Intel might continue with just four cores in the mainstream if AMD failed and Ryzen didn't enter the scene.
Intel might continue with just four cores in the mainstream if AMD failed and Ryzen didn't enter the scene.
We can reasonably believe the shift from 2 to 4 cores for i3 and from 4 to 6 cores for i5/i7 in the 8th generation was driven by AMD's better mainstream multicore performance. If AMD had stuck with the weak FX lineup instead of Ryzen, or had gone bankrupt, would Intel have kept dual-core i3 with HT, quad-core i5 without HT, and quad-core i7 with HT? Would they have developed a mainstream i9 offering 6 cores with HT for just $599? Let's explore this alternate reality! Your thoughts are welcome!
Competition pushes progress, but breakthroughs will happen eventually—likely aided by the influence of AMD. Still, AMD encouraged the industry to boost core counts faster than they might have otherwise.
Absolutely, why do you think these new NVIDIA cards are so disappointing? Unless these companies are deliberately holding back innovation and performance upgrades. Do you really comprehend that these are genuine businesses, not just groups of enthusiasts? They’ll keep keeping performance under wraps as long as it helps them maintain profits down the line. Picture Intel delivering chips that are 300% superior. What would they do next year if they couldn’t think of anything better? Tell me they can’t improve anything and just hope we’ll get it? How will they meet their annual goals? Or they could boost performance by 25% each year while still lagging behind and staying the market leaders. NVIDIA is doing things right now. Just wait for AMD’s announcement next month, and you’ll see them suddenly release new cards if AMD proves valuable.
They're quite similar, almost identical CPUs. Intel didn't attempt to improve them when competition wasn't present. The 30xx series seems to be underperforming.
Without AMD Intel it's probable they'd have a 4-core 8-thread CPU with a CPU core profile like 6C or 6T for regular desktops. Of course, they might offer higher-end options in the -x series for demanding tasks.