The CPU is the most important component of any PC. This is because it is responsible for almost everything that happens inside your computer.
In a gaming PC , the CPU plays a major role, which is why you have to be careful in the choice you make. When it comes to buying the best processor for a gaming PC , its core, cache size, and clock speed will matter a lot.
This is a comparison of AMD Ryzen vs Intel processors for the best brand of CPU to choose to help you make the best choice.
Table of Contents
Why is this important?
When building a PC for gaming or any other need there are a lot of things that need to be taken into account. AMD or Intel is however the very first thing every PC user should think about. The two are very different from each other, just like the products they make. Making the best choice is crucial in this case, as the brand of the CPU always determines the beating heart of your PC.
For many years, Intel has been the first choice of CPUs. That’s because it had everything computer users needed, including better technology and overall performance, especially at the high end. AMD was only popular for its affordable solutions, which relied primarily on raw power so that it could at least compete with Intel’s solutions.
Top 3 Best Intel CPUs For Gaming:
- Intel Core i7-8700K: best CPU with 6 cores
- 7th Generation Intel Core i5-7500 processor
- Intel Core i3-8350K processor: the best processor for overclockers , while respecting the budget
Things changed drastically after the release of AMD’s FX series. The FX series offered a unique number of cores, higher overclocking potential, and higher base clock speed. This gave AMD the attention it needed to outperform its rival in the market that Intel had dominated for years.
After a long period of no big news, the high-end Ryzen 7 processors were released to specifically compete with Intel’s i7 models. This followed several other Ryzen series CPU releases including the Ryzen 3 and 5 models. The latest to be released was the Ryzen Threadripper , which is so far the most powerful of all.
Top 3 best AMD Ryzen processors on the market:
- AMD Ryzen 5 1600 processor with Wraith Spire cooler
- AMD Ryzen 7 1800X processor
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X Desktop Processor (16 Core )
AMD Ryzen vs. Intel in-game
Choosing a gaming processor can be very tricky, especially if you are choosing between Intel and AMD Ryzen.
When it comes to Intel, all of its processors include integrated graphics on the matrix. Its performance, however, falls short of discrete, stand-alone graphics chips or add-on graphics cards.
In contrast, AMD’s desktop processors do not have integrated graphics processors. Instead, AMD combines its processor cores with its Radeon-branded graphics cores to create a case or chip called an accelerated processing unit (APU).
The latter tend to perform better than Intel’s on-chip graphics solutions, especially with the new generation models equipped with Vega technology . They cannot, however, outperform the add-on graphics solutions, which are a little more expensive.
Serious gamers, however, prefer to use an add-in graphics card or a discrete CPU other than the integrated graphics. That leaves us with Intel as the dominant processor in gaming performance.
AMD’s chips will shine in multi-threaded scenarios, however, and will be perfect for running applications that can support multiple cores. Intel’s chips are the opposite of this: they don’t perform very well in multi-threaded configurations but they can shine in thread-restricted situations.
Games these days are more multi-threaded than they used to be in the past although they only use 2-4 threads. This makes Intel the best CPU option for gaming, even after taking into account the optimizations that come with the AMD Ryzen.
Number of cores
Ryzen processors have always been preferred by many computer users because they have a higher number of physical cores compared to Intel chips. Before Ryzen came to market, Intel was doing very well since it relied on hyper-threading . That is, its single physical core was used to function as two logical cores called “threads”.
Now the Ryzen are here and they are more superior to any Intel CPU in terms of number of cores. This is what gives AMD Ryzen an edge in the mid and high end. Their number of cores ranges from 4/8 to 8/16. However, this doesn’t entirely determine a CPU’s performance, although it does give the Ryzen some kind of edge.
Value
Many people will consider the cost of a gaming CPU in order to save money. While this can be a big factor, the value you get from the choice you make is much better than the money you save on the purchase. If you compare the two in terms of cost, AMD will be a better choice here since its chips are generally cheaper than Intel chips.
A low-end AMD Sempron for example will cost you around € 30 while a low-end Intel chip like the G3930 dual-core processor will cost you around € 40. The same kind of price difference is seen when you crank up the performance level, with Intel chips costing a bit more than AMD chips.
However, that doesn’t mean the price is always right, especially with the arrival of AMD Ryzen processors. The new Ryzen 7 1800X is for example the cheapest 8-core processor on the market today and a great performer. The 8- core Ryzen 7 1700 is also very affordable, with a price tag of around 200 € but it is not the least efficient either. The cheapest 8-core Intel will cost around $ 600, but it’s not the best you can get.
AMD Threadripper processors have higher base speeds and greater amounts of shared caches compared to those from Intel. This is what makes them the best choice even though they are a cheaper alternative. This is what makes them the best choice, even though they are cheaper. They do, however, require more power than Intel’s X-series chips and may have lower top speeds.
This means that they are both excellent in almost equal measures when compared in terms of price, power and performance.
In terms of compatibility
Regarding processors, compatibility affects two main aspects of the motherboard , which are the socket and the chipset. The CPUs must be compatible with both the socket and the chipset. The socket is important because it allows the CPU to be connected to its other components through the motherboard. After this connection, the CPU will communicate with its other components through the chipset.
AMD Ryzen processors use the latest types of sockets and chipsets, which have been specially designed for them. Intel processors, on the other hand, use LGA1151 sockets, which were introduced almost three years ago. Since then, each new generation of CPU has resulted in the introduction of new chipsets.
In this regard, AMD’s sockets and chipsets are future-proof, but Intel’s are not. A new Intel processor will require a newer version of a chipset. So if you want to update your last generation CPU to a next generation CPU, you will also need to update your motherboard.
Overclocking
Clock speeds are also very important when comparing processors to determine the best one for the game. These speeds are for example 4.5GHz and 2.7GHz. These speeds are not always fixed, however. There are boost clocks, which seem to offer an increase in performance albeit temporarily and only in specific scenarios. The problem is that some processors are sold with locked multipliers. This means that it is impossible to overclock your cores.
If you have one that allows overclocking, it will be very helpful to learn how to do it manually. This way you can always end up with a better performing processor.
Overclocking a processor is very easy if you have a processor that allows it. The good thing is that AMD Ryzen and Intel both offer unlocked processors in different price ranges. All Intel processors with an X or K in their processor label, for example, allow overclocking. These are for example the Core i7- 8700k. On the other hand, all AMD Ryzen chips allow overclocking although not all of them support automatic overclocking.
The speed you get after overclocking will depend on the chip you are using. Some chips will perform better than others after overclocking. It’s important to consider the chips that handle overclocking speeds better for better performance.
Conclusion
Depending on the current market situation, AMD Ryzen will automatically take the advantage. Ryzen processors are very profitable in the short and long term. They also offer better value for money and are more compatible since their AM4 plugs are likely to last a few more years. Their chipsets are also compatible with the next generation of Ryzen CPUs.
The same cannot be said for Intel CPUs, however. They are expensive but more powerful. They are also not compatible.
In conclusion, Intel is a better option for gamers who want to enjoy better performance and are willing to pay for it. Otherwise the AMD Ryzen will work just fine. For professional use, Intel will be a better choice of the two, but for gaming, AMD Ryzen will also be a good more economical solution.
