If you are interested in gaming and computers, you are probably very much aware of the ongoing CPU wars that are being played out in the market. The intense battle between AMD and Intel is intense, and it is tough to say which one will come out as the true winner. Is this a bad thing? No, not at all actually, at least for us Customers.
When the fight between the two companies becomes this intense, they are always trying to outdo each other, which makes the products even better. The tough part in this whole debacle is for us to choose the right product. However, one might call this a luxury issue as it probably will not matter because both are excellent products in their own right.
To place in a context of a real world choice, choosing the right CPU chip is kind of like finding a roulette strategy that gives you the best potential of winning. There are pros and cons to any such strategy as explained on roulettestrategy.com/en-in/ for example, but making the right choice always boils down to what you want from the strategy. However, the one that is best for you is a 50/50 chance and takes time to find.
To provide some more clarity to this whole “CPU wars” situation, let’s try to display some of the strengths and weaknesses with each manufacturer so you can use this and make an informed opinion yourself.
Price
Initially, when PC people on a budget were opting for a CPU that offered a lot of bang for its buck, the easy choice was to go with AMD. Intel has always been considered a bit more pricey until now. AMD has increased the prices this time around, and their spot as the budget go-to has become less true over the years.
AMD
Ryzen AMD’s newest generation has gone up quite a bit in price and is now on the same level as Intel. For example, AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, AMD’s most expensive unit, costs a hefty £580. With that said, though, you do actually get what you pay for, it may be pricey, but it is extremely worth it. If one is on a budget, there is a quite affordable Ryzen model, the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and AMD Ryzen 3 3300X. These will only cost you £79 and £100 respectively, which is quite the difference.
Intel
As for Intel, you will find a lower price point for their counterpart processors known as Coffee Lake Refresh. In the latest generation of these processors, which include i9-9900K, you will be expected to pay in roundabouts £420. If you are looking to go a little cheaper but still have a worthy chip in this line, you can choose the Core i7-10700K, which will run you £300.
Extra
For those who want the best of the best and are also willing to pay for it, you might want to consider the third generation of ThreadRipper from AMD. These are targeted primarily to filmmakers, data scientists and people working with advanced animations and 3D modelling. So what will this spectacle run you? Well, a small fortune. A Threadripper 3990X costs a whopping £3030. This may be unattainable for the average gamer, but if you can afford it and need it, it will do wonders for you.
Performance
Now that we have established what some of the different processors will cost you, and you have had the chance to budget a bit more, let’s talk about the performance. Worth noting here: This is the area where AMD and Intel have been so incredibly close. The thing that determines your choice will most likely be, playing games with the highest graphics or if you rather want the ability to multitask better.
AMD
One thing that is important to remember with AMD is that a limited number of their CPUs have integrated graphics, which is something that can be a deciding factor when picking your CPU.
The CPUs we talked about earlier, the Ryzen 3 3100 and 3 3300X, offer solid performance for the mid- high range gaming. If you want to go to the next level, however, we recommend using a Ryzen 9 with a dedicated GPU.
Intel
Intel already has integrated Intel HD, so mainstream games will be playable without issues. You will also be able to easily stream high-quality video without purchasing anything additional, regardless of which CPU you decide to land on. However, similar to the case of AMD, if you want to play on the next level in terms of quality, you will also need a dedicated GPU.
After Intel launched its Coffee- and Ice Lake processor, we can conclude that each CPU will edge out AMD’s Ryzen and Threadripper on core-by-core performance, even if it’s by a hairline difference.
Concluding Remarks
The CPU wars are not getting close to an ending, it rather seems like things are just getting started, and from what it appears, we are in good hands. With the healthy rivalry between AMD and Intel, we can only expect greater products for the future as they will constantly try to top each other.
