Processors: Intel and AMD CPUs

The Intel and AMD processors (CPUs) used in desktop PCs

Top and bottom views of an AMD Athlon 64-bit processor.
Top and bottom views of an AMD Athlon 64-bit processor. Click on the image to view its full size

This section of this website provides all of the information a PC user or prospective PC purchaser or upgrader would need to know about the processors made by the two major manufacturers, AMD and Intel, that are used in desktop computers.

Click on  CONTENTS to bypass the following useful information and go to the CONTENTS menu..

The specially designed mobile processors that are used in laptop computers are dealt with in the Laptops section of this website.

Visit The Motherboard CPU Socket Types Used by AMD and Intel Processors page on this website for information on them in particular.

Will Windows 11 run on your current Win10 computer?

Note that only certain AMD and Intel processors have Microsoft’s support for Windows 10 to upgrade to Windows 11 .

Windows 11 supported Intel processors –

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors

Windows 11 supported AMD processors –

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-amd-processors

The following article provides the information on all of the support requirements and other information.

Will Windows 11 run on your current Win10 computer? –

https://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/blog/will-windows-11-run-on-your-current-win10-computer/

Intel processors getting security updates

Processors do get microcode updates that fix operational and security bugs.

Intel CPUs Are Getting Mystery “Critical” Security Updates [January 2022] –

https://www.howtogeek.com/781308/intel-cpu-are-getting-mystery-critical-security-updates/

 

Why do some Intel CPU model numbers end in the letter F? You better know before you buy!

Graphics cards are in short supply due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Consequently, you will probably find buying a separate graphics card difficult. Intel and AMD processors can come with a  built-in graphics chip (GPU). If you want to rely on the graphics that a processor’s graphics chip provides, you need to know how to tell from the Intel and AMD processor’s name which models come with one.

Most current Intel processors come with a built-n graphics chip. If the processor does NOT come with one, its model name has the letter F as the last letter in the name.An example is the Intel Core i9-10900F, which does not provide a graphics chip.

AMD uses the opposite method. With AMD Ryzen processors, the model must have the letter G as the last letter in its model name if it has a built-in graphics chip. The letter at the end of the model name indicates that it has a graphics chip. That letter is G. Most AMD Ryzen processors do not have the letter G in their model name and so do not have a built-in graphics chip. An example is the third-generation AMD Ryzen 5 3400G that provides a graphics chip.

Articles on Intel’s 10th, 11th 12th and 13th generation Core i5, i7 and i9 Core desktop processors

Intel’s 10th Gen CPUs: What’s New, and Why It Matters  [May, 2020] –

https://www.howtogeek.com/672037/intels-10th-gen-cpus-whats-new-and-why-it-matters/

Intel announces 10th-gen Comet Lake chips  [August 2019]  –

https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/cpus/1409980/intel-announces-10th-gen-comet-lake-chips

Intel 10th-gen Core i9 to deliver 5.3GHz clock speeds, according to leaked slide [March 27, 2020] –

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/intel-10th-gen-core-i9-leak-clock-speed/

Intel’s 11th generation processors – Intel’s new 11th-gen Rocket Lake-S CPU: Everything you need to know –

https://www.pcworld.com/article/394190/intel-11th-gen-rocket-lake-s-cpu-everything-you-need-to-know.html

Intel’s 12th generation processors –

Experts agree that Intel’s 12th Gen CPUs bring the fight back to AMD. After years of falling behind AMD, Intel won over reviewers with its Alder Lake chips.” However, note that apparently the 11th Gen CPUs are better for gaming than the 12th Gen CPUs. The 12th Gen CPUs are the best for content creation.

https://www.windowscentral.com/experts-agree-intels-12th-gen-cpus-bring-fight-back-amd

Intel Debuts ‘Groundbreaking’ 12th-Gen Core Hybrid CPUs For Desktop –

https://www.crn.com/news/components-peripherals/intel-debuts-groundbreaking-12th-gen-core-hybrid-cpus-for-desktop

Intel’s 13th generation processors –

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-13th-gen-raptor-lake-release-date-specifications-pricing-benchmarks-all-we-know-specs

AMD’s third-generation (3000) fifth-generation (5000) and seventh-generation (7000) Ryzen processors

It is easy to mistake the AMD Ryzen 3 1200 processor as a third-generation CPU. The 1 in the 1200 says that it is a first-generation CPU. The Ryzen 3 3100 and the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X are third-generation Ryzen 3 CPUs.

Examples of 5000-series Ryzen CPUs are: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 7 5800X, and the Ryzen 9 5950X. The first number in the long code of the name indicates the generation.  E.g., the first 5 in 5950X.

AMD’s fifth-generation 5000 series desktop CPUs were hard to find in January 2021 due to the pandemic. However, the third-generation Ryzen desktop processors are selling well. The best models are dealt with in the following article, followed by the best models made by Intel

Best CPU 2019: The best Intel and AMD processors from £89 –

https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/pc-performance/1406150/best-cpu-the-best-intel-and-amd-processors

AMD’s 7000 series processors are available. The link below is a review of one of them.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D Review: 3D V-Cache Powers a New Gaming Champion –

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-7-5800x3d-review

How to decode Intel/AMD  processor  names – What processor names mean –

The meaning of Intel/AMD processor names

Processor problems and the installation of processors are dealt with on the following pages of this website

PROCESSORS: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS –

https://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/…/pc-processor-problems-and-solutions/

Installing the processor (CPU) and its heatsink-and-fan or liquid-cooling unit –

https://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/hardware/build-your-own-pc/9/

CONTENTS

1.An introduction to the processors (CPUs) made by Intel and AMD
2.How to identify a PC’s multi-core processor
3.Processor usage – CPU usage – Which processes (programs) are making the most use of the processor
4.Processor (CPU) specifications explained
5.The manufacturing fabrication process measured in nanometers (nm)
6.Processor/CPU cooling – heatsink-and-fan and liquid cooling units

POSTS

POST: The amazing AMD Ryzen 5000 series desktop-PC processors are available now

POST: What to do if a faulty processor/CPU is the cause when Win10 fails to install on a new build PC

POST: How to decode Intel/AMD processor names – What processor names mean

POST: Microsoft processor support – Only Windows 10 given support on the latest AMD and Intel Processors (CPUs) – but fixes are available – plus how to disable Win10 data-gathering (telemetry)

POST:  About the Meltdown/Spectre Intel & AMD processor flaws that give rise to security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cyber criminals and hackers

POST: AMD Ryzen 2  (5 and 7) processors and Ryzen CPUs with built-in Radeon Vega graphics – the best PC gaming and workstation solutions

POST: Intel vs AMD processors – 8th generation Intel Core Coffee Lake vs AMD Ryzen processors (CPUs)

POST: AMD Ryzen 3, 5 and 7 processors (CPUs) strike back hard at Intel dominance

POST: Will Windows 10 soon only be able to run on upcoming Intel and AMD processors?