Intel vs. AMD – Which One Should You Choose

Did you know that Intel and AMD were once partners under a 10-year technology exchange agreement? Or that the founders of both enterprises had earlierworked at the same company, Fairchild Semiconductor? Well, both companies share a long history and in the current scenario, they are arch business rivals. Their rivalry has been so intense that it has often led to courtroom battles. So, the next big question is which is better – Intel or AMD. Well, here are some key insights about Intel and AMD that will help you choose the right product.

Price: Since beginning, AMD processors have been cheaper in comparison to most Intel products. AMD continues to offer the price advantage to customers, even though overall cost benefit has been decreasing over the years. That’s because AMD is now focusing more on performance than pricing. As consumerperceptions change with time and as AMD garners an equivalent market share, AMD chips are likely to be priced close to Intel products. As of now, you can save quite a bit if you choose AMD products.

Performance: Since many years, there have been negative perceptions that AMD chips are slower in comparison to Intel products. Some of that may have been true also, but things have changed with launch of new AMD products such as Ryzen processors. While Intel leads in single-core performance, AMD has taken the lead in multi-threaded performance. If you choose AMD’s Ryzen processors, you are unlikely to notice any major difference, especially for personal and home use.

Graphics: Since long, Intel has relied on integrated graphics to meet high-end needs such as gaming. In this space, AMD can be said to be better. That’s because AMD’s latest products such as Ryzen 5 come with discrete Vega graphics that deliver better performance in comparison to Intel’s onboard graphics.

Overclocking: For overclocking fans, AMD provides more freedom to experiment. However, both AMD and Intel will void your warranty if the processor goes bust due to overclocking. AMD processors that offer overclocking are generally cheaper as compared to their Intel counterparts.

Compatibility: As an AMD user, you can face compatibility issues if you want to install third-party products such as motherboard, cooler, etc. In case of Intel, you will have more options to choose when it comes to installingadditional accessories. Intel currently has around 80% market share, which explains why third-party products offer better compatibility with Intel chips.

As is clear from above deliberations, AMD chips have improved their performance and still offer a significant price advantage. Current generation of AMD chips offer quite the same experience as that of Intel chips. For personal and home use, you can choose either of the two.