Which is better - AMD or Intel for games? Which processor to choose?

Some 10 years ago, the question of which is better - AMD or Intel for games, was very, very relevant. Now the situation has changed dramatically. If one of the manufacturers of processor solutions in the person of Intel has gone far ahead, the second, which is AMD, continues to stagnate. But still, there is competition in the segments of the central and intermediate level CPU. Also, the situation can dramatically change in the first half of 2017, when AMD should finally present its updated microprocessor platform.

Current computer platforms

Before we figure out which is better - AMD or Intel for games, consider the list of current processor sockets for each of the manufacturers of this equipment. This list includes the following sockets:

• FM2 + is the most affordable solution for building a budget-level system unit.

• AM3 + is the most productive socket for CPU installation, which was released a very, very long time ago, but is still the most productive platform of AMD.

• LGA1151 is a very fresh socket, which was introduced in mid-2015 and will be relevant at least until mid-2017. The level of its performance allows you to assemble almost any computer system, including gaming.

• LGA2011-v3 - this combined socket allows you to build both ordinary PCs with maximum speed, and servers with different levels of performance.

Intel Socket

The question of which processor for games is most optimal to choose, we will begin to consider with the advanced and main computing platform of Intel. Be that as it may, namely, LGA1151 is a unified socket that allows you to build office PCs, mid-level and top-level system units and even entry-level servers on such hardware can be created. Entry-level chips in this case are Pentium and Celeron. These semiconductor crystals are perfect for office computers, but it’s not recommended to use them in the game system because the most demanding toys require 4 cores, and they have only 2. Therefore, entry-level gaming machines can be assembled on the basis of chips of the family i3. In this semiconductor chip, as in the case of entry-level chips, there are 2 cores, but the HyperTrading technology implemented in them allows you to turn them into full-fledged 4-core processors at the software level. In turn, it is already most expedient to assemble a mid-level system unit on an i5-class processor (in this case, there will be 4 blocks of program code execution on a semiconductor chip), but for the premium-segment class i7 CPU is intended. The latter, like the i3 family of chips, support HyperTrading and can process code in 8 threads with only 4 physical cores.

Intel offer for computer enthusiasts

The only market segment in which the question does not arise: “Which is better - AMD or Intel?”, Is a niche for computer enthusiasts. There is no decent answer from AMD to the eternal competitor in the person of Intel in this niche. Perhaps the situation will change in early 2017, when the updated microprocessor architecture from AMD, which is codenamed “Zen,” will be presented. Well, Intel, as noted earlier, offers computer enthusiasts processor solutions based on the LGA-2011v3 socket. This platform is combined: it allows you to create both high-performance system units (chips of the i7 series) and servers (the line of processor devices Xeon). In this case, the minimum in the CPU will be 4 cores, and the maximum - 10. There is also full support for NT technology, and the number of program streams in them increases by 2 times. Another important feature of this platform is that its RAM controller can operate in 4-channel mode. All other processor sockets can work only in 2-channel.

AMD base platform

AMD entry-level processors are FM2 + socket solutions. These are hybrid chips, and their main advantage in comparison with other platforms is a powerful integrated graphics subsystem. Theoretically, this approach allows you to save on the purchase of a discrete graphics accelerator. But one does not have to expect phenomenal performance from the integrated video card. Its capabilities are at best enough for most not-so-demanding games, and far from not at maximum settings. Therefore, to get in this case, something more than an entry-level gaming system, alas, will not work. Within this platform, processors can contain only 4 computing units.

The most productive AMD socket

This socket appeared even when there was a dilemma, AMD or Intel for games would be more correct to choose. Since then, a lot of time has passed, and this platform is outdated. The performance level allows you to still build a mid-range PC. But such CPUs certainly cannot compete with the most productive Intel chips. Such semiconductor solutions support DDR3 RAM and are manufactured using an outdated 32 nm process (that is, their energy efficiency is far from the best).

