AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
One of AMD’s flagships.
The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread desktop processor with a 4.2 GHz base clock and 5.7 GHz boost. It features 128 MB L3 cache, including 64 MB 3D V-Cache.
Intel Core i9-14900KS
One of Intel’s flagships.
The Intel Core i9-14900KS is a 24-core desktop processor with 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores. It reaches a 6.2 GHz boost clock on two cores, features a 68MB total cache, and has a 150W base power.
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Ah, so you have probably got some cash burning a hole in your pocket, and now you’re itching to buy a newCPU. We got it, you want to make sure you don’t mess up. And one of the big questions here… is AMD or Intel? Team Red or Team Blue? Iron Man or Cap? In all honesty, both these companies churn out some really awesome chips.Butthey also churn out duds.
So in this guide, we’ll tackle the real questions, call out the marketing hype, and give you the nitty-gritty details you need to make a choice you won’t end up regretting. Let’s get started then, shall we?
Before we dive in, just a quick heads-up: this article covers a pretty broad and complex topic. We’ve done our best to keep it concise and hit all the important points, but it’s still quite a comprehensive read. To make things clearer, we’ve used top-of-the-line models from both companies for comparison. Thanks for your patience and understanding as you go through it!
Architecture
Let’s start off by taking a look at AMD’s current processor run. We’re working with the Zen 4 architecture, which has basically skyrocketed AMD’s performance stats since it was introduced back in 2022. The Zen 4 does a great job of building on the previous iterations while introducing a lot of new things. For example, theshift to a 5nm manufacturing process has allowed AMD to significantly increase transistor density, resulting in improved power efficiency and the potential for higher clock speeds! Throw in the substantial increase in Instructions Per Clock (IPC) and that’s a 13 percent improvement right there when compared to the Zen 3 architecture.
In terms of front-end enhancements, we’re looking at awider op-cache, improved branch prediction, and larger L2 cache, all contributing to reduced latency and improved overall performance. Not to mention that the Zen 4 also brought in support for the AVX-512 instructions, which basically bumps up the PC’s performance, specifically games and content creation tasks. Some of these processors also come withintegrated RDNA 2 graphics.We’re not saying that this is a game changer or anything, but it definitely helps your rig lean towards a better performance for entry-level gaming, and even works out as a backup solution.
Moving on, we have Intel, which apparently, has decided to take a different approach with its design. The folks over here introduced a new type of hybrid architecture which basically combines two types of cores within a single processor. We first saw this all the way back in the 12th generation (Alder Lake) CPUs, and the build has since been refined in the newer models. Essentially, you’re looking athigh-performance (P) cores bundled with more efficient (E) cores.
For the uninitiated: the P cores, based on the Golden Cove microarchitecture, are designed to handle heavy-duty tasks and are optimized for single-threaded performance. In contrast, the E cores, derived from the Gracemont microarchitecture, are smaller and more power-efficient, ideal for handling background tasks and improving multithreaded performance.
In case you were wondering, this system is managed by Intel Thread Director, which is a hardware-based piece of tech that works with the operating system to schedule out the workload between the P and E cores. Intel’s new architecture also comes with the SuperFin process (commonly known as Intel 7), which, while not as dense as AMD’s 5nm process, still gives you a significant bump up over the previous-gen architectures.
Outside of that, Intel has also made some nice little improvements, such as increased cache sizes to reduce latency while gaming, extending support for DDR5 memory and PCIe 5, and Intel Quick Sync, which goes a long way in improving the quality of your video encoding and decoding.
Features And Tech
Both companies also have a very nice lineup of features that come with their processors. Let’s take a look at those
AMD’s offerings include:
Intel’s feature set includes:
Both companies also offer robust software suites that can help you mess around with the finer details and settings. AMD’s Radeon Software lets you dip your toes into performance tuning, streaming capabilities, and enhanced video playback. On the other hand, Intel includes a very cohesive Graphics Command Center and also a lot of optimized libraries for developers who want to experiment with the lineup.
Power Efficiency
Factors like power efficiency and thermal performance have become somewhat of an essential consideration whilebuilding PCs, especially among those who are energy-conscious and/or like to opt for smaller form factor builds. As it turns out, AMD’s Zen architecture has made significant strides in this area. The 5nm process used in Zen 4 allows for impressive performance-per-watt ratios. And this approach typically involves getting down that right balance between power consumption and performance across most, if not all, models in their lineup.
Moving on, Intel has taken a different approach here as well, it would seem. We’ve already touched on this before, but the way that it works with them is that the architecture has E-cores which are designed to handle background tasks and less demanding workloads efficiently, while the P-cores can ramp up for high-performance tasks/
Make no mistake, as far as power management is concerned, both these companies have quite a bit of juice. For example, AMD has this thing called Precision Boost, and then Intel has one called Turbo Boost. The names are different, but they basically help your PC by dynamically adjusting the clock speeds based onthermal conditionsand workload. Not only that, they also have some of your more advanced features, likeAMD’s Eco Mode and Intel’s Power Limit settings, both of which allow users tofine-tune the balance between performance and power consumption.
