Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
I ’ve been using Intel CPUs for close to seven years . It started with the Core i7 - 8700 K , but I moved on to the Core i9 - 10900 K , Core i9 - 12900 K , and most recently , the Core i9 - 13900 K , all of which could have occupied a time slot among thebest processorsat different points in time . But after so much metre with Team Blue , I ’m switch over back to AMD .
It come at an interesting sentence for Intel and the PC ironware biotic community as a whole , which is presently abuzz abouta particular articleclaiming that Intel is objectively “ undecomposed ” for PC gamers . That ’s not what this article is . Instead , I want to walk you through why I take to use AMD’sRyzen 7 7800X3Din my play PC , and how I came to the decision .
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Stability struggles
I ’ll never blame AMD or Intel for temporary stability issues . They encounter all the time , peculiarly around new ironware launches . AMD shin with fast memory around the launching of its Ryzen 7000 CPU , and we constantly see new germ pop up , with a fix usually following shortly after . That ’s not on the button what ’s been fail on with Intel CPUs as of late .
Last year , there was a plague of “ unsupported CPU ” Blue Screen of Death ( BSOD ) alerts thatmade the roundswith Intel ’s 13th - gen CPUs and MSI ’s brook motherboards . to begin with , the blame went to Microsoft , which release a Windows update that ab initio spark off the misplay . Then , it shift to Intel , when a few calendar week later , it was discovered that the BSODs were theresult of a firmware erroneous belief .
It ’s not the end of the world . There was a mistake , and MSI and Intel figure out to fix it within a few weeks without too much hassle . But now , we ’re in the mediate ofanother train of instability trouble . Some recent high - end Intel CPUs are showing stability issues , and it take months after users initially reported problem before Intel publicly commented on the instability .
We ’re see new motherboard updates direct at ameliorate stability for these french fries , which occur at the price ofupwards of 9 % of your performance . The stableness issues only impact a select number of certain unlatched CPU mannikin , but it ’s still a job . If you ’re omit $ 500 or $ 600 on a processor , you should n’t have to settle for lower performance just because you were one of the doomed few to get a chip with stability issuing .
For my own part , I experienced constant crash and BSODs when I was using theCore i9 - 13900K. Sometimes , I could go several weeks without a trouble , while other times , I would see multiple crashes in one night . I have n’t spend enough time with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D in my main play rig yet to put rap exclusively on the central processing unit — but I will say that I have n’t seen any crashes or BSODs yet .
I do n’t want to leave the mental picture that Intel is making these wildly cark CPUs that could break apart at a here and now ’s posting . It is n’t , and there ’s a reason I ’ve used Intel C.P.U. for so long . But when widespread payoff go unaddressed for month , there ’s a problem . I ’m not indisputable if there are issues with the intercrossed architecture like we saw with the “ unsupported central processor ” error , or if too much power is being pushed to potato chip to squeeze out spare performance like we ’ve seen with recent imbalance problems . But when I seat down to play games at night , I do n’t want to think about either , and so far , I have n’t had to .
Getting your cache
My main headache with my swindle is gaming . I desire good execution overall , but not at the expense of frames . Right now , it ’s hard to altercate that , for PC gamers , AMD has a alone advantage with its3D Phoebe - CacheCPUs . Based on our testing , the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is around 12 % faster overall than the Core i9 - 13900 KB at 1080p . In some games , likeRed Dead Redemption 2,you wo n’t see any performance dispute at all . In game hungry for stash likeFar Cry 6,however , we ’ve find out upwards of a 39 % improvement .
A lot of game do n’t need the extra hoard , and the performance gap shrinks as you wax in term of resolutions in most games . But if gaming is your main priority , AMD ’s 3D V - Cache parts offer a distinct advantage in certain titles that Intel does n’t really have an answer for . The argument become more nuanced lower down the product heap , with CPUs like the Ryzen 5 7600 and Core i5 - 13600KF duking it out depending on the claim , but for pure frame chaser with the ripe budget , 3D V - Cache mops the storey .
you could get by with far less , too . I ’m compare the Ryzen 7 7800X3D to the Core i9 - 13900 K here , but these CPUs are n’t even in the same class . Intel ’s potato chip is about $ 500 at the prison term of writing , while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is below $ 400 . The Ryzen 7 7800X3D will also loosely run tank , and therefore quieter , under a gaming workload . Intel ’s recent CPU are rather power - hungry , even in mild gaming workloads .
None of this is to say that Intel ’s processor are bad for gambling — they ’re not . The focus is just dissimilar . When you look outside of gaming to other productiveness benchmarks , Intel hold a significant lead due to the eminent core tally on its recent chips . If you demand productivity prowess and gaming grunt in equal measure , peradventure an Intel chip is better for you . For someone like me , who mainly give care about play , AMD takes the pate at the second .
Platform updates
One of the most signficant reasons AMD has gained a footing in desktop CPUs over the last several age is the AM4 socket . Seven years after AMD introduced the platform , we ’re still go out novel mainframe for it . That really culminated with theRyzen 7 5800X3Din 2022 , which showcased how big of a leap AMD had made from its original Ryzen CPUs , all on the same socket .
The AM5 socket , which the Ryzen 7 7800X3D utilisation , is set up for similar longevity . AMD has aver it will abide the platform until 2025 and beyond . The “ beyond ” piece is a little vague at the moment , butAMD has saidthat it “ certainly recognized that the seniority of the AM4 political program was one of the biggest reasons that led to the success of Ryzen , ” and the society contrive to support the socket “ for as long as we possibly can . ”
In fairness to Intel , it has seek to do something standardized with its LGA 1700 socket , which supports 12th- through 14th - gen CPUs . The principal problem is that it is n’t as significant as a jump as it sound like . If you bought into the platform with the launch of 12th - gen CPUs , you could get a pretty magnanimous parachuting in carrying out with a 13th- or fourteenth - gen CPU . There is n’t much reason to kick upstairs beyond that , however . As you could read in ourCore i9 - 14900 K and Core i5 - 14600 K review article , these chips declare oneself almost identical performance to their 13th - gen counterparts in most work load .
It ’s still not clear how long AMD will indorse the AM5 program beyond 2025 , but the society has already proven it can fork up signficant carrying into action improvements over several propagation on the same platform . Hopefully , that continues with AM5 . At the very least , I ’m put up to take advantage of the platform with a Ryzen 7000 CPU .
Sweeping statements
Just because I switch back to AMD does n’t entail you necessarily should . It ’s always important to recognize that everyone ’s needs are unlike , and that there is never a one - sizing - fits - all approach to construction ( or upgrading ) a PC . Maybe you need a PC to edit video recording and play game at 4 K , for representative . In that case , an Intel CPU might be a better set — after all , the high heart and soul count on Intel ’s recent chips suit turgid picture - editing workload better .
you may seldom make sweeping statements about PC hardware , and I ’m not making one here . swap to AMD suits what I ’m after with my gaming microcomputer , but I ’d encourage you to take stock of what you necessitate out of your PC and consult multiple recap before making a buying decision . That will take you further than trying to find an objectively better brand out of the two .
