Question New rig. AMD vs Intel. Cant decide.

[Hyedwtditpm]