When
it comes to CPUs, you have one of two firms to choose from: AMD and
Intel. These companies make virtually all of the world’s desktop PC
CPUs, but that’s where the similarities between the two firms end, for
the most part. So, should you go for an AMD or Intel CPU when building
your PC?
Here,
we’ll shed some light on the differences between Intel’s and AMD’s CPU
offerings, which will help you make an informed decision when it comes
to picking out a processor.
Value
Both
companies offer processors at a wide range of price points, but AMD
chips are available for less. The least expensive AMD Sempron, Athlon,
and A-Series dual-core processors sell start at $30. Intel’s Celeron
G1820 dual-core is $45. That doesn’t necessarily mean AMD chips are a
better value, however. Reviewers have generally found that Intel provides superior compute performance per dollar,
even at the low end of the market. You’ll generally receive a better
processor for your money buy purchasing a Celeron, Pentium or Core
product.
There
two important exceptions to this. AMD sells quads for far less than
Intel — you can pick up an A6-5400K with four cores for just $45. In
theory, you might be better off with AMD if you use software that benefits from many cores, but can’t afford a $180 Core i5 quad.
AMD chips also tend to offer better integrated graphics at any given price point. The AMD A10-7870K,
for example, can play most games at low to medium detail and 1080p
resolution. It’s no gaming powerhouse, but it greatly exceeds the
performance of any Intel HD Graphics solution, so you might be better
off with AMD if you need to play League of Legends on a budget.
Overclocking
Most CPUs have a fixed clock speed, and they’re typically set at a level which ensures that they’ll remain stable while performing optimally. Users looking to get more performance out of their CPU sometimes perform a tweak to the processor known as “overclocking,” which increases the CPU’s clock speed above the base rate.
AMD
supports overclocking most consistently than Intel. AMD A-Series APUs
offer the feature for as little as $45, and there are multiple AMD chips
with an unlocked multiplier under $100. Intel offers only one budget
overclocking option, the Pentium G3258, at $70. It’s well-equipped for
the task though, as many samples overclock from the base clock of 3.2GHz
up to around 4.5GHz.
Intel
doesn’t really offer overclocking in mid-range chips, while AMD does.
Whether that makes AMD the better choice if you’re willing to overclock
is arguable, and depends both on how much effort you’re willing to put
into overclocking, and the workload your system will run.
There
are several high-end Intel chips with overclocking, some offering eight
or ten physical cores. These chips are quicker than anything AMD can
offer at stock clocks, so when overclocked they indisputably dominate.
You can’t buy anything quicker for home use.
Game performance
Gaming is one area where picking a CPU can get tricky. AMD offers many processors which are sold as APUs, which means they combine the processor with Radeon graphics on the same chip. These offer excellent value for low-end gaming. Intel also has on-die integrated graphics, but its performance isn’t up to par with AMD’s Radeon.
But
here’s the catch — AMD chips aren’t as quick as Intel’s, and that can
drag high-end gaming down. Intel’s i5 and i7 CPUs can take significantly
better advantage of a high-end graphics card if you’re working with a
bigger budget. The difference between an AMD processor and a similarly
priced Intel Core i3 or i5 can be as high as 30 or 40 frames per second if you have a very high-end graphics card.
As such, we don’t recommend buying an AMD processor if high-end gaming is your goal.
Power efficiency
AMD’s
struggle to keep up with Intel is actually worse than it first appears.
The company has managed to stay somewhat competitive, but to do so its
processors must consume far more power.
Intel’s
Pentiun G3258, for example, is rated with a Thermal Design Power of 53
watts. AMD’s A6-7400K, which is priced similarly, has 65-watt TDP. Even
so, reviews have found the Pentium chip is quicker by most performance
metrics, and sometimes by a substantial margin.
With
a desktop, this means the Intel chip will perform better while using
less power. This is unlikely to have be noticeable on your power bill,
but the AMD desktop will produce more noise and heat.
If
you’re looking at a laptop, the efficiency gap is important because it
will impact battery life. Intel-powered systems tend to last far longer
on a charge. This weakness has nearly pushed AMD out of the laptop
market altogether. The company’s APUs are rarely found in systems sold
above $500, and we wouldn’t recommend buying an expensive AMD-powered
laptop if you find one.
The bottom line
AMD
and Intel have battled for two decades, but in recent years the battle
has become a bit one-sided. New Pentium and Core chips have slowly edged
out AMD at a variety of price points.
If
you have a high budget, then Intel is obviously the way to go. This
remains true until your budget falls low enough that the cheapest Core
i5 quad is no longer an option for you. AMD just can’t compete with
Intel’s best.
Those
on a budget should give AMD’s chips a look. They offer more cores and
better integrated graphics for those who have less than $180 to spend on
a processor. These traits can make up for AMD’s inferior per-core
performance in certain workloads. For example, the A10-7870K tends to
encode video faster than similarly priced Intel Core i3 chips. It also
offers far superior graphics performance if a discrete video card is not
a possibility.
Intel
chips are far more power efficient, so they tend to produce less noise
and heat. Those traits can be important for a family PC, and if you’re
looking at a laptop, Intel’s greater efficiency means better battery
life.
There
may be light at the end of the tunnel for AMD fans. The company’s new
Zen architecture is expected in early 2017, and the information we know
so far seems promising. If you prefer to buy AMD, it’s worth waiting to
see how Zen performs.
So, the bottom line is this:
Intel is generally superior. There are situations where AMD makes
sense, but the company has been reduced to depending on niche scenarios.
If you can’t make up your mind, go Intel. It’s likely the better choice
for you.
(copyrights to the respective owners)
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