Discuss advanced topics comparing 10th gen Intel CPUs and AMD Ryzen processors
Discuss advanced topics comparing 10th gen Intel CPUs and AMD Ryzen processors
Hey there, I've pushed my quad-core i5 3570k at its maximum and I'm set to upgrade completely. It's only managing around 120 FPS in Valorant with my GTX 970, which bothers me since I have a 144Hz display. (Other details: Asus Z77 motherboard, 16GB 1600MHz DDR3, Corsair H100 AIO) I've been considering the new 10th gen i7 10700k, but I just read somewhere that 10th gen Intel CPUs don't support 4th gen PCIe M.2 drives. I was really excited about using the top PCIe SSDs, but if only AMD boards back the faster read/write speeds, I might go for a 3700x or 3900x. I'm really undecided. Would someone help me decide? I don't mind the $70 price difference between AMD and Intel much. Also, if I build my new rig in a compact case like the NZXT H1 or H210, would using a 3900x or an i7 10700k be too much if the case doesn't offer great airflow/cooling? And I've heard that future GPUs might use PCIe 4.0, so could a Z490 motherboard work? Thanks again! Your help means a lot! Edited May 9, 2020 by julianlang forgot to add another question
If you're strictly gaming (particularly just competitive shooters), you might have an argument for going with the 10700K, but as always with Intel, other than the 10900K you'll have no upgrade path. I wouldn't stress too much about the lack of PCI-E 4.0 because: regarding SSDs, in the real-world, you won't notice any difference between a 3.0 and 4.0 drive; in fact, pretty often you won't even notice the difference between a SATA SSD and an NVMe regarding GPUs, even the 2080Ti which is the fastest consumer grade GPU at the moment barely gets bottlenecked by 8x PCI-E 3.0, so if I had to take a guess, it'll take more than a PC upgrade cycle before GPUs actually need PCI-E 4.0 to run at their optimal speed I'd still go Ryzen personally, just because of the lack of an upgrade path on Intel, since 99% they will have a new non backwards compatible socket/chipset for next-gen. Also it remains to be seen how much Intel has improve the heat output on these chips. If it's similar to what Coffee Lake's like, then Ryzen would be better for the tighter case with non-ideal airflow, as they tend to run cooler (and consume less).
I believe Ryzen currently outperforms Intel significantly. At 1080p you'll see a 5-10% increase in FPS with a 9700k, dropping to under 5% at 1440p and likely even lower at 4K. In other areas, Ryzen clearly surpasses Intel's performance. If you're looking at 10th generation processors, it might be wise to wait and compare the Ryzen 4000 with Intel's offerings.
Thank you for your input. If I pursued the 10700k path, would I benefit from 3200-3600MHz RAM on a Z490 motherboard? You mentioned Gen 4 vs Gen 3 speeds aren't significant, so it might not be a big factor. Also, someone noted AMD tends to overheat more, while recent Intel chips are reportedly more power-hungry.
The Coffee Lake/Z390 supports memory speeds from 3200 to 3600MHz without issues. Ryzen processors generally stay cooler than Coffee Lake models because they operate more efficiently on the same 14nm architecture. Reports suggest improvements in thermal management on Comet Lake-S, though results will depend on upcoming reviews.
Intel chipsets and sockets have been compatible with two CPU generations since Sandy Bridge in 2011, requiring a BIOS update. Z490 boards were the first to support LGA1200 sockets, meaning they can run 10th and 11th Gen Intel CPUs or the latest models if Intel updates its design. If Intel releases an i9-11900K or 15-11600K, a Z490 board should still work.