Almost always in IT sites, when computers to buy are recommended, the most important choice is the one relating to the processor, on which the motherboard (which must support the attack that the CPU has) depends and the other pieces to follow.
The various models of PC processors are divided into two large families, Intel processors and AMD processors.
For at least a decade, the rule has followed that if you have money to spend you have to choose an Intel processor, while AMD has always been the economic brand. Lately, however, things are changing thanks to the launch of the Ryzen AMD CPU series, which have been proposed with moderate commercial success and criticism, as valuable alternatives to the Intel Core series.
Today's question then is: Is it worth buying a new AMD Ryzen processor for your PC or changing computers by taking one with an AMD processor instead of Intel "> Differences between Intel and AMD processors and Intel Core i7 and i5 CPUs
To answer briefly, let's say a nice Yes, it is absolutely worth focusing on an AMD CPU today to have a high-level PC spending less, but to deepen the discussion it is appropriate to have a clear overview on the status of computers at home or desktop and on the hardware evolution in recent years.
The big problem in choosing the CPU / motherboard combination is all centered on the socket, i.e. the socket with which the processor attaches to the motherboard. The Ryzen processor class that was launched in 2017 uses the AM4 socket, very recent and probably incompatible with any motherboard released before 2016. Therefore, buying a new processor also means changing the motherboard and, probably, also RAM. This continuous modification of the sockets, justified to allow performance improvements and which is also a market strategy, can prevent the programming of future hardware updates for the PC if you are not well informed about what has been and what is there is.
Speaking of sockets for AMD processors, then, it should be noted that their compatibility is much longer lasting than Intel processors. For example, the AM3 + socket introduced in 2011 and was compatible with the previous generation of AMD chips, and previous AM3 versions and the same goes for the FM2 + socket. It can therefore be reasonably assumed that the AM4 socket released for the Ryzen processor family will also be used for future chips and that the possibility of making changes and updates without having to change the whole PC will remain alive for a few years (at least 4).
This means that if you want to change computers, this is definitely the right year to invest in a high-end AM4 motherboard, knowing that it will be possible, in a few years, to change the processor and buy a new one instead of the one bought today. The AM4 socket supports, then, the latest DDR4 RAM memories (incompatible with DDR3 RAM) which will certainly be a standard for the next 5 years (Although probably from 2019 or 2020 DDR5 RAM will come out).
With this scheme in mind, we can finally go find out what Ryzen processors are and what performance they have.
With prices similar to the Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, we have the Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 .
For a quick comparison, we can see how the Ryzen 7 2700X with eight cores compared to Intel's four is superior to the i7 for multitasking, with performance for single tasks absolutely comparable to its most illustrious competitor.
For the medium-high level home PCs, the Ryzen 5 processor, available in various speeds, with a price ranging from 150 to 200 Euros, has had extraordinary success.
The Ryzen 5 series has a greater variation of processors than the 7 series and the best is the Ryzen 5 2600X 6-core, 12-thread processor, capable of increasing its speed up to 4 GHz which is the same maximum speed as the Ryzen 7.
The Ryzen 3 2200G processor instead costs 100 Euros, is very popular and is a direct competitor of the Intel Core i3 processor. It is a 65 W quad-core chip without hyperthreading with a speed that varies between 3.1GHz and 3.4GHz.
Each AMD Ryzen processor can also be overclocked, in a simple program way, to increase its speed (if the motherboard is compatible). The chips with the X in the designation support SenseMI's Extended Frequency Range technology and can increase the clock speed by 100 MHz which becomes 200 MHz for Ryzen 5, while CPUs without X have a potential increase of 50 MHz.
Finally, note that Ryzen models with the X do not have the heatsink included, while the rest should include it.
Final question: Is it worth buying a latest generation processor for the home computer?
In general, the answer is No, you absolutely do not need a latest generation processor for 95% of the activities that can be done on a computer. For example, I still use a computer with AMD Athlon processor from 10 years ago, which I cannot replace because the motherboard is too old to support modern processors, but which still goes very well thanks to an SSD disk, 12 GB of RAM and a fairly powerful NVidia video card. The question changes only if you have to run programs that require a lot of processing power (such as those for video editing) or to play at maximum performance in games for which, in addition to the graphics chip, a fast CPU is also required.