Quick heads up: The thermal design power ratings that you see on the box are not always exact numbers, so we’d say take them with a pinch of salt. What you’re actually consuming can vary significantly based on workload, cooling solution, and specific CPU model. So if you want exact numbers, private testing based on your PC’s stats is the way to go!
Gaming Performance Analysis
But then again, this is all on paper. When you run real-world tests, you have some interesting results. Now we’re not really referring to one source here, but a common observation is that when you run lower resolutions like HD, the CPU has a bigger impact, and you may see more differences between the high-end AMDs and Intels. However (and this is really trippy), when you run higher resolutions like 1440p or even 4K, the CPU differences become barely noticeable. This is because at this point and resolution, the performance is mostly determined by your graphics card and not your processor’s make.
Another noteworthy point is that your performance can actually vary quite a bit based on the game you’re playing. Some of your games will just run better on AMD chips, while others will do wonders with an Intel. It’s really about how the game is optimized, so that’s mostly on the game devs and not you!
Ecosystem And Platform Support
Moving on to more pressing concerns, we have the general ecosystem and platform support options to take into consideration. What does that entail, you ask? Well, we’re looking at things like memory capability, motherboard selection, and overall support for platforms. Now, AMD has been praised a lot for the longevity of its socket designs, with theAM4 socket supporting multiple generations of Ryzen CPUs from 2017 to 2022.
The approach allowed the consumer to mod their CPUs without having to change the motherboard. And the new AM5 socket which was introduced with the Ryzen 7000 series continues to offer a similar long-term support strategy. Intel, on the other hand, has historically changed sockets more frequently, though their current LGA 1700 socket.
Regarding expansion, AMD platforms generally offer more PCIe lanes directly from the CPU, which can be a plus if you’re someone who uses multiple NVMe SSDs, high-speed networking cards, or other PCIe devices. Intel systems, however, have fewer direct lanes and often compensate with additional lanes from the chipset itself, which is still a good step towards boosting connectivity.Both companies support the latest DDR5 memory on their newest platforms, while also offering DDR4 options for better backwards compatibility and cost-effectiveness.
When you look at what AMD and Intel offer for chipset features, there’s a whole range of options with different capabilities depending on how high-end you go. The top chipsets from both give you tons of USB connectivity,including USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports for blazing fast 20Gbps speeds.Intel’s newest platforms have Thunderbolt 4, which is great if you need really fast external connections. Meanwhile, AMD’s been pushing hard for USB4 support, which gets you similar speeds though it hasn’t been adopted as widely as Thunderbolt yet.
Stability and compatibility are, again, super important considerations. Intel platforms are known for just working with everything, especially in business settings. On the other hand, AMD has made big improvements in reliability with modern Ryzen platforms being solid, though early adopters of new AMD techsometimesrun into initial bugs that get smoothed out with BIOS updates.
Looking ahead, both companies are investing in tech that could sway what platform you choose. AMD’s all-in on heterogeneous computing and tight CPU-GPU integration, which could lead to interesting developments if you go all-AMD. And Intel’s pushing things like Thunderbolt and making progress on AI acceleration, which could be big for future gaming and content creation uses.
Bottom Line
When it comes to choosing between AMD or Intel in 2024, honestly, there’s no clear winner - both have their pros and cons depending on your needs and budget.
AMD tends to be better for folks who want top-notch multicore performance and good bang for their buck. The extra cores and threads help not only with multitasking, but also in games that can take advantage of them. Intel still has a slight edge in gaming if you just look at single core speed, which benefits games that don’t use lots of cores.
Ultimately, you’ve gotta look at the whole package - how much you can spend, the games you play, and if you’re doing stuff like streaming or content creation. Don’t forget cooling and power usage too! Oh, and motherboard features like PCIe lanes and memory support, too. We do hope that our comparison helped a little bit in making your decision though.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do AMD and Intel CPUs compare in terms of security features?
As far as security goes, both Intel and AMD mean business. But they go about it in different ways. Intel gives you things like Software Guard Extensions (SGX) and Total Memory Encryption (TME). AMD counters with Secure Memory Encryption (SME) and Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV). At the end of the day, though, most gamers won’t notice a huge difference between the two. These security features won’t really change how you use your PC day-to-day.
Which one comes with better integrated graphics?
AMD’s Radeon graphics in their APU chips are just better for casual gaming if you don’t have a separate graphics card. Now Intel’s new Iris Xe graphics are getting closer to AMD, but those Radeon chips still have an edge if you want decent game play without a dedicated GPU.
How do AMD and Intel compare in terms of Linux support?
You really can’t go wrong with either AMD or Intel processors. However, AMD has gotten a lot of kudos from the open-source community. They’re quick to release documentation and drivers for their hardware under open licenses. Intel chips work great with Linux too, but some of their proprietary stuff doesn’t always integrate as well in open-source environments.
