AMD vs Intel : What’s with Ryzen?
Intel almost has had decades of monopoly in the upper mid-end and high end ranges of processors. Recent introduction of the i9 series to their existing plethoric range of i5 and i7 chips. But recently, AMD decided to make a push from their side to level up the competition is continuously proving to be fatal for Intel. With the introduction of Ryzen series of processors, AMD hit the headlines back in 2017. It gained a lot of attention from reviewers as well as consumers. But now, they are again back to the game with third gen Ryzen, they’re definitely going toe-to-toe with Intel on this.
Why is Ryzen rolling eyes?
As evident from their past lineup of processors, AMD is always interested in higher core counts and better multi threaded performance, which isn't the case with Intel. Intel looks at lower TDP and higher clock speeds. But a higher TDP was always a setback for AMD because it operated at higher temperatures, required better cooling and added significantly to the consumption. This is one of the major reasons why AMD’s FX lineup failed to impress the crowd when it was put up against then reigning i5 and i7 processors.
Back in 2013, when AMD tried to make a buzz by introducing FX series of high performance processors, the 5 GHz FX 9590 held the mast for AMD high! But when compared against Intel’s flagship of the same time, the i7 4960X, it was inferior in total performance. But again, the TDP factor gave a big blow to AMD as FX 9590 had a rated TDP of 220W without overclocking, while Intel offered better performance for nearly half TDP of 130W with its i7 4960X.
Why did this happen?
Even though AMD had a better core count and higher clock speed, they relied on the 32 nm Lithography. In layman’s terms, a processor with a higher lithographic process will always be inferior to its counterpart with a lower lithographic process, provided other specifications remains unchanged. This is because the 32 nm processor would require significantly more power than the 22 nm version to keep up with or near the latter.
AMD changes this with third gen Ryzen!
If you were following AMD recently, you might have come across its latest lineup of 7 nm processors. Currently, Intel is just getting ready with its 10 nm processor. As you can see how it’s going, AMD is giving Intel a taste of Intel’s own medicine. A near half price, lower TDP, better performance per Watt, cooler operation and better stability even when overclocked, leaves AMD as the dream brand for processors — at least for now. The new 3950X from team Red left Intel’s 9980XE in dust — at least on benchmarks. Recently, Intel has gone short of processors and has made an announcement that they won’t be having any production ready 7 nm processors until 2021. This leaves a lot of room for AMD to expand its market share, which is currently on a sprint.
Along with all those, tech giants like Google(for Stadia), Samsung(for its upcoming smartphones), Microsoft(for Xbox) and Sony(for PlayStation) to name a few, have signed up AMD for their in house products. Reading altogether, it won’t be a mistake to predict that good days for AMD are up! Anyhow, this battle between team Blue and Red is going to benefit ends users immensely as they get the best of both worlds at competitive prices!
