The battle for supremacy in the CPU market between Intel and AMD has been raging for years. Both manufacturers have their advocates and protagonists, but the fact remains that more people prefer to buy Intel processors than those produced by AMD.
If you are buying a processor for the first time, comparing the two brands will probably highlight price as the most obvious differentiator. The cost to buy Intel processors is invariably more expensive than the price of AMD CPUs. That begs the obvious question – Why buy Intel processors?
Value for Money
If you are shopping for a processor on a tight budget, then there is actually no reason why you shouldn’t purchase an AMD processor. However if you are planning to spend $150 or more, then things start to swing in favor of Intel. At price points over this value, the cost efficiency of AMD processors falls away and it probably makes more long-term sense to buy Intel processors if you have a budget of more than $150.
Overclocking Possibilities
If you have any plans to tinker with the clock speed of your new CPU, an AMD processor is probably your best bet. Intel processors are generally locked at a given clock speed and present no opportunity for overclocking. On the other hand, if you are happy just to choose a processor with the clock speed you want and then install it, with no desire to tweak performance, go ahead and purchase an Intel processor.
Graphics Processing
If you are going to be using a high-performance graphics card in your computer, which you will if you enjoy gaming or other graphic-hungry applications, most AMD processors fall short of the mark. Most PC builders in the know choose to buy Intel processors for use with the best graphics cards. The ideal processor would be an Intel i5 or i7.
Overall Performance
Below the magical $150 price point, AMD processors perform generally better than Intel, making the decision to choose AMD almost a no-brainer. At the upper price range, particular at $200 and above, the opposite is true. Intel processors not only outperform their AMD counterparts in every way, they also do so more efficiently. In terms of performance per watt, AMD processors leave a lot to be desired. Laptops with AMD CPUs installed for instance, suffer a far shorter battery life than those with Intel processors installed.
In summary, it’s a matter of the age old adage “you get what you pay for” and the higher prices are a reflection of the high performance you are investing in when you buy Intel processors. If you are buying on a budget though, Sub-$150 AMD processors do actually deliver more than you pay for; or at least more than an Intel processor bought for a similar price.
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