Last Updated on January 5, 2016

In the everlasting battle of the Intel CPU vs the AMD CPU, which one reigns champ in your eyes? If you’re a PC gamer then you’ve got a strong opinion on one!

You’ve got the more widely trusted Intel brand which has an immense amount of cash flow to work with to create breakthroughs but you’ve really got to have some cash ready…

Or you’ve got the more open source AMD side which allows for a lower priced option for overclocking to higher performance levels…

If you’re even slightly involved with the PC gaming industry then you’ve definitely got a strong opinion on one over the other.

Keep in mind, this post is about the processors, we’re not talking about graphics at all here. I’d absolutely love to get everyone’s opinions on why one is better than the other!

 

Intel CPUs

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Intel has been around for a very long time and so they’re very well trusted among not just the PC gaming industry but really the entire computer industry as a whole. They’ve fully established their spot in the marketplace.

But when it comes down to strictly PC gaming, do you trust Intel all the way?

Personally, if someone has a higher budget range available then I’d say to go for a higher end Intel CPU due to the breakthroughs they have with hyperthreading and other features. If you get a K version of one of their lines of CPUs then you’re able to use an aftermarket cooler to get even more performance out of them for all of your favorite games.

But this involves having to spend a lot more money than you would on the AMD side. Typically, when it comes to Intel processors, you’re going to be spending a lot more for their higher quality processors.

I’m using a core i7-4790k CPU with my newest build and so far I’m very content with it even at its stock settings. I went with the i7 and the K version because I’m planning on making videos down the road and the i7 family helps a lot with rendering speeds. I also plan on overclocking down the road when the virtual reality industry really starts taking off in a demanding way on the CPU side.

At stock settings it’s working wonderfully with any game that I throw at it, it’s an amazing CPU. I was pretty lucky to be able to have the funds and the sale right around Black Friday to get a deal on it.

I think that the future of Intel is very bright, they’ve been the go-to source for CPU power with standard computing needs such as laptops and I believe that they are going to continue paving that path as they move forward as a company. They’ve just bought Altera for a huge amount of dough. That company focuses on developing softwares and logical devices for consumers.

Intel has also recently bought a German company that deals with drones. Intel wants to help drones not crash, which is a very fast growing industry right now…

I think that the main people behind Intel are definitely thinking about the future and what they’re able to bring to the table. I like the risks that they take…

 

AMD CPUs

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AMD is a same same but different kind of a thing.

AMD CPUs are a lot lighter on the wallet and the FX series as well as some of the A-series CPUs are able to be overclocked. This is especially awesome because a budget CPU such as the FX-4300 is able to be overclocked to get closer to the performance levels of some of the higher end processors that are on the market.

I’d say that AMD processors are ideal for those that don’t have that much money to get an entry-level build going. If you’re around the $400-$500 range for putting together a gaming rig then you’re more than likely going to be using an AMD CPU for the amount of power that you get per dollar spent.

With that said though, some of the higher end builders actually prefer to use the FX-series processors. Even the FX-6300 can handle a card such as a GTX 980 if you’ve got the right level of overclock to it, the 8350 would be even more ideal.

But then there’s also the FX-9000 series processors. They’re way more expensive than the others but they pack a pretty powerful punch.

It’s hard to tell between the people that put a system together simply because their a fan of a specific brand or if they believe in the potential power/future of the processor…

The 9590 is a bit lower priced than a CPU such as the i5 4690k but through just a little bit of research you’ll see that it doesn’t perform really not nearly as well. That’s when overclocking comes in for those FX processors…

The main thing that I really like about AMD is about how open source they’re starting to get with their products. They want developers to be able to use whatever resources they need to run well on any hardware, not just theirs.

 

So What Do YOU Think?

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Personally, when it comes down to putting together a high end machine that costs upwards of $700+ then I’d definitely be going down the Intel route. There’s just so much more power available when it comes down to single core usage to overall raw performance… If you’re spending that much on putting together a system then you’re simply getting more power per dollar spent hands down.

Though when it comes to a lower cost build, anywhere from about $400-$600, then AMD is definitely in sight for the CPU. Especially when it comes to a $400/$500 build.

The FX-series processors are so ideal for around those costs and I could definitely see someone wanting to go with something like a FX-8320/8350 if they were going with a $600 build so that they’d have a bit more cash to work with to grab a more powerful graphics card.

So, what are YOUR thoughts on the battle of Intel processors vs AMD processors?

Are you using a FX-series CPU? Are you enjoying using it?

Or are you using Intel?

Let me know in the comments below! 😀