Cpu amd vs intel: Intel or AMD Ryzen: ​Which CPU is best?

Intel vs AMD CPUs: Which Is Better? | by James Montantes

When it comes to the battle of CPUs, there is no fiercer competition than Intel vs AMD. In fact, aside from these two companies, there is virtually no other processor that comes close to competing in the processor ring.

While there are plenty of other brands out there that provide quality CPUs, most people immediately think of either Intel or AMD, and their industry partnerships aim to keep it that way. In simple terms of brand recognition, these two come out on top and make up the lion’s share of the market.

In this article we take a look at both and address whether there is a clear, discernible winner in the Intel vs AMD CPU war. We will tackle this topic by defining our “arenas” for battle, dissecting them each respectively, and then speculating on the future of each competitor.

Is Intel or AMD Better?

AMD Ryzen CPU, Image Source

If you are looking for the best CPUs for gaming, video editing, or machine learning, then it really comes down to a battle of Intel vs AMD. No third parties come close to the popularity of these two giants for gamers, video editors, and AI practitioners.

Due to this, it is difficult to find and engage with unbiased opinions of these two CPU powerhouses. In the recent past, the victor was obvious: AMD. In fact, it was nearly always a landslide victory for AMD for the vast majority of users.

In retrospect, though, this is an underdog story considering AMD nearly went bankrupt just a few years ago. Before this, Intel dominated the CPU industry as the standalone chip to use across the board. Which means that Intel is due for its own comeback soon as it looks to the future of AI and how it can compete against AMD. And, Intel may take back the crown with their new Alder Lake chips..

Rather than compare Intel vs AMD in broad specifications, this article will focus on specific industries and use cases. We will be covering three major industries where we can truly address the question, “Is Intel or AMD better?” We are going to take a look at AMD vs Intel for gaming, Intel vs AMD video editing, and Intel vs AMD for machine learning.

AMD vs Intel For Gaming

When it comes to AMD vs Intel for gaming one must consider price and performance, as well as the gap between the two.

Gaming computer, Image Source

When it comes to pricing, AMD comes out on top for anything in the middle and high end of their chipsets, not necessarily a prize you want to win. However, Intel’s gaming performance isn’t bad either. Intel might actually squeak out a small victory in terms of sheer amount of power that can be squeezed out, with the right set up, when compared to AMD. If you are aiming for overclocking, Intel has the edge here, but it does so at a cost of energy consumption which can affect battery life of laptops and overall energy cost for desktops.

Something to consider, though, the performance gap between Intel and AMD’s competitively-priced CPUs isn’t worth paying a significant premium for. At the top of the Intel vs AMD models, moderate variations in gaming performance are difficult, at best, to notice. So, unless you have money to burn and want minor performance improvements, you may want to just stick with AMD for now.

For example, to truly notice the performance advantage, you’ll need an insanely high-performing GPU and a high-end gaming display with 1080p resolution. If you go higher than 1080p, then it will shift the power to your GPU and the need for a high-end CPU drops off. This means there is a specific window in which your CPU can make or break your gaming PC build. Otherwise, it is more worthwhile to invest in a top-tier GPU instead.

In the end, this particular battle of AMD vs Intel for gaming ends in a draw. AMD remains powerful and affordable. Intel has upped their products to match, and even just barely surpass AMD, in terms of affordability and raw power.

Our suggestions for Intel vs AMD CPUs for gaming: the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X and the Intel Core i9.

Intel Core i9 CPU, Image Source

Both of these are considered mid-range and similar in price, but with the Intel Core i9 outperforming AMD in specific cases. At a higher price and performance range, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is possibly one of the best on the market.

Intel vs AMD Video Editing

As video-media companies such as TikTok and YouTube gain popularity, the popularity of video editing is rising with them. With better and simpler editing software being created to compensate for this increase in popularity, video editing is a new “arena” in the Intel vs AMD wars.

For video editing there is not only a demand for highly skilled workers, but also a need for powerful PC workstations. Video editing, in particular, places a high demand on the CPU, being one of the most common processor-intensive tasks. A faster CPU can help cut down on rendering time and increase workflow for the creative process of carefully chopping, slicing, and splicing videos.

Video editing, Image Source

When it comes to the battle of Intel vs AMD video editing CPUs, it really comes down to the fastest rendering, the most processing power, and best performance-to-affordability ratio. Both companies offer solid performers and you will need to just balance price vs. minor upticks in performance when deciding on what to go with.

We suggest the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X and the Intel Core i9. As mentioned with the AMD vs Intel for gaming section, at mid-range the Intel Core i9 slightly outclasses the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, making it our definitive choice for video editing. Although, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is always a great choice if you are able to pay the higher price.

Intel vs AMD for Machine Learning

When it comes to Intel vs AMD for machine learning, we have written about the best CPUs for machine learning already. We encourage you to read that article for a more in-depth breakdown of this particular topic for all types of CPUs.

For this article, though, we will discuss the intricacies between Intel and AMD.

Machine learning with small AI robot, Image Source

In the case of CPUs for machine learning, Intel and AMD have always been the dueling leaders. While most debates are centered on AMD vs Intel for gaming, not as much has been explored in how they perform in the arena of machine learning and AI applications.

Machine learning workstations require a lot of bandwidth, so one of the most important considerations when selecting a CPU is the amount of PCIe lanes available. Your GPU will take up the majority of the PCIe lanes on your CPU with each GPU requiring 16 PCIe lanes.

GPUs handle a majority of the heavy lifting in machine learning workloads. This means you will want a CPU that can handle at least two GPUs. So, right away, we know this will be a major requirement when deciding between Intel and AMD.

Right away, price is going to be a negligible consideration when it comes to Intel vs AMD because we are going to be looking at extremely high-end, non-consumer grade CPUs. The CPUs we will need to even consider for machine learning will have upwards of 128 PCIe lanes.

So, aside from the number of PCIe lanes, other considerations include clock speed and thread count. Clock speed determines how quickly your CPU can process, store, and retrieve information. Thread count refers to the number of pathways available for your CPU to divide up processes to increase processing speed and power.

Intel is your best choice for a higher frequency clock speed, and AMD is your best hope for a greater thread count.

