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Are AMD CPUs good for gaming? 

AMD CPUs can certainly be classed as efficient and powerful processors, but are they any good for gaming?

Updated: Oct 11, 2022 9:53 am
Are AMD CPUs good for gaming? 

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AMD has more than a few processors available, through the years, AMD has amassed over 50 Ryzen variants. That’s a lot of CPUs to choose from. So first of all, let’s determine what AMD CPUs are the best and whether or not AMD CPUs are good for gaming. 

Now read: Is the Ryzen 5 3600 good for gaming? 

AMD has made many advancements in the CPU space recently with its breakthrough Zen 4 CPU core, contained within the Ryzen 7000 series, these CPUs hit the shelves last month. AMD really came out swinging with its newest generation CPUs. 

How to tell if an AMD CPU is good 

Like many things, AMD CPUs have an order to them. They are all good in themselves, however, some are better at certain things than others. 

are amd CPUs good for gaming

Essentially the higher the number on the CPU the better. For example, a Ryzen 5 3600X is better than a Ryzen 5 2600X, and a Ryzen 5 7600X is MUCH better than both of them combined. 

There are four Ryzen families each containing more cores and threads than the other. Although this can vary slightly for specific CPUs in each family. The Ryzen families are ordered in the following order. 

  • Ryzen 3 – usually 4-core, 8-thread
  • Ryzen 5 – usually 6-core 12-thread
  • Ryzen 7 – usually 8-core, 16-thread
  • Ryzen 9 – usually 12-core, 24-thread

Obviously, the more CPU cores and threads you have, the better the CPU will be at multitasking. Additionally, the higher-end CPUs in the Ryzen 9 family usually have the highest boost frequencies. Meaning the Ryzen 9 CPUs have more cores amd those cores are faster than the other CPUs. 

The Ryzen 9 family was only introduced with the Ryzen 9 3900X, so this family hasn’t been around long at all. 

There are seven Ryzen series’ in total, with two of them being mobile CPU series (4000 and 6000) these seven series span six generations, and obviously, the latest generations are the best. 

Are AMD CPUs good for gaming? 

That’s an open-ended question and one that depends based on what you are comparing the AMD CPU to. If you’re comparing a 7000 series to a 3000 series then of course the newer AMD CPU is good for gaming. 

The thing about AMD CPUs is that they are often beaten by Intel in single-core performance, and since single-core performance is the metric that affects gaming performance directly, some would say Intel CPUs are better than AMD CPUs for gaming. 

The Ryzen 7000 series take single-core performance to the next level, however, demolishes Intel’s previous generation of CPUs in single-core performance. Something that’s never happened before. 

AMD CPUs have much more of a dominance in the multi-threaded CPU category, nothing can beat an AMD CPU in multi-core workloads. That is especially true for the 7950X. But even though it has the highest core count and the highest clock speeds, that doesn’t mean it’s a great investment for a gaming CPU. 

You want a CPU with between six to eight CPU cores and as high of a clock speed as possible. This makes the Ryzen 7 7600X and Ryzen 7 7700X the perfect low-cost gaming CPUs. Just remember you have to upgrade to an AM5 motherboard and DDR5 memory for these CPUs. 

If you don’t fancy shelling out and you’re on a tighter budget, you can always pick up a 5600X or 5700X. These CPUs are the last generation’s best gaming CPUs. 

Excellent

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

Ryzen 5 7600X

Cores

6

Threads

12

Base speed

4.7GHz

Boost speed

5.3GHz

Cache

L3 32MB

Socket

AM5

AMD CPUs are fantastic for gaming if you know where to place your money. Don’t buy much more than you need. 

Are AMD CPUS good for gaming?

The thing about AMD CPUs is that they are often beaten by Intel in single-core performance, and since single-core performance is the metric that affects gaming performance directly, some would say Intel CPUs are better than AMD CPUs for gaming.

is intel better than AMD?

This question can really be broken down into two components, single-core performance and multi-core performance.

If you are comparing CPUs of the same generation then generally the AMD CPU will be better at multi-core performance, making it better for workstation tasks. and Intel’s CPU will be better at single-core performance, making it better for gaming.


Jack is a Tech and News Writer who has a vast and proficient knowledge of CPUs, Motherboards, and Computer technology.

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