AMD has always come in second place to Intel processors with better performance, faster clock speeds, and smoother experience for the longest time. But ever since the switch to Ryzen, AMD’s processors have slowly been closing the gap year after year, and are providing better value to performance over their Intel counterparts. Nowadays, anyone with a PC would gladly direct you to a Ryzen processor when given a chance.
However, now that we are nearing Zen 3’s official launch, leaks are starting to come forward, and speculations are starting to pile as everyone sits at the edge of their seats waiting for performance numbers to come out. And while Intel’s top of the line CPUs has long held the crown for zero compromises and better overall performance, we might see this throne challenged with “Vermeer.”
And on that note, today, we’ll be exploring why it’s the perfect time for you to make the switch to Ryzen if you’re still stuck with your Intel processor.
Ryzen 5900X Benchmark Leaks
Firstly, Ryzen 5900X benchmark scores have just been leaked and to say that the numbers are impressive is an understatement. While most people expected the jump in performance to be in the ballpark of around 15-20%, the leaks show that the 5900X scored 27% faster in single-threaded performance than the current 3700X.
Of course, you could make the argument that the 3700X features fewer cores and threads, but once you reference these benchmarks and put it up against the 3900X, you still get around 25% better single-threaded performance. And while that might not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, to make this much progress in over a year rightfully deserves applause on AMD’s part.
So if you’re looking to build an enthusiast rig aimed at rendering and CPU-demanding tasks, going with Intel won’t be the only thing to consider if you’re looking for zero compromises. And as Ryzen processors start to break the 5GHz barrier, things will only get better moving forward.
Utilize PCIe 4.0
Another factor to consider is that AMD is still the only option when it comes to utilizing PCIe 4.0, and if you do insist on sticking with Intel, it won’t be until 2021 until Rocket Lake debuts full support. So as of right now, AMD still holds the crown for faster read and write speeds and data transmission if you wish to use it.
Admittedly, your casual gamer and the entry-level user will have nothing to gain from PCIe 4.0. They might not even notice the jump in bandwidth altogether and not see any significant differences from their previous machines. However, once you consider more intensive tasks and demands from high-end users, their NVME SSDs will significantly benefit from the double bandwidth.
Features Zen 3 Architecture
When you start comparing architecture, Zen 3 takes the cake and blows out all the candles as they step into the 7 nm+ process with their next-gen CPUs. And, for anyone still brandishing an Intel processor, they’ve been on the 14 nm process for so long now and have evidently stagnated in this realm of innovation. What’s worse, Rocket Lake will still be late to the party and barely scratches the surface at 10 nm.
Plus, we also need to factor in the overclocking headroom and support available that comes with Ryzen chips. Even on the lower end, you can easily squeeze out more performance with the right cooler and motherboard solution on your side. And with newer architecture, clock speeds and boosts are naturally expected to improve too.
Overall Better Value
AMD has always offered better value, and as Ryzen inches closer to going clock for clock with Intel processors, the value offered is bound to get better as tech continues to improve. Likewise, we can’t just compare these processors at their flagships but also their lower-end and mid-range selections, to which Ryzen is dominating. With 3100s and 3300Xs taking the crown at four cores, and the 3600 with the best overall value at six cores, we can expect more to come from Zen 3.
So if you’re looking to building something more affordable later down the line, then you might want to consider waiting just a tad bit longer until AMD Ryzen releases their 5600X, which is bound to be a very capable mid-range CPU beast. As a side note, Ryzen’s mobile CPU lineup is also gaining traction, and you might start seeing flagship Dell laptops and gaming devices feature an AMD-based processor.
When Are We Getting It?
Right now, rumors circulating the internet point to either October 20th and the 28th for the 5900X and 5800X, with the 5600X and 5950X scheduled for much later in the year. Understand, though, that these are mere speculations and the benchmarks have yet to be confirmed, so until we get an official statement, take all of this information with a massive grain of salt.