When it comes right down to it, these factors are only a few worth considering, but they are possibly more important to machine learning directly. Therefore, they are the primary factors we look at when considering Intel vs AMD for machine learning.

Our suggestion this time around is: the AMD Threadripper Pro hands down as the absolute best CPU for machine learning (which also makes it difficult to find with today’s supply chain issues, so if you see it in stock make sure to grab it before id disappears again).

However, the price is the highest of any CPU on the market. If price is a major consideration for you, then we recommend starting out with the Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 3900X.

For machine learning, AMD outclasses Intel at the highest ranges, but also gives Intel a run for its money at the mid-range, too. In the matchup of Intel vs AMD for machine learning, AMD wins.

The Future of the Intel and AMD CPU Battle

If you have been following along with this article, the choice is generally a stalemate with each generation of processors looking to upstage its competition. However, there is currently a slight advantage to Intel CPUs. The Intel Core i9 is a great piece of equipment that plants itself squarely at the cutting edge of technology without jacking up the price. That said, AMD is still a major power player if money is no object.

As we look to the future of Intel vs AMD, there has been a shakeup in the hierarchy. Within the last few years, AMD shook the computing world to its core by suddenly becoming one of, if not the, greatest processors creator on the market as it pushed its Ryzen line of chips. In response, Intel made some moves of their own just this year to innovate and bring Intel back to the forefront of technology.

Intel already has AMD beat in the price department. Intel CPUs are incredibly powerful for, sometimes, a fraction of the cost. AMD has some of the most high-quality, high-powered CPUs on the market that also don’t eat up as much energy as Intel, but you pay a premium for them. However, you can also factor in the energy cost savings over time by using an AMD CPU vs the slightly cheaper upfront cost of Intel, to see if AMD is the overall winner here.

It is difficult to say where the Intel vs AMD wars will take us next, but it is a safe bet that the competition between the two will remain fierce. Intel has plans to release a new CPU that we are sure will cause AMD to react and create something to compete with Intel. Chances are, AMD will rise to the occasion, especially with the AMD Threadripper PRO being as utterly insane in speed and power as it is. However, Intel still has potential to outpace and outperform their rivals so we wait on the edge of our seat for the next chapter in the battle for dominance in the CPU industry.

Currently we think AMD has some of the best processors available (if you can find them!), but they also tend to cost a bit more. Do you agree with our assessment? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

If you need help in choosing a CPU that is right for your own use case, feel free to contact us and we can help get you pointed in the right direction today.

You can also find other articles and comparisons elsewhere on the SabrePC blog. Keep a lookout for more helpful articles on the way soon!

AMD Vs Intel Processor — Which is better Ryzen or Intel?

Today each of us needs computers. Let it be a Laptop, PC, 2 in 1 Laptop, or any kind of computer. The first thing which we look at before buying is The Processor of the laptops. The processor of the laptop is the main factor that governs the smooth as well as the fast working of the laptops. Since there are lots of confusion regarding which Processor to opt for, We will look into the two most prominent processors which are AMD and Intel. Meanwhile, we will also look into the facts that are ryzen good or intel as well as which is better as well as the difference between AMD and Intel in AMD Vs Intel Processor.

AMD

The full form of AMD Processor is Advanced Micro Devices. It is an American company founded on May 1, 1969, and based in California. AMD is famous for manufacturing the computer processor. This is one of the leading Processor manufacturing brand. Some of the products manufactured by AMD are Microprocessors, Motherboard Chipset, Embedded Processors as well as Graphic Processors. Some of AMD Processors are AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT, AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX, AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT, etc.

Intel

Intel is an American Multinational brand situated in Santa Clara, California. Intel stands for the Integrated circuit. It was founded on 18 July 1968 by Gordon Moore, Robert Noyce. The highest semiconductor chip manufacturing brand is Intel. Intel Ranked 46 in Forbes 500 list of largest United States corporations by total revenue. Intel manufactures the x68 series microprocessor. Every brand laptops basically contain Intel processors. Intel provides processors for most top brand laptops such as Apple, Lenovo, Dell, as well as HP. Some of the products manufactured by intel are CPU, Microprocessors, Integrated Graphic Processing Unit was also known as iGPU, Motherboard Chipset, Modems, Bluetooth Chipset, Flash Memory, Mobile Phones, etc.

ryzen vs intel as per AMD Vs Intel Processor

The comparison between ryzen as well as intel not as easy as it seems to be. There are certain factors where ryzen is better whereas there are certain factors where the intel is better. We will look into these factors more broadly about ryzen vs intel in AMD Vs Intel Processor.

Know about laptop Buying Guide: Everything about Features, Types & Sizes.

Price

The price factor is one of the most prominent factors which everyone looks for. A Student, as well as a bachelor guy, will definitely look for the price factors. If we want a budget-based processor then AMD is a good one because of its less price availability. Intel is quite costlier as compared to ryzen. Also, the CPU of AMD can be changed without changing the motherboard but it is different in Intel as in intel the motherboard and CPU need to be the same, and if not it will create a problem. So, Ryzen is more budget-friendly than Intel.

Performance as per AMD Vs Intel Processor

Performance is the core that everyone looks for when they buy a computer. The performance of Intel is very much better than ryzen. If we are using heavy applications such as Heavy Gaming, etc then we should go with Intel Generation Processors. There are some like Ryzen 3, Ryzen 4, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, etc which offer better performance. As the series increase, so is the performance too increase. So, The ryzen vs Intel are tough competitors in the market but Intel is good at managing Heavy Applications.

Speed

The speed of ryzen is better than intel when it comes to multi-tasking and single-tasking. We can see that ryzen 5 has 6 core and 12 thread whereas intel CPU has a higher clock speed as well as 4 physical core and 8 thread. this clearly indicates that ryzen is providing much better speed.

From the above information provided for the ryzen vs intel, we can see that the ryzen is much better in Speed as well as in budget however, the Performance of Intel is the better one.

Which is better amd or intel

We got to know certain features of ryzen as well as Intel whereas now we will see some more topics which will help us to know which is better AMD or intel in AMD Vs Intel Processor.

