A crucial choice is at the center of your quest for a new or updated PC: Should you use an AMD or Intel CPU? The AMD against Intel competition is one of the most intense discussions among PC aficionados, and just like the MacOS versus Windows argument, it is now neck-and-neck and only expected to become hotter.
Intel went through a similar collapse as AMD had in the 2010s for a significant portion of 2020 and 2021 as Team Red's Ryzen 5000 processors dominated gaming and general computing. But late in 2021, Intel introduced their 12th-generation Alder Lake-based CPUs, leveling the playing field. Perhaps never before has the battle for supremacy among CPUs been so close.
Dekstop Processors
With the introduction of AMD Ryzen 3000 and AMD Ryzen 5000, AMD CPUs no longer limited themselves to the entry-level and budget segments of the market where they were the best option. Despite the fact that Intel often provides the highest value, AMD has historically been the most cost-effective alternative. But it doesn't imply AMD is winning the race against Intel. Its Core i9-12900KS is really thought to be the quickest CPU available in general.
The most basic AMD or Intel CPUs with a few of cores and energy-efficient clock rates will cost between $40 and $60. A premium gaming CPU costs roughly $500, while the finest midrange CPUs cost between $200 and $350.You may spend anywhere between $600 and roughly $1000 to expedite time-consuming processes like video editing and transcoding.
Excellent CPUs from Intel and AMD are available for gaming and productivity applications like transcoding and video editing. However, neither Intel nor AMD has a single CPU that excels in all areas. While AMD's Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which is geared toward gaming, is significantly quicker in games, Intel's Core i9-12900KS is superior to AMD's Ryzen 9 5950X in both productivity and gaming.
However, you don't have to spend the most to have a fantastic CPU for business or gaming. The CPU to buy is Intel's Core i5-12600K, which costs between $250 and $300. It outperforms AMD's Ryzen 5 5600X, which was our previous midrange pick, in terms of speed in games and productivity.
The Core i5-12400 and Core i3-12100 are only two of the low-cost CPUs from Intel that have recently been made available. As a matter of fact, Intel had little trouble dominating this market with its new 12th-generation CPUs since AMD had been utterly ignoring the low-end market. AMD eventually upgraded its entry-level lineup in April with CPUs like the Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 5 5500, but due to their high price and the fact that the 4500 is based on the more older Zen 2 architecture, these CPUs have not been well welcomed.
The only real choice you have if you want to construct an inexpensive system without separate graphics is Intel. Starting with the Ryzen 5 5600G, which costs approximately $200, AMD's current Ryzen 5000 APU family is available. The Core i3-12100 with integrated graphics is affordable, quick enough, and works well with a future midrange GPU despite the fact that Intel's integrated graphics are often slower than AMD's.
Regarding further releases, AMD intends to introduce Ryzen 7000 later this year, which will make use of the Zen 4 architecture and the 5nm technology used by chipmaker TSMC. Although AMD hasn't said much about Ryzen 7000, we may assume single-core enhancements, greater power efficiency, potential increases in clock rates, and perhaps even core counts. We might be able to anticipate Ryzen 7000 to achieve the same type of improvement Ryzen 3000 did in 2019 because it will have both a new architecture and a new manufacturing method. But it's still too early to say.
Raptor Lake-based 13th-generation Intel CPUs are still being developed; at this time, they appear to be more potent variants of Alder Lake. Raptor Lake won't be built on a new process, according to Intel, who hasn't discussed architectural advancements much. As a result, the new CPU is likely to be less revolutionary than Ryzen 7000.
High-End Dekstop
High-end desktop, or HEDT, CPUs may be what you need if you want to use your PC for demanding tasks like high-resolution video editing, extensive video transcoding, or any other demanding work that requires more power than the finest mainstream CPUs can provide. Options in this area with increased core and thread counts are available from AMD and Intel. However, AMD's solutions continue to be the best in terms of performance and price.
The 10980XE from Intel's HEDT range has up to 18 cores and 36 threads, but even if you can locate it in stock, you'll still have to pay its suggested retail price of $980 even though it's over three years old.Even though the 10980XE is a few generations old, it is still a strong CPU, but when you look at AMD's competitors, it is difficult to suggest.
Since AMD's 5950X standard CPU costs less than $800, it provides far better value for money than the 10980XE. But if you want more performance, the possibilities are endless.
