PC WORKSHOP

[AJIexander]

Publication №5: How to choose a CPU​

After the video card, the second key component of the PC is the processor. In the last issue you learned how interconnected the CPU and the GPU are due to the phenomenon called bottlenecking. Therefore, we will continue to follow our logical chain and now talk about the processor.

CPU for your current PC​

It is possible that you have a limited amount of funds for upgrading your PC. You hope to replace your processor with another one without changing the RAM and motherboard. In this case, it is worth making the transition to the new processor only if:

Intel

• Generation of the old processor is Sandy Bridge or newer;
• Transitioning from Intel core i3 (celeron, pentium) → Intel core i5, Intel core i7;
• The motherboard supports the processor (can be checked on the manufacturer's website).

AMD

• Generation of old processor is Zambezi or newer;
• Transition from AMD FX-4xxx → AMD FX-8xxx (AMD FX-9xxx);
• The motherboard supports the processor (can be checked on the manufacturer's website).

You must be ready to purchase a used processor if your motherboard is not from newer generations. Check the functionality of the processor on the spot with the seller, and in any case do not pay in advance !!!

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Also do not forget to make sure that the TDP level for your cooling system is not lower than the TDP for the processor. Otherwise, you will need to replace the cooling system with another one. We will definitely talk about cooling systems in one of the upcoming issues.

CPU for a new PC​

To begin with, we will select the best models in our price category, and tests will help us, as always. Go to https://gamegpu.com and choose a game test that can load the processor well and work with multithreading. For example, consider Battlefield V.We are looking for a graph “TEST CPU” and choose as our video card RTX 2080 Ti and set ultra settings without DLSS and DXR.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Green - is the best choice.​

Intel for the moment, has performance per core higher than that of AMD Ryzen. AMD compensates for this with a larger number of cores, threads and low cost. Adding to this, all Ryzen processors support memory and processor overclocking, even on the lower chipset of motherboards. High-frequency memory provides a good increase in performance, unlike overclocking. This is due to the fact that the speed of the bus is infinity fabric very dependent on the frequency of the memory.

To summarize: Intel surpasses AMD in the high-end segment and loses in the lower one. At the same time, they have parity on average. The table above is only relevant for games, however if you not only play but also work on your PC, then Ryzen will be the best price/quality offer for you.

Each of you can make one perfect combination of processor + video card, which should be universal for games with different priority of processor and video card importance.

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Friends, we really need help with the correct translation! If it's not difficult for you, please suggest corrections.