Graphic Card

AMD Graphic cards are much better than intel graphic card. If we are buying AMD processors, We don’t have to buy an additional graphic card for eg Nvidia. Whereas when we are buying intel Graphic cards, we have to buy additional graphic cards for eg Nvidia graphic cards. For gamers, as well as heavy application users the intel won’t be that much worthy as Intel does not make their gaming card and as gamers use many heavy graphic cards and when you are using intel processor, you will have to be dependent on Nvidia graphic cards. Some good AMD graphic cards are Sempron etc.

Worthiness

The worthiness means to be the getting exact performance for the price that we actually pay. As discussed earlier, The performance of intel was considered to be better when AMD was not in the market. As soon as it was launched, the competition for intel to be in the market was not easy. AMD launched a Chip system that acted like a nightmare for intel as the chip launched by it was far better than Intel in performance. The price is also lesser than Intel.

Functioning as per AMD Vs Intel Processor

When we look for gaming and high-level usage such as rendering. then AMD is considered more functional. it has additional threads other than intel who cares for core basically. Generally, Intel has some good gaming processors which are good for the rendering process too which is their Core i7 CPU Which provides rendering and better gaming.

Durability

Durability is needed as it tells us about the life span of the processor. Intel processors are having better durability as they have more number of features at a time when launched. The performance is also increased which directly enhances the durability of the processors.

Overclocking

Overclocking is a feature that means that the running processor of the computer at a higher speed which is more than intended by the manufacturer. However, when we talk about CPU processors, the AMD is found good at this. The ryzen CPU is good at overclocking. The motherboard chipset supports overclocking which is beneficial. Whereas, in the intel CPU’s but we can see that the models that have ‘k’ at their end can be unlocked safely. Sometimes we also see that while unlocking the CPU of intel, there is a chance of hardware damage.

Cooling

The cooling feature is much important when it comes to processors as a cooling pad or fan which is provided in the CPU expels the heat generated in the CPU. Thereby, making the CPU processor fit for use and free from internal damage. When we talk about cooling factor or coolers, we find that AMD is better at this point. Whereas, when we talk about less heat generation, Intel occupies this position. Heat generation of AMD is more which is less in Intel whereas the Coolers provided in it are good so, we can see that both are good at this point.

Gaming

In today’s generation, the Gaming factor is one of the most prominent factors which govern the better performance of the processors. We will look over this in AMD Vs Intel Processor. The CPU having many options like having thread has given gaming company free hand to make large games that can run smoothly. For Example, a CPU having 16 threads, etc. The higher the core, the more will be the performance of the gaming. Graphic cards to play an essential role in gaming performance where AMD is a winner.

Difference between amd and intel

When we talk about two major leading brands, to find a difference between them is not that easy as both the brands have. we will look into these now.

We can see from the above informations that there is much difference.

  • When it comes to Overclocking, we see that AMD allows this very easily but we find complications in intel where overclocking as it does not allow that easily.
  • Further, the graphic cards of AMD are very different as they are having gaming features too but Intel graphic cards are not that good in gaming.
  • Intel is more efficient whereas AMD is less efficient.
  • The price of AMD is lesser than those of Intel.
  • intel releases a lesser amount of heat but does not have a proper cooling option. Whereas, AMD has a better cooling system whereas it releases more heat.
  • The hybrid technology of AMD is better as compared to Intel.
  • AMD has microprocessor capabilities of 8 sockets and 32 cores whereas the other has 4 sockets and 16 cores. whereas, the shape of both is symmetrical.
  • The clock speed of intel is 2.96 GHz whereas the clock speed of the other is 2 GHz.

AMDor intel as per AMD Vs Intel Processor

To tell this whether it’s AMD or Intel is not everyone’s cup of tea as both the brands are leading one and both have their own plus and minus. Anytime time you will find one better at anything, at the same time you will find other is better at the other thing. Apart from all, we will look into the factors which will help us to know whether it’s AMD or intel in AMD Vs Intel Processor.

First is the performance which matters as performance is the core of processors. The performance of Intel is very much better than that means we should opt for intel if we are searching for performance-based processors. Secondly, for any computer using heavy applications is essential as well as graphic cards for rendering those applications. So, for a graphic card, AMD is better. Many other factors are like heat-releasing is less of intel but cooling is good of AMD so if you care for the heating issues then both are better. Further, the cooling feature of AMD is better.

We can see that there is not any clear-cut indication for whether it is AMD or Intel as both are good in some or the other thing. So. it totally depends upon the fact that for what factor we are looking to be as our need and priority shall be given accordingly.

FAQ Regarding AMD Vs Intel Processor

1.Which is more cheaper AMD or Intel ?

No doubt, AMD is much cheaper than Intel which is also the reason for the high sale of AMD than Intel.

2. Does AMD support Over clocking ?

Yes, AMD supports overclocking meanwhile Intel model having k in their name does support overclocking but at some risk.

3. Which is more secure AMD or Intel ?

AMD seems to be more secure against the attack whereas Intel too is secured but lesser than AMD whereas there are some attacks by which both are not safe.

4. Does AMD is having heating issue or Intel ?

The heating issue feature is resolved in both as AMD provides a good cooling fan but Intel releases a lesser amount of heat.

5. Which support multi-tasking ?

Multi-Tasking feature is better in AMD than intel.

AMD vs. Intel: Eternal Battle

Intel and AMD are two great companies that have almost been in a battle since they’ve been around. In addition, not only are both companies fighting from a technological point of view in order to be able to overtake the other and gain a larger market share, but the users themselves promote and encourage this struggle by positioning them on two sides according to their proximity to one or the other.

So AMD vs Intel This is what was, is and will be in the field of computing for much longer. Therefore, this time we dedicate this article to this struggle and give you all the clues so that you better understand the history and how this information can help you choose the best products for your computer equipment from the point of view of Linux, since this is a point of view that is not enough about say on the net, despite the many articles on the subject . ..

Index

  • 1 A bit of history
  • 2 AMD versus Intel: in terms of processors and their performance in Linux
  • 3 AMD vs. Intel: in terms of GPUs and their performance in Linux
  • 4 AMD vs. Intel: in terms of Linux support

A bit of history

If we go back a little, especially to 1947 when the history of the first transistor began to be forged. From here arise three great names, Shockley, Brattain and Bardeen This story will remember three Nobel Prize winners in physics for their discovery, which was to start a whole technological revolution. But if you know the story, it didn’t end too well for one of those main characters: Williams Shockley.

