AMD vs INTEL Which is best

Just like I promised from my last post 11 Point Checklist Before Buying a New Laptop under CPU where I discuss AMD and Intel. I receive a lot of calls from clients on which to go for. AMD or Intel laptop?

Some even tell me AMD is not good that laptops get hots, other believe AMD is better for gaming experience than Intel etc. I will give a full details of the differences between both CPU offerings, which will help you make an informed decision when it comes to picking out a processor for a system.

Most times choosing a system can be a complicated process, especially if you’re inexperienced, considering that there are an endless combination of parts that you could use to put a system together. There’s the issue of picking a set of components that are all compatible with one another, along with other factors that you need to weigh, including price, needs and so on.

However, when it comes to CPUs/Processor the questions is always Intel or AMD. These two are virtually in all world’s PC. Intel definitely becomes a favorite as system prices increase for gaming and content creation platforms. AMD is left in the dust as its older 65nm processors lack the muscle needed to compete with Intel's Yorkfield and Wolfdale 45nm offerings. In the gaming segment, the faster clock speeds of the E8000-series Core 2 Duo processors offer the best performance for dual core friendly applications.

Here, I have four (4) points to discuss that will help you make an informed decision when it comes to picking out a processor.

1) Value

Both processors comes at a wide range of price, but AMD chips are available for less. The least expensive Sempron and Athlon dual-core processors sell for between $30 and $40 (₦7,500 and ₦10,000 Naira). Intel’s least expensive Celeron, the G1820 dual-core, is $45 (₦11,250). 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 (₦11,250). In theory, you might be better off with AMD if you use software that benefits from many cores, but can’t afford a $180 (₦45,000) 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 Grand Theft Auto or League of Legends on a budget.

2) Overclocking/Turbo Boosting

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. However, we need to understand difference between Overclocking/Turbo Boosting. In a simple form, overclocking means setting your CPU and memory to run at speeds higher than their official speed grade. Almost all processors ship with a speed rating. For example, an Intel Core i7 860 runs at 2.80GHz out of the box. Overclocking a Core i7 860 means pushing it to a clock speed higher than 2.80GHz, while, Turbo boosting is when your processor boosts its clock speeds automatically to higher levels. This only happens when your CPU is under load and the max Turbo depends on the CPU. I will discuss more on the difference between Overclocking/Turbo Boosting in my subsequent posts.

AMD supports overclocking most consistently than Intel. AMD A-Series APUs offer the feature for as little as $45 (₦11,250), and there are six AMD chips with an unlocked multiplier under $100 (₦25,000). Intel offers only one budget overclocking option, the Pentium G3258, at $70 (₦17,500).

Intel doesn’t really offer over-clocking 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 over-clocking, and the workload your system will run. There are several high-end Intel chips with overclocking, some offering eight physical cores. These chips are quicker than anything AMD can offer at stock clocks, so when overclocked they indisputably dominate.

3) 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 gist, 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 higher 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, I don’t recommend buying an AMD processor if high-end gaming is your goal.

4) Power Efficiency

AMD’s still struggle to keep up with Intel. 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 that Pentium chip 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.

Conclusion

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.

However, Intel has its perks. Even the company’s dual-cores are surprisingly competitive with Intel quads in intense workloads. Intel chips are also 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.

Intel does deal with graphics processing, of course, but its expertise lies in integrated graphics. Integrated graphics are ideal for small laptops: an integrated graphics processor doesn’t add much to the price of a laptop, doesn’t draw too much power and contrary to popular opinion does offer enough 3D processing oomph for the odd game.

So, for me Intel is generally superior. There are situations where AMD makes sense, but the company has been reduced to depending on niche scenarios. Therefore, for low budget go for AMD but if you have the means then Intel is the answer.