Graphics subsystem

In the context of a gaming system, it is not enough to think about which is better - AMD or Intel for games. An important component of such a computer is a video card. As a rule, the number of FPS depends on its speed, and it also significantly increases the cost of the system unit. And if in the context of an entry-level gaming PC, you can refuse to buy discrete graphics to the detriment of performance, then in the case of a mid-range and especially premium-class gaming machine, you definitely cannot do without such a computer accessory. At the moment, it is recommended that entry-level gaming systems be equipped with an RX460 accelerator from AMDs 4 GB of RAM for $ 140. If you want to save, you can buy the same accelerator with 2 GB for 110 dollars. In this niche, NVidia does not have a decent answer to this product. The GTX 750 Ti, although it costs less (about $ 100), it also loses about 30% to the RX460. In turn, the GTX 950 in performance already wins 10% over the AMD product, but costs about $ 200, and this is clearly an exorbitant cost for entry-level PCs. It is recommended to install the NVidia solution - GTX 1060 with 6 GB of RAM in a mid-level gaming computer . Its level of performance will be quite enough to reveal any processor solution in this niche. In this case, the RX 480 with 8 GB of RAM can be considered as an alternative from AMD, but their cost is slightly higher with a comparable speed level. Premium PCs must be equipped with the most powerful graphics adapter - GTX 1080 - and 8 GB of memory. But only a dual-processor graphics accelerator can reveal the potential of a CPU for a computer enthusiast. For example, the Pro Duo line of Radeon. Yes, he has only 8 GB of memory, but the presence of two semiconductor crystals at once allows him to solve any problems and show phenomenal performance in all cases.

The situation with the memory subsystem

A difficult situation with the subsystem of RAM at the moment has developed in the segment of desktop computers. More affordable are the DDR3 modules, but at the same time their use as part of the gaming machine significantly reduces its performance. Therefore, it is recommended to buy such trims only in cases where there is no alternative. That is, in the case of using a PC based on AMD CPU, this type of RAM will have to be used. But for Intel chips, it will be more correct to use DDR4, and thereby increase PC performance.

Entry level pc

It is in the entry-level gaming PC segment that it is most difficult to choose between Intel or AMD. What is better for games in this case is hard to say. On the one hand, there are affordable CPUs from AMD with a powerful integrated graphics subsystem. But at the same time, the performance of the processor part will suffer. On the other hand, you can buy the Intel product with a discrete graphics card, but you will have to overpay for it. Recommended configurations from both the first and second manufacturers are shown in Table 1, which shows the configurations of the basic gaming systems.

Mid-level gaming systems

A comparison of Intel and AMD in this part of the processor market indicates that the former has more productive chips, while the latter has more affordable ones. Therefore, you have to make a very difficult choice: either save money and buy a PC that will already work at the limit of its capabilities, or add a certain amount and take the system unit with a margin. Recommended mid-level gaming machine configurations are shown in Table 2.

Premium Solutions

"What is my processor?" This question is not relevant for this part of the computer market. In this niche there are only solutions of only one manufacturer - Intel. These PCs are bought for a very long time and remain relevant from 3 to 5 years due to high speed.

Two possible configurations of premium gaming systems for computer enthusiasts are given in table 3 below.

Prospects for the development of processor technology

In early 2017, the issue of choosing a CPU between AMD or Intel should become relevant again. At this time, as previously noted, AMD will present the socket AM4 and a new generation of central processors. Previously, the level of their performance is comparable with the performance of top Intel processors. Therefore, after that everything will rest against the price and personal preference.

If AMD will offer an excellent product with a tempting price tag, then Intel will have to adequately respond and also reduce the cost of its chips. The final buyer, who will be able to assemble the best PC at a lower cost, will have to benefit from this.

Summary

Now let's summarize and decide on which is better - AMD or Intel for games. Be that as it may, it’s absolutely not right to consider buying a gaming system unit based on the AMD chip on the eve of the announcement of a new platform by this manufacturer. Although these products have a very, very democratic cost, common sense suggests that it is better to wait for the first quarter of 2017 and only then pick up the configuration of a new PC for games.

Well, in the case of Intel, there is plenty to choose from. Its computing platforms are only at the equator of its life cycle and will be relevant for at least another 1.5-2 years. Moreover, their performance margin is excellent, they will be able to solve any problems without any problems for a long time. The only drawback in this case is the higher cost of such products. But there’s nowhere to go, a high-performance PC cannot be cheap.