Although the three cooperated, the attorneys for Bell Labs The AT&T lab where the story took place decided not to include Shockley in the transistor patent because Shockley’s idea was harder to defend because of a previous European patent for a known solid-state semiconductor device. It was a field effect transistor discovered by Lilienfeld.

This infuriated Shockley, and he began to develop a project that was hidden from colleagues, and after leaving Bell, he tried his luck on the California coast. But it unleashed a very different story, story 1958 . At that time, Arnold Beckman decided to collaborate with Shockley to try to develop an improved semiconductor device using silicone and make it to TI (Texas Instruments) who wanted the same thing in parallel at the time.

The division became known as Shockley Semiconductor , and Shockley himself began to sign what he called «hot minds», that is, all the best geniuses of that time, such as Victor Grinich, Julius Blank, Gene Horney, Jay Last, Eugene Kleiner, Sheldon Roberts, Gordon Moore. Robert Noyce and Jim Gibbons, among others. But Shockley was a bad manager and a nefarious businessman, and his complex nature and aggressive outbursts meant the company didn’t have much of a future. ..

This caused these geniuses to leave one by one, and the group headed for the best spot at Fairchild Semiconductor , just 2 km from the previous factory. There the atmosphere was much more relaxed, there was no leader and teamwork was encouraged. It soon became a reference company and they continued to add talented employees to their staff. One of them was the new director of sales since 1961, 24-year-old Jerry Sanders.

Meeting Sanders with Noyce , Sanders convinced Noyce that no one would buy silicon transistors for $150 and that they needed to sell them for less than $2 to be successful. Noyce then told him that they knew how, they knew how to miniaturize (the first planar silicon transistor) and lower manufacturing costs to be able to do what Sanders had in mind. And so it was, they gradually lowered the price, and the success of this mythical company was overwhelming.

And why am I telling you all this? Be patient, we have almost reached the part that interests us. Following this success, TI’s Jack Kilby also developed a solid-state circuit, the first MESA chip. And in parallel, Noyce headed something similar in Fairchild, the first Chip PLANAR . Two completely different building philosophies, but the one that became popular in today’s chips is Noyce’s.

After Fairchild broke records in profits, all this was not good news, as another brain drain was expected, a repeat of the story of 8 defectors or Fairchild Children as they were now called:

  • David Talber, Bob Vidlar and Charles Spork first to leave Fairchild and found National Semiconductor .
  • Noyce and Moore will also leave it, and together with Andy Grove he will find Intel .
  • Hurney will leave to run Amelco, which will later become Microchip Technology .
  • Jerry Sanders will also be fired and will co-found AMD with Jack Gifford, Edwin Turney, John Carey, Larry Stenger, Frank Bott, Sven Simonsen and Jim Giles.
  • David Ellison, David James, Lionel Kuttner, Mark Wissenstern and others founded Signetics.
  • Robert Schreiner and others would find Synertec .
  • Federico Faggin went through Intel and found that Zilog .
  • Wilfred Corrigan Founding LSI Logic .
  • Julius Blank will co-found Xicor .
  • Etc.

That is, from the ashes of Fairchild arose what we know today as Silicon Valley . And after Silicon Valley was founded and two great men began their journey, not everything was equally easy for both of them. AMD’s Jerry Sanders always said that it took him 5 million minutes to get $5 million to fund a new company (referring to Intel financier Arthur Rock, who at the time boasted that he had raised $5 million to found Intel in just 5 minutes). .

So Intel got off to a very comfortable start while AMD’s struggles with the first day of . However, AMD has always been able to bring together the best to compete with a much smaller R&D budget than Intel, and this doesn’t reflect as much on their products, and sometimes they even outperform Intel. Something that has a 10x advantage, I must admit.

Intel 8088 chip manufactured by AMD

In the early years, AMD even became an ally of Intel and to produce the company’s chips under the Intel license, and even signed patent assignment agreements to share ideas. But then they started making clones with slightly better performance than Intel, and by reverse engineering the clones, they started designing their products from scratch. then the calm turned into a storm and the extreme competition for the title of the best …

The rest of the story continues hidden today

AMD vs. Intel: in terms of processors and their performance in Linux

If we follow the history of both companies closely, we find that Intel has been in the lead for most of history. After the era of colonies, hard times came for AMD, and only after the appearance of K7, when, thanks to the huge talent of , the engineers from DEC and that they worked in Alpha (reference microprocessors of that time), they did not position themselves in front of Intel and took away a large market share from Intel .

They were better not only in performance but also in technology. In fact, AMD has always known how to partner with the best, such as their agreement with IBM that allowed them to be the first to introduce INtel’s copper-aluminum interconnect technology, which allowed them to break the 1GHz barrier first. After taking the K7 (Athlon) to its performance limit with the Athlon XP, Intel can breathe easy with the Pentium 4, especially with its HT.

AMD will also first go to 64-bit with K8, which was the result of the same K7 creators who first introduced ISA, redesigned by them for the IA-32 extension and named by them as AMD64 (Although Intel wants to call it EM64T to avoid referring to its competitor). But after that, Intel learned the lesson well and also hired engineers from the defunct DEC company, which laid the foundation for the Core architecture.

And after the introduction of this, AMD certainly clearly fell behind, and although they introduced huge innovations with Fusion, the truth is that it did not produce the expected results. This led to Intel regains near-monopoly on chips AMD’s purchase of ATI didn’t help the green economy either. After these tough years, AMD has tried to rebuild its best engineers.

People who went to other companies like Apple to make A series SoCs etc and were able to bring back Jim Keller probably the person who is most versed in high performance microprocessors, Pappermaster, Koduri etc … And this huge company began to operate as if it were 10 times smaller in size. They threw out almost every project they had.

They only wanted to focus all their energy on GPUs and CPUs, and after many years of effort, they managed to achieve the expected results: Zen . A new microarchitecture that claimed to give Intel a lot of headaches and bring back the former glory of the K7 era, and the truth is that they did it, even receiving numerous awards to prove it. Thanks to this, AMD had somewhat healthier accounts.

