AMD or Intel – Tough Choice in 2020

In May this year, Intel introduced the 10th generation Comet Lake-S processors to compete with AMD Ryzen 3000 series, and today, we'll look at the consumer battle in mid-2020.

Intel better for gaming

AMD user testing Intel Core processors, AD 2020. Colorized.

Most commonly, gamers look at the number of frames per second as the main indicator of processor quality. And indeed, the Intel Core architecture really shows teeth when it comes to powering games. If you want to get the highest frame rates possible, there's no need to buy AMD processors, as they're noticeably slower.

But it's a bit more complicated than that. The above statement holds credibility only in the case of enthusiast-level gaming. What does that mean? In order for Intel to truly shine and noticeably outclass AMD processors, you need a platform that fully utilizes the capabilities of the CPU. One such scenario is pairing it with a powerful GPU like the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, then testing the results @1080p or even less (!), in a game/location that heavily stresses the processor. Such a setup is meant to eliminate any possible bottlenecks arising in the graphics-processing unit, but, as you surely understand, doesn't provide a realistic scenario (is only meant to test the theoretical capability of the processor). Who plays video games at 720p with an RTX 2080 Ti? Nobody.

Modern, high-end GPUs are designed to work at least at 1440p, and often in 4k – at that point, the differences between the processors become so blurred they're virtually irrelevant. The same is true for players buying mid-to-low-performance equipment. A user of GeForce GTX 1660 or RTX 2060 won't notice a substantial difference between Ryzen 3600 and Core i9 10900k, because the bottleneck in this case will be the GPU, not the CPU.

This brings us to another interesting angle – that is, performance in older games, which are more reliant on single-core performance. Games like StarCraft II and Lineage II require a strong single-core performance, which is provided by Intel, partly due to much higher boost clock.

As you can see, even the ostensibly straightforward FPS measurement is much more complex in reality. Everything is about the platform, the resolution, and the kinds of games we play. Online benchmarks generally assume only one scenario, usually the most optimistic one, which is relevant to a small portion of consumers.

Table of Contents

Intel better for gaming