Why you should switch to AMD over Intel for your next CPU

Intel has long dominated the PC gaming sphere, but is it time to switch to AMD? I list out all the reasons why you might want to switch over to Team Red.

Our list of “Best CPUs for gaming” has an AMD chip in the top slot. The AMD Ryzen 7800X3D remains the best choice for PC gaming, despite Intel’s best efforts in the form of its 14th gen CPUs.

Intel and AMD have steadily been trading market shares since Team Red launched the “Zen” lines of CPUs way back in 2017. Since AMD introduced the X3D gaming CPUs in 2022, Intel has been desperate to try to catch up, boosting core clocks and wattages to eye-watering levels.

But, despite the higher initial outlay for motherboards, Ryzen’s AM5 processors otherwise have an advantage in both price and performance. 

Stability issues on Intel

Users of Intel CPUs from the 13th and 14th generations have been through a frustrating battle with their hardware. Stability problems have plagued these chips for months. Despite Intel’s initial attempt to push the blame for the issues onto motherboard manufacturers, it now seems that the fault can be traced back to Intel’s own microcode. 

It has taken more than three months for users to get answers. In the meantime, developers, server operators, and PC gaming fans have all suffered through regular system crashes and game performance problems. 

Intel

Efforts by Intel to stage a comeback with the Arrow Lake Core Ultra chips have so far not seen much success. As we saw when I reviewed the HP Omen Transcend 14, this new CPU was scarcely able to outperform a much cheaper model with a technically inferior CPU. Other benchmarks have likewise been unimpressive.

Lighter on your wallet

To return to the issue of budget, it is impossible to deny that PC components are expensive. Many PC builders will find their budgets being squeezed and will look for cost savings. AMD is looking to launch ultra-budget CPUs for the AM5 socket priced under $100 very soon, introducing them to the platform.

Intel, however, has no budget CPUs planned for its upcoming LGA-1851 userbase.

Platform longevity

AMD has a habit of keeping their CPU socket platforms around for as long as possible. As an example, AMD is planning to keep supporting the current AM5 socket until at least 2027. Considering Team Red has also discussed plans for Zen 6 CPU architecture using the same platform, this would make that AM5 socket span up to three CPU generations.

AMD

Team Blue, by comparison, tends to change the socket design every significant generation (Since 14th Gen was technically a refresh, LGA1700 users could upgrade, but there was little sense in doing so).

But, generally, this is due to Intel rolling several functions usually relegated to the chipset into the CPU die. 

The result is that an Intel user cannot just drop in a new CPU if they want to upgrade. The entire motherboard needs to be changed whenever a new gen is released. Once again, tying things back to the issue of budget.

AMD’s 3D V-Cache excellence

Dexerto

The reason that AMD CPUs have risen to the top of the heap when it comes to PC gaming pretty much comes down to one big factor: the stacked 3D V-Cache. 

AMD CPUs that sport the ‘X3D’ suffix can post better gaming performance figures purely because of this specialist cache, which supports the functions of the GPU and enables the entire system to function more efficiently. 

Intel simply does not have an answer to it. None of Team Blue’s upcoming chips have anything even close. The 3D V-Cache is what truly sets Ryzen CPUs apart in the modern era. 

So, if you are building or upgrading a gaming rig. Put your money on Team Red. You will thank me later.