Intel has long placed a high value on single-core performance, while AMD has been worried about it for years. multi-core performance . With Zen, that has changed and they have also put a lot of effort into improving single core performance. They even added SMTs like Intel, transition predictors using artificial neural networks, and many other innovations that made Ryzen successful.

However, despite the efforts, it must be admitted that Intel has been doing this for years, years of development and huge amounts of money invested in research and development, so they are still the first in this matter. So, if you are looking for the best single core performance , you should choose Intel. But if you’re looking for parallel or multi-core performance, AMD wins the battle, especially since its products are very cheap and have more cores and threads.

But just so you know what 9 is for0005 is better in every case :

  • Single core performance : It’s better for video games and simple programs like office automation and others that we use daily.
  • Multi-core performance : It is better used by some scientific or more professional programs such as GIM, Photoshop, Blender and other design and 3D programs.

This does not mean that AMD is misbehaving with video games or office automation, not at all, or that Intel will be misbehaving with others. I’m just saying that Intel cores will be slightly better in the former and AMD in the latter. As for the price, in most cases it is rams are cheaper to buy than rams, in addition to that, they tend to be somewhat more durable in terms of useful life before failure.

For example, if you plan to invest 500 euros, you can buy the best AMD microprocessor at that price than if you chose the range offered by Intel, since it has slightly higher prices. AMD has been able to hit hard when it comes to performance with Zen, but they are also cutting prices hard to hurt Intel even more. And if that wasn’t enough, the challenges Intel is facing to drop the 10nm standard in its factories gives AMD an edge that’s already has announced 7nm chips, with the market competitiveness that this offers…

If you’re wondering if one or the other has better or worse performance on Linux , the truth is that both offer better features, and improvements in the kernel architecture are well «spoiled», so the performance offered is the best. They both have development teams collaborating on the Linux kernel.

Other question — topic security is, as you know, Meltdown and Specter (and new derivatives), it affects Intel more, and patches to fix vulnerabilities partially reduce performance …

And finally, add that depending on how you are a user, you will need spectrum or another:

  • Low user If you need equipment for office automation, email and web browsing, Core i3 or Ryzen 3 will be enough for you. They will also cost most AMD APUs. I do not recommend purchasing Intel Atom, Intel Celeron or Intel Pentium, as in the first case they tend to have low performance, and in the last two they have certain characteristics …
    • LxA recommendation : AMD Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5Ghz for its economical price and full support for virtualization technologies, supported extensions, etc.
  • Average user : For most users who do a little bit of everything, from office automation to multimedia or video games, Ryzen 5 or Core i5 should be enough for you if video games are not too demanding.
    • LxA recommendation: Intel Core i5-8600K or Ryzen 5 2600X tech tie. In terms of overall performance, they are not that far off, although as we said, Intel wins in single core, but it is true that you can save about 70 euros with AMD.
  • Pro / Gamer If you’re a pro and want a little more performance or consider yourself a gamer, don’t hesitate to go for the Core i7 or Ryzen 7.
    • LxA recommendation : In this case, the Intel Core i7-9800X is better for gamers, and if you’re using it for other professional purposes, we recommend the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, which costs half as much and in some cases only has 10% lower performance…
  • Rave : If you don’t care about money and want something that beats all of the above, then getting a Ryzen Threadripper or Core i9 might be a good option, though they’re only considered a good option for a small group. users, such as some professionals dedicated to design, or fans who are looking for the best of the best … However, I think it’s smarter to buy a Core i7 or Ryzen 7 and renew it as soon as a new one comes out, than to spend huge money on Ryzen Threadripper or Core i9.
    • LxA recommendation : Either, both are expensive and both handle beasts… If you’re in doubt between models, we recommend the Intel Core i9-9960X and the AMD Threadripper 2990WX. For similar prices, you get 16 cores and 32 concurrent threads from Intel, compared to 32 cores and 64 threads from AMD.

Remember one thing: the first and second numbers in a row are more important than anything else. That is, he visits nomenclature so they don’t give a hare:

  • Brand Model Group XZZZY : If you look at numbered , you might see things like AMD Ryzen i5-2700X or Intel Core i7-8700K. You already know that the group i3, i5 i7, i9 or 3, 5, 7, Threadripper belongs to the group of users they are intended for. The higher it is, the higher the performance and the more expensive. The next number, such as 2 in the case of the AMD example I provided, or 8 in the case of Intel, is another of the most important. It refers to a generation, a higher generation means a microarchitecture with more performance. Do not be guided by other values. For example, Core i7-4000 will be worse than Core i7-9000, even if the first one will run at a higher clock speed. The rest of the numbers, labeled as ZZZ, refer to other benefits like the number of cores, frequency, etc., so the higher it is, the higher its power will be. Finally, Y is the last letter, K or X usually stands for the highest frequencies or unlocked for overclocking, while other letters like G usually distinguish those with an integrated GPU and U for low-power ones for laptops.

I think with this you have a good idea of ​​what you need…

AMD vs. Intel: in terms of GPUs and their performance on Linux

When it comes to GPUs, things change a lot here , in this regard, after the purchase of ATI by AMD, they were left with the second best GPU designer after NVIDIA. The move disarmed Intel, which was not allowed to acquire NVIDIA, so they were isolated. GPUs AMD showed excellent performance of , well above Intel GPUs. Integrated Intel HD or Intel UHD graphics leave a lot to be desired and are not sufficient for most users.

In contrast, even AMD APUs have pretty decent graphics. Now, if you are looking for a much more powerful GPU for graphic design or gaming, you should also buy this one. Dedicated GPU from AMD or NVIDIA . Ultimately, here the battle of AMD against Intel leads to a landslide victory for AMD.

