in general, rather than just focusing on the processor to get a complete picture of which is the best laptop for you.
The good news is that there really isn’t a bad option; the best solution will be to choose the processor that is well priced, available, and works with the components you already have.