READ ALSO: Component prices for an average PC of 300 Euros for each use
The various models of PC processors are divided into two large families, Intel processors and AMD processors.
For at least a decade, the rule has followed that if you have money to spend you have to choose an Intel processor, while AMD has always been the economic brand. Lately, however, things are changing thanks to the launch of the Ryzen AMD CPU series, which have been proposed with moderate commercial success and criticism, as valuable alternatives to the Intel Core series.
Today's question then is: Is it worth buying a new AMD Ryzen processor for your PC or changing computers by taking one with an AMD processor instead of Intel "> Differences between Intel and AMD processors and Intel Core i7 and i5 CPUs
To answer briefly, let's say a nice Yes, it is absolutely worth focusing on an AMD CPU today to have a high-level PC spending less, but to deepen the discussion it is appropriate to have a clear overview on the status of computers at home or desktop and on the hardware evolution in recent years.
The big problem in choosing the CPU / motherboard combination is all centered on the socket, i.e. the socket with which the processor attaches to the motherboard. The Ryzen processor class that was launched in 2017 uses the AM4 socket, very recent and probably incompatible with any motherboard released before 2016. Therefore, buying a new processor also means changing the motherboard and, probably, also RAM. This continuous modification of the sockets, justified to allow performance improvements and which is also a market strategy, can prevent the programming of future hardware updates for the PC if you are not well informed about what has been and what is there is.
Speaking of sockets for AMD processors, then, it should be noted that their compatibility is much longer lasting than Intel processors. For example, the AM3 + socket introduced in 2011 and was compatible with the previous generation of AMD chips, and previous AM3 versions and the same goes for the FM2 + socket. It can therefore be reasonably assumed that the AM4 socket released for the Ryzen processor family will also be used for future chips and that the possibility of making changes and updates without having to change the whole PC will remain alive for a few years (at least 4).
This means that if you want to change computers, this is definitely the right year to invest in a high-end AM4 motherboard, knowing that it will be possible, in a few years, to change the processor and buy a new one instead of the one bought today. The AM4 socket supports, then, the latest DDR4 RAM memories (incompatible with DDR3 RAM) which will certainly be a standard for the next 5 years (Although probably from 2019 or 2020 DDR5 RAM will come out).
With this scheme in mind, we can finally go find out what Ryzen processors are and what performance they have.
With prices similar to the Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, we have the Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 .
For a quick comparison, we can see how the Ryzen 7 2700X with eight cores compared to Intel's four is superior to the i7 for multitasking, with performance for single tasks absolutely comparable to its most illustrious competitor.
For the medium-high level home PCs, the Ryzen 5 processor, available in various speeds, with a price ranging from 150 to 200 Euros, has had extraordinary success.
The Ryzen 5 series has a greater variation of processors than the 7 series and the best is the Ryzen 5 2600X 6-core, 12-thread processor, capable of increasing its speed up to 4 GHz which is the same maximum speed as the Ryzen 7.
The Ryzen 3 2200G processor instead costs 100 Euros, is very popular and is a direct competitor of the Intel Core i3 processor. It is a 65 W quad-core chip without hyperthreading with a speed that varies between 3.1GHz and 3.4GHz.
Each AMD Ryzen processor can also be overclocked, in a simple program way, to increase its speed (if the motherboard is compatible). The chips with the X in the designation support SenseMI's Extended Frequency Range technology and can increase the clock speed by 100 MHz which becomes 200 MHz for Ryzen 5, while CPUs without X have a potential increase of 50 MHz.
Finally, note that Ryzen models with the X do not have the heatsink included, while the rest should include it.
Final question: Is it worth buying a latest generation processor for the home computer?
In general, the answer is No, you absolutely do not need a latest generation processor for 95% of the activities that can be done on a computer. For example, I still use a computer with AMD Athlon processor from 10 years ago, which I cannot replace because the motherboard is too old to support modern processors, but which still goes very well thanks to an SSD disk, 12 GB of RAM and a fairly powerful NVidia video card. The question changes only if you have to run programs that require a lot of processing power (such as those for video editing) or to play at maximum performance in games for which, in addition to the graphics chip, a fast CPU is also required.
READ ALSO: Component prices for an average PC of 300 Euros for each use