  • LxA recommendation : Always choose AMD or NVIDIA, but if you are a Linux user, make no mistake: ALWAYS AMD . Either integrated into the APU or dedicated, but AMD will offer you the best Linux experience, the best performance with any driver, and give you fewer hassles, making everything easier…
    • For low end users: any of the built-in A-Series or Ryzen G-Series .
    • Medium users: AMD Radeon RX 500 series
    • For professional users or gamers: AMD Radeon Vega series
    • Professionals and Designers: AMD Radeon Pro WX Series

So much so that Intel released several laptop processors like the one you see in the image above with a G at the end of the series and 9 integration0005 AMD GPU and Intel CPU I mean they have the best of both worlds. The best CPU with the best GPU to compete with NVIDIA in the portable sector. Yes, you read that right, after years of struggle, both signed «peace» again for this collaboration…

In terms of Linux drivers, you already know that there are proprietary drivers that in both cases provide performance and all available features . Whereas in the case of free games, things change somewhat as they are usually not as optimized and the performance will not be as good. However, I must say that Intel has been working very closely on this aspect lately and that AMD has been putting batteries in for a long time with results like AMDGPU for example.

A few years ago ATI graphics cards didn’t have Linux support If you wanted a good result, you were almost forced to choose NVIDIA for Linux, but lately it seems that the table has turned upside down, and in many cases NVIDIA’s results have left much to be desired. And that’s what the next section is about. ..

AMD vs. Intel: in terms of Linux support

As I said, there are guys at AMD and Intel involved in the development of the Linux 9 kernel0006 so microprocessors are properly supported. Therefore, in both cases, this is excellent, although the fixes for the vulnerabilities mentioned above partially “broke” the optimization. In the graphics area, AMD has been more focused on integrating its GPUs than Intel.

But a few weeks ago, Intel wanted to get more involved and improve their graphics drivers. But that doesn’t really matter, as Intel GPUs are underrated and I wholeheartedly don’t recommend them. Therefore, who cares about good support for an Intel GPU if it doesn’t meet the requirements on the hardware level.

  • Support for AMD : It has received solid support lately, both with native AMDGPU Pro and free AMDGPU. Thus, you will have more than a decent result in Linux. In fact, it looks like AMD has taken the open path as their Linux favorites, and they work just as well as the proprietary ones, or even slightly better in certain circumstances. Yes, you read that right, the exact opposite of NVIDIA. Also, if you plan to use NVIDIA Optimus o AMD Switchable Graphics, I must say that in the case of Windows, NVIDIA and AMD work fine, but on Linux, you will have an easier time with AMD.
  • Support for Intel : They weren’t the best at it because it’s not a market they dominate. But more recently, like I said, they’ve put a bit of effort into thinking about their discrete GPUs.
  • Support for NVIDIA : if we talk about modern, then its open drivers are much worse than proprietary ones. In fact, some tests show results for owners that are up to 9 times higher than open … Something almost unforgivable.

I hope you enjoy this humble contribution to LxA and that you can then make a better decision when purchasing hardware for your favorite distro… Don’t forget to leave your comments on . AMD vs. Intel

Companies have gone from cooperation to fierce competition, and adherents of one or another product are actively thrown around by memes and criticism.

Part of an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Fritzchens Fritz processor die

Today, almost all work with information is carried out through computers, but even half a century ago the world looked different. At that time, society was on the verge of creating central processing units (CPU or Central Processing Unit) — the main part of the PC hardware.

Their development played a key role in the computer revolution and divided users into two camps. The driving force was fierce competition between Intel and AMD. TJ talks about a long confrontation — from the first firms of former colleagues to the community, memes and modernity.

William Bradford Shockley

In the winter between 1954 and 1955, the inventor of the transistor and Nobel Prize in Physics winner William Shockley decided to make money on his own business — to mass-produce branded transistors and dinistors. To do this, he found funding and founded the company Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, which became at the origins of Silicon Valley. Among the first employees were Robert Noyce, Sheldon Roberts, Jay Last, as well as Gordon Moore and David Allison.

From childhood, Shockley was considered a person prone to aggression, paranoia reigned in his company. All internal conversations were recorded, William sent employee reports to a third-party company for revision, regularly insulted his subordinates and accused them of sabotage. One day, the physicist decided to arrange a lie detector test, but the staff rebelled and Shockley abandoned the idea.

Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, Mountain View, California, 1960 Chemical Heritage Foundation Collections

In 1957, the employees were fed up with the state of affairs, and they decided to join forces under the auspices of the new company. Eight physicists and engineers, with the support of businessman Sherman Fairchild, founded Fairchild Semiconductor, which soon became the technology leader in the semiconductor industry and the largest business incubator in Silicon Valley.

Shockley was deeply shaken by what had happened, and a group of former employees became known as the «Treacherous Eight». Soon the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory went bankrupt, and the Nobel laureate was seriously engaged in a new business of life — eugenics — the doctrine of the selection of people in order to discover the ideal race.

The success of the people from the Shockley company was not long in coming — within six months their own business became profitable. And in 1959, three people, among whom was a member of the «treacherous eight» and part-time employee of Fairchild Robert Noyce, solved the problem of creating a silicon integrated circuit or otherwise a crystal, making it available for mass production.

Dollar bill signed by the founders of Fairchild Special Collections & University Archives of the Stanford Library

The discovery of the integrated circuit has become one of the key to the development of processors. The idea was to combine all the radio components of a large circuit on a microscopic semiconductor plate — a crystal. The innovation made it possible to reduce the size and weight of the part, as well as power consumption with higher reliability.

The technology is actively used to this day: modern integrated circuits, the basis of processors, are a silicon crystal, on which billions of components, mainly transistors, are placed.

Despite the success, the company was increasingly divisive, so the «treacherous eight» decided to leave again — scientists and engineers gathered in groups and organized many different companies in a promising market. At the same time, the expression «fairchildren» arose, meaning former employees of Fairchild Semiconductor and their new business projects, as if born from the original company.

Graphic explaining the concept of «fairchildren»

In 1968, Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore found funding and founded NM Electronics, renamed Integrated Electronics, or Intel for short, by the end of the month. Colleagues counted on their own technical genius and unique developments in the future.

A year later, in 1969, marketer Jerry Sanders led a group of seven former Fairchild engineers. It was not without difficulty that the new team found start-up capital, and in the same year registered Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD for short, the future main competitor of Intel.

Noyce and Moore’s new company quickly jumped into action, first building semiconductor memory. Already in 1971, she introduced the world’s first microprocessor Intel 4004. The development did not turn out to be a bestseller, but became a major step towards modern computers from the bulky computers of the past.

i4004 ceramic case

The $200 i4004 crystal microprocessor outperformed the ENIAC computer. The first had a width of 4 centimeters, the second — occupied 167 square meters and weighed 30 tons.

