AMD vs Intel 2020: Who Makes the Best CPUs?

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We put AMD vs Intel in a battle of processor prowess.

If you're looking for the best gaming CPU or the best CPU for desktop applications, there are only two choices to pick from: AMD and Intel. That fact has spawned an almost religious following for both camps, and the resulting flamewars, that make it tricky to get unbiased advice about the best choice for your next processor. But in many cases, the answer is actually very clear. In fact, for most users, it's a blowout win in AMD's favor.

This article covers the never-ending argument of AMD vs Intel desktop CPUs (we're not covering laptop or server chips) based on what you plan to do with your PC, pricing, performance, driver support, power consumption and security. There's a clear winner overall, but which brand of CPU you should buy depends most on what kind of features, price and performance are important to you.

AMD vs Intel CPU Pricing and Value

Pricing is the most important consideration for almost everyone, and AMD is hard to beat in the value department. The company offers a plethora of advantages, like bundled coolers and full overclockability on all models, not to mention complimentary software that includes the innovative Precision Boost Overdrive auto-overclocking feature.

You also benefit from the broad compatibility of Socket AM4 motherboards that support both forward and backward compatibility, ensuring that not only do you get the most bang for your processor buck, but also your motherboard investment. AMD also allows overclocking on all but its A-Series motherboards (see our article on how to overclock AMD Ryzen), which is another boon for users.

Processor Pricing by Family

AMD Intel
Threadripper - Cascade Lake-X
$900- $3,750 $800 - $1,000 ($2,999)
AMD Ryzen 9 - Intel Core i9
$434 - $739 $459 - $505
AMD Ryzen 7 - Intel Core i7
$294 -$339 $300 - $370
AMD Ryzen 5 - Intel Core i5
$149 - $249 $125 - $200
AMD Ryzen 3 - Intel Core i3
$95 - $120 $78 - $173

And, in this battle of AMD vs Intel CPUs, we haven't even discussed the actual silicon yet. AMD's modern processors tend to offer either more cores or threads and faster PCIe 4.0 connectivity at every single price point, which we'll cover below.

Even though we have seen some price easing on Intel's high end-desktop (HEDT) models, the company continues to charge a premium for its silicon. Intel includes bundled coolers with its non-overclocking SKUs (you have to pay more to overclock), but they are flimsy and 'good enough,' at best. We've even seen cases where Intel's stock coolers don't provide full performance at stock settings. They certainly aren't comparable to AMD's standard fare, which even spans up to RGB coolers with some processors.

Intel also doesn't throw in a cooler at all for its pricey overclockable K-series SKUs (see our article on how to overclock an Intel CPU). Be sure to budget in a cooler (and a beefy one at that) if you plan on overclocking an Intel processor. Meanwhile, most of AMD's bundled coolers are suitable for at least moderate overclocking. If you're looking for a budget Intel chip, though, the Core i5-9400F is certainly worthy of consideration. It lacks integrated graphics and overclocking, but $125 is actually a decent price for an Intel Core i5.

Intel not only charges a premium for its overclockable K-Series chips, but you'll also need to shell out for a pricey Z-Series motherboard for the privilege of tuning your processor—Intel doesn't allow overclocking on B- or H-series motherboards. Intel also has a long history of rapid socket transitions, meaning the odds of dropping a new chip into your existing motherboard, or taking the older processor over to a newer board, aren't as high. Plan for limited forward and backward compatibility on the Intel side. You'll also miss out on PCIe 4.0 connectivity—Intel remains mired on the PCIe 3.0 bus that offers half the transfer speed of AMD's PCIe 4.0 connection.

While AMD offers the most bang for your hard-earned dollar, as with any type of product, you can expect to pay a premium for the utmost performance—in particular the Ryzen 9 3950X. Intel has long enjoyed a commanding performance lead over AMD processors in many metrics. Still, even though the company continues to charge a premium, its days of a clear-cut performance leadership have largely come to an end.

Win: AMD. When you're comparing AMD vs Intel CPUs, Team Red has a compelling value story across the full breadth of its product stack, especially when we take performance-per-dollar into account. However, if you're looking for integrated graphics paired with a processor with more than four cores, Intel is currently your only choice. Not that we'd recommend integrated graphics for most users, particularly if you're interested in gaming—check out our GPU hierarchy for details on how the various graphics solutions fare.
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