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Not to be upstaged, AMD released its Ryzen 7 5800X3D, a new CPU with 3D V-Cache. Intel's Alder Lake has completely redefined x86 desktop PC chips with a new hybrid architecture that delivers amazing levels of performance. We've also thrown in results with both DDR4 and DDR5 memory for good measure. You can see the disruptive results in our Intel Core i9-12900K and Core i5-12600K review, and we've also added both our Windows 10 and 11 testing to our CPU benchmark database. Alder Lake also rivals or beats AMD in all meaningful performance metrics, like single- and multi-threaded productivity workloads. Even though AMD clings to the distinction of having the single fastest gaming chip available, Intel's Alder Lake chips take the gaming crown from AMD in all of the most important price bands.
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If you're looking for the fastest overall chips on the market, you should look to Intel's potent new Alder Lake series. Overall, there's a clear winner, but which CPU brand you should buy depends mostly on what kind of features, price, and performance are important to you. We'll also discuss the lithographies and architectures that influence the moving goalposts. We judge the chips on seven criteria based on what you plan to do with your PC, pricing, performance, driver support, power consumption, and security, giving us a clear view of the state of the competition. This article covers the never-ending argument of AMD vs Intel desktop CPUs (we're not covering laptop or server chips). It also gives Intel a leg up as we head into the Raptor Lake and Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 era.
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But in many cases, the answer is actually very clear. In fact, for most users, it's now a blowout win in Intel's favor, as you can see in our CPU Benchmarks Hierarchy. That's a fast reversal of fortunes for the chipmaker after its decade of dominance was completely overturned by AMD's Ryzen 5000 chips. That fact has spawned an almost religious following for both camps, and the resulting AMD vs Intel flamewars make it tricky to get unbiased advice about the best choice for your next processor. If you're looking for the best CPUs for Gaming or the best workstation CPU, there are only two choices to pick from – AMD and Intel.
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