In 1972, the i8008 came out, the successor to the i4004. Unlike its predecessor, the new product could handle both numbers and letters. It was used for advanced calculators, bottling machines, and even early microcomputers. Over the next 17 years, Intel developed nine more new processors, becoming the locomotive of the field.

Since 1968, when the company had 12 employees, the staff increased to 15 thousand in 1980, and by 1983 revenue reached a billion dollars. Much of this success was due to management — after their experience at Fairchild Semiconductor, Noyce and Moore tried to maintain a warm and friendly atmosphere in a growing company.

Advanced Micro Devices quickly found a strategy to stay in the microprocessor market. There were no funds for the original development, in contrast to the desire to become part of the market, so at 19In 1974, the Am9080 appeared, a clone of the already successful i8080 processor from Intel.

It was «created» by reverse engineering. The algorithm is simple: AMD specialists took a ready-made Intel processor and, as it were, developed it “backward” in order to understand the device and the principle of operation, and then create their own copy. Oddly enough, Intel hastened to license AMD clones and even agreed to share developments in the future.

AMD 8086 processor with two companies’ logos on the case — after licensing on the clone, it was required to place the identification of the copyright holder

All parties benefited from licensing: AMD gained experience and income from selling processors, which no longer had to be developed from scratch, and Intel met market demand with its products, crowding out an abundance of competitors and receiving royalties. In addition, many customers refused to cooperate without a backup supplier.

When Intel released the third series of 80386 processors in 1987, the partnership with AMD abruptly ended. Despite the current licensing agreement, Intel refused to share the new development — in an extremely lucrative market, it was time to break away.

At the same time, AMD first filed a lawsuit against competitors, accusing them of a secret plan to monopolize the sphere. The trial lasted more than four and a half years, and in 1991, the proceedings nevertheless ended — Intel was ordered to pay a multi-million dollar fine to AMD.

The i386 processor that caused disputes between Intel and AMD

While the lawsuit was going on, Advanced Micro Devices did not waste time. Engineers did the same thing they did at the beginning of the company’s formation — reverse engineering. When the trial was over, at 1991 next Intel clones went on sale.

The last mass-cloned Intel processor was the 80486. AMD also made efforts to create an analogue — in 1993 it introduced the Am486, which at first also used Intel microcode.

«Mainstream» microelectronics of the 90s: clone the i486 from Intel. And the main slogan of the competitors was the slogan «Practically the same as Intel, only for less money»

In the 1990s, the relationship between companies changed forever. Intel’s management completely stopped the licensing policy, so that legal access to new technologies for AMD and the market as a whole was blocked.

The marking of the processors has changed next. Usually, generation numbers were printed on the cases, for example, 486 or 386, as well as the manufacturer’s logo. Therefore, in order to finally distance itself from competitors and protect intellectual property rights, in 1993 Intel introduced a new line of processors called Pentium and registered a trademark for it.

Intel resolutely made it clear to the market — instead of a locomotive inventing new things, and a mass of firms cloning innovations, competitive relations have come. Now all market participants had to create innovations, stimulating Intel to fight for its place. New policy in the processor market 19The 90s gave an unprecedented acceleration to their evolution, influencing the fate of computers.

Intel Pentium of initial generations

Available since 1993, the Pentium processor became a natural continuation of the 486 series. But, expecting excellent sales and moving forward, Intel received one of the most famous hardware bugs in the history of microprocessors — the Pentium FDIV bug.

While working with the processor, incorrect results of dividing numbers were found. At first, Intel spoke about the frivolity of what happened, but then admitted the defect and for the first time completely recalled a computer chip.

Prior to 2000, the Pentium Pro, Intel Pentium II, and Intel Celeron, a low-cost processor for home PCs based on the Pentium II, also entered the market. In turn, AMD developed the K5 and K6 lines. Despite efforts, none of the parties went into a clear «separation». At the same time, users rather preferred to buy Intel because of the omissions in the K-series architecture. Overcoming the milestone would mean a reputational superiority over a competitor, but AMD Athlon, Intel Pentium III and AMD Duron, released in 1999-2000, despite the efforts of engineers, they could not work at the desired frequency.

March 6, 2000 AMD succeeded — the company for the first time in the world developed a processor with a clock speed of 1 GHz Athlon 1000 based on the Orion core, thereby winning the «battle for gigahertz». Sales began immediately after the announcement. The rush arose for a reason — the «stepping on the heels» competitor just two days later introduced its version of the Pentium III with a frequency of 1 GHz.

Overcoming the frontier has become not only a pleasant historical fact in the treasury of the achievements of companies, but also allowed personal computers to become more powerful again.

AMD Athlon 1000 based on Orion

In 2003, AMD introduced a new achievement — the world’s first 64-bit processor with x86 architecture Athlon 64 (ClawHammer) was released. It could process twice the amount of information per cycle compared to 32-bit versions.

A year later, AMD introduced the world’s first dual-core x86 processors, the Athlon 64 X2, with both cores on the same die. The company’s developments appealed to users who appreciated the availability and power of new products.

Multicore is a pre-planned development path. Back in the early 2000s, companies realized that it was inexpedient to overcome the milestone of 10 GHz clock speed, which is why increasing the number of cores turned out to be a priority.

AMD Athlon 64 X2

Catching up with competitors, Intel in 2005 introduced its version of the dual-core processor — Pentium D, where the letter D meant Dual, that is, two cores. The year before, the company had been embroiled in antitrust cases.

An 11-month investigation uncovered evidence that Intel offered five Japanese PC makers tacit discounts and bonuses for switching from AMD processors to Intel. This served as reputational damage against the backdrop of a protracted food backlog.

In 2006, the outdated Pentium was replaced by the young Core 2 series. It showed a refusal to fight for the best clock speed in favor of focusing on optimization, the number of cores and a low price for the mass consumer. The new development became the starting point in Intel’s revenge.

A truly iconic addition to the lineup is the Core 2 Duo, with the most innovative being Intel’s first quad-core desktop processor, the Core 2 Extreme QX6700. It consisted of two Core 2 Duo E6700 dies. The most productive was the QX6850 with a frequency of 3 GHz.