With clock rates hovering around 4GHz, AMD's third-generation Threadripper CPUs have 24, 32, and even 64 cores with capability for twice as many concurrent threads. AMD's Threadripper CPUs clearly outperform the Intel competitors, providing unmatched performance outside of outrageously costly server CPUs if your applications can take advantage of all those additional cores. Additionally, they provide 64 PCIExpress lanes as opposed to the Intel counterparts' 44, which makes them better suitable for bigger storage arrays.
The 3960X, 3970X, and 3990X would typically cost $1,400, $1,850, and $3,600, respectively. They are, however, being sold for hundreds or even thousands of dollars more on sites like Amazon and Newegg.
How does Threadripper 5000 compare? Those weren't ever introduced as independent CPUs, though. Instead, you can only get the Pro WX versions of them in the Lenovo ThinkStation P620. Hardware made for professionals typically costs far more than consumer-grade equipment. The following are not ideal possibilities if you wanted to construct your own HEDT: On the one hand, there are cheap but outdated Intel CPUs, and on the other, there are prebuilt AMD CPUs that cost a fortune.
Laptop Processors
The situation is different in the laptop sector. The majority of laptops you'll discover have integrated graphics and an Intel CPU from one of many generations. Intel's portfolio is just far larger than AMD's, and its current selection of laptops and the CPUs within them are better than ever, as a Dell official previously said.
Similar to its desktop counterparts, Alder Lake powers Intel's laptop processors, and you should be able to purchase laptops with 12th Gen processors in almost every market. The low power U models, the moderate power P models, and the high power H and HX versions are the four flavors of Alder Lake. There are certain H and HX CPUs with fewer cores than P CPUs, thus performance will rely on more than simply power. Generally speaking, the quicker the CPU, the more power it has.
U- and P-type CPUs are often found in lighter, thinner laptops that place an emphasis on long battery life, respectable integrated graphics, and overall adequate performance. For gaming laptops, H and HX CPUs are predominantly used, and they are typically combined with a strong AMD or Nvidia GPU (and soon, Intel GPUs).
While AMD's Ryzen 6000 CPUs are excellent and have recently been released, they can only compete in the low- and mid-end markets. While Ryzen 6000 could compete with less powerful 12th-generation CPUs, including as the Core i7-12700H, it couldn't match them in power, according to Techspot's evaluation of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 with Ryzen 6000. The fact that the 12700H isn't even Intel's fastest mobile CPU makes the situation for AMD considerably worse. The major problem for AMD is that its fastest laptop CPUs only have 8 cores, whereas the best Intel CPUs have 16.
Similar to Intel, Ryzen mobile CPUs are available in a variety of flavors:
Low power: C
Effective operation : U
High-performance efficiency : HS
Highest performance: H/HX
AMD mostly follows Intel's naming convention, giving consumers options for both high-end gaming laptops and small and light notebooks. Although Ryzen 5000 CPUs may also be found in laptops, Ryzen 6000 is the most recent model. Although Ryzen 6000 delivers performance increases, they aren't significant because they are both built on the same architecture.
Looking at specific model evaluations is essential since there are many more factors to take into account when purchasing a laptop than the CPU. Both AMD and Intel provide respectable performance for work and pleasure. That will be crucial in 2022 as Intel seeks to defend its established position in the market against AMD, which is aggressively striving for market share.
Which one suits you the best?
Intel and AMD CPUs will provide you with good performance straight out of the box for regular online surfing, Netflix viewing, and email replying. However, there are some tasks where one company's solutions outperform the competition.
Intel is the ideal option, especially for laptops, if you want to work with your CPU doing demanding multithreaded operations like video editing or transcoding, or heavy multitasking activities with tens of browser tabs open. AMD isn't far behind Intel on the desktop.
Both AMD and Intel will do you well if you use a desktop computer for both work and leisure, or even simply for gaming. The Core i9-12900KS is the greatest CPU overall at the top end, but the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is what you need if you truly want to gaming at a frame rate of more than 200.
Up until you reach high-power and high-performance laptops, both Intel and AMD are viable choices if you're buying a laptop. There are currently no AMD high-end CPUs available; instead, Intel offers 16 core CPUs while AMD can only provide 8 core CPUs.
The good news is that there isn't a terrible CPU option right now because AMD and Intel are both competing fiercely. This means that the AMD vs. Intel debate won't go away anytime soon. The CPU that is less expensive, readily accessible, and compatible with the parts you currently own is the one you should choose.
