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AMD vs Intel: How to pick the best processor for your new computer.

Tags:
  • Processors
  • CPUs
  • Intel
  • AMD
September 9, 2014 10:13:48 AM


Introduction
Look around on Toms Hardware or any other internet forum and you will see: people are incessantly bickering over Intel and AMD processors. For something that seems so simple, the arguments concerning both parties are fairly legitimate. Similar to the Xbox vs PS4 vs PC, iOS vs Android, and Mac vs PC debates, this debate will never end. The purpose of this article is not to determine which processor brand is the best, but to help a user make the distinction to determine what processor to use in their system.

Cores, Clock speed, and why it doesn’t matter
For this comparison, we will use two highly acknowledged processors: the AMD FX 6300, and the Intel i3-3220. While the i3 only has 2 cores and runs at a clock speed of 3.3 GhZ, the FX-6300 runs at a base 3.5 GhZ and has 6 cores. On paper, the FX-6300 should beat the i3 in just about every way. However, this is not the case. According to cpuboss.com, the two similarly priced processors perform about the same . Why is this? Because AMDs processors are much less efficient than Intel’s processors. Intel processors can do more instructions in a single hertz. This causes the higher clock speeds and multiple cores to not be as beneficial as they seem on paper.

Multitasking

A CPU can only handle so many tasks at a time. While having an ultra-efficient single core CPU may seem like a good idea in practice, it is not such a good idea. See, having multiple less powerful cores is beneficial if (and usually ONLY if) the user plans on having many processes running at the same time. I could go into IPS and CPI, but let me abbreviate by saying this. AMD Multi-core processors are good for multitasking small things, while Intel Processors are perfect for managing single heavy workloads. This makes Intel’s Core-I series especially popular with gamers.

Integrated Graphics
While this point is often overlooked by home users, for casual gamers this can be quite important. Currently, AMD is the king of the hill with integrated graphics. 3Dmark Vantage produced the following results.

This makes AMD cpus popular in mid-range laptops for people looking to dip into PC gaming for the first time. While no one could say that the integrated graphics on any processer are superb , the integrated GPUs on AMD APUs (not on FX processors) are highly superior to those of Intel’s.
Heat and Power consumption

While this may not be important for all, it certainly is something to worry about for mini-ITX and mini-ATX builders as the temperature of the CPU will definitely be something to actively worry about. AMD cpus tend to have higher temperatures than Intel, but they also have a higher heat threshold. For example, AMD cpus idle at about 35-50 Celsius and can reach 45-65 easily. Intel CPUs idle at about 35-40 and can reach 50-60 on load (with stock cooler). Intel CPUs have issues at temperatures around the 70+ mark, while AMD cpus can reach 85+ before having issues. The issue with this is that while AMD cpus have a high heat threshold, other parts in the case may not fare so well from the excess heat being poured in from the processor. This leads many builders to resort to Intel it they do not believe other parts cannot withstand the extra heat, especially in a case with constricted air flow.
Processors
So, now that we have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each company’s latest architecture, let’s look in to the different processor each company provides.
AMD:
FX series- Multi-core processors. Their flagship model has 8 cores and runs at an astounding 5 GHz on max turbo. Their most popular model, the FX-6300, has 6 cores. These processors ae OK for gaming, but few games are designed to harness the combined power of all of their cores, so a considerable portion of the processor is unused under single heavy workloads.
A Series- APUs that have the CPU cores plus a low end AMD gpu on them. These tend to have better integrated graphics than Intel’s core series, and are an ideal for casual gamers who need an affordable processor that performs well. As always, the per-core performance just is not as developed as Intel’s, so gaming will not be impressive.
Intel:
Generally, the only processors people use from Intel is their Core- I series of processors, so they will be covered here.
Core-i3- Intel’s baseline CPUs. Found mostly in laptops, these processors have 2 of Intel’s powerful cores, and they can run at various clock rates. They are perfect for office work that includes word editing, excel sheets, etc. They have merely decent integrated graphics, and without a dedicated video card cannot do much standalone gaming. That said, for flash online games and lightweight “Zoo Tycoon” type games, these will hold up just fine.
Core-i5- Intel’s midrange CPU lineup has many options to choose from. The core i5s have mid-range integrated graphics (still not nearly as good as a dedicated video card) and can do all of the things the i3 can, faster. They are typically used for gaming, 3d rendering, and heavy office work.

Core-i7- Now we get to Intel’s flagship products. The core i7s have a lot of choices, from 2 core models to 8 core models and a wide variety of clock rates to choose from. These i7s have Intel’s HD 4000 graphics, much better than the i5s but still only comparable to a much less expensive AP from AMD. These processors are top-of-the line in just about every other respect, though, and are used primarily for gaming, video editing, and very demanding tasks.
Conclusion
In this tutorial we have covered many aspects of Intel brand processors over AMD brand processors. It us up to you to decide what device works for you and use it according to your needs. Personally, my AMD FX-6300 does everything I need it to do, but that may not be the same for everybody. Never, ever listen to anybody who posts uneducated comments regarding a company’s “superiority” over the other. I hope you found this guide helpful, and if you have any questions or things you would add please add to the discussion.

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