In 2007, AMD released a new generation of K10 architecture to compete with Core 2. Phenom X3 and X4 processors were released based on it. Despite expectations, the new products failed to compete with Intel — in terms of price and performance, users willingly chose the Core 2, in particular the Core 2 Duo.

New Nehalem-based Core i5 750 processor

To build on its success, in 2008 Intel introduced the revolutionary Nehalem microarchitecture, marking the release of the first Core i series processors. Both old processors were transferred to the new architecture, as well as the new i line, which covered more market segments: Core i5, Core i7 and Core i7 Extreme Edition.

Hyper-threading has become a key technology. For example, there is one core in the processor and it faces two tasks. It turns out that the kernel will process the tasks in turn, first one, then another. And if there are two cores, the work will go in parallel, and the execution time will be reduced.

But the processor is never 100% busy, because not every block is needed for this problem. Intel engineers came up with the idea to use «resting» parts. While the processor is busy solving one task, the second one, instead of waiting in line, is “pushed” into unused areas using Hyper-threading, increasing performance.

How Hyper-threading Technology Works

Meanwhile, against the background of the 2008 global financial crisis and the success of the Core 2 and Core i series, AMD continued to fall behind and did not offer significant innovations, but rather followed Intel technologies while competitors engaged in covert struggle.

This came to light in a major 2009 antitrust case. The European Commission has found that the blue company has been paying implicit rewards to PC makers such as Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo for ditching AMD products in favor of Intel since 2002.

In addition, it turned out that since about 2003, Intel has changed free software, such as compilers, for its own benefit. The program recognized the processor in the system and, if it was Intel, worked efficiently, and if it was AMD, it slowed down its resources. The same was done by individuals.

As a result of a long debate, Intel was ordered to pay a fine of more than a billion dollars to AMD and continue not to abuse its position in the market.

Back in 2006, Intel introduced a new development strategy «Tick-tock». “Tick” meant a reduction in the technical process (the size of transistors), and “tak” meant the release of processors on an improved microarchitecture using the technical process from “tick”.

Tick-tock strategy

Guided by a new idea, Intel achieved the final superiority over an increasingly lagging competitor. The main line of action has been replaced by a slow improvement in energy efficiency and a moderate refinement of each technology to perfection. From 2010 to 2017, the company introduced seven new microarchitectures, from Westmere to Kaby Lake.

AMD did not stop the release of its lines, but Intel could no longer compete with the honed products. From 2011 to 2012, the AMD Bulldozer and Piledriver series appeared, which did not find the love of users.

Soon AMD decided to pay more attention to other areas of the market: the development of video cards, mobile and server processors, components for game consoles. And in the Intel arena, the company completely went into the development of APU — a series of architectures for hybrid processors from a central and graphics processor on a single chip, united by a trademark.

The bet was played: while engineers were preparing a processor revenge against the background of an apparent lull, AMD received a lucrative game console market.

The most popular PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles use processors from AMD, although earlier versions contained a different device.

In the early 2000s, AMD took an active part in the development of the Xbox: prototyping and technical equipment. But at the last moment, right at the presentation of the game console, it became known that the device would start working on Intel solutions. Later, Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley repeatedly apologized to AMD for choosing the past.

AMD engineers sat in the front row at the presentation and looked so sad. I will never forget it. They helped us so much with the prototypes. I felt like a donkey.

Jonathan «Seamus» Blackley

Then, according to him, it became a matter of relations between Microsoft and Intel. The next Xbox 360 used the Xenon processor from IBM. In turn, the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 game consoles used processors jointly developed by Sony with other companies: Emotion Engine and Cell Broadband Engine. Everything changed with the release of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 series, when the choice fell on AMD solutions.

Game console manufacturers needed to move to more powerful systems for demanding games, but it turned out to be unprofitable to develop technological stuffing on their own. The best solution from a company with experience and commitment turned out to be AMD products, and the good results of the first years of work laid the foundation for relationships for years to come.

New Ryzen 7 1700X processor based on Zen architecture

In 2016, AMD introduced the Zen architecture, designed from the ground up, to regain its former position in the market. And the company succeeded.

Based on a new device, reduced power consumption, and a group of acceleration components under the auspices of SenseMI. The processors released soon were divided by analogy with Intel into several groups for different market segments: Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, Ryzen 7 Threadripper (For HEDT platforms and enthusiasts, 8-16 cores).

Despite a number of problems in the first months of sales, high-performance Ryzen processors with new overclocking capabilities at a lower price found a mass buyer and gained significant popularity, forgotten in AMD after years of dominance by Intel.

Graph of the number of processors sold according to the Mindfactory store. With the release of the Zen architecture at the turn of 2017, the figures changed radically

Zen became the real pride of AMD fans who were expecting an alternative to the Intel monopoly, and, perhaps, the most meme-era of the «red flank».

After the first successful line of processors, AMD realized the promise of Zen and soon new architectures saw the light: Zen +, Zen 2 with the transition to a new 7nm process technology and Zen 3. Each new version won more and more fans thanks to bright changes and a reduced price.

Intel Core i7-11700K processor based on Rocket Lake architecture

Since 2017, Intel has introduced five generations of architectures: Coffee Lake, Coffee Lake Refresh, Comet Lake, Rocket Lake, and Alder Lake. Between them can be traced a proven strategy of systematic optimization from year to year without dramatic changes. The latest Alder Lake architecture also left conflicting opinions among users, in particular due to the high price.

According to the online game store Steam, 69% of users have processors from Intel, while 31% from AMD.

In July 2020, Intel also experienced a serious crisis, losing more than $42 billion in capitalization. The reason was the announcement of the CEO of the company, Bob Swan, about the impossibility of switching to a 7-nanometer process technology in 2021 due to a high level of marriage. At the same time, competitors from AMD have mastered the new 7nm process technology since the Zen 2 architecture in 2019.

Despite this, the latest Intel architectures still compete with AMD in all market segments. Perhaps the time has come for a balance that has happened many times in the past. In this case, this is only a pause in the «tug of war», because a long-term truce has never come.

Over decades of competition between the two companies, two camps of fans have formed, each of which supported only the products of its own firm. They exchanged memes and criticism, arranging a funeral for the novelties of the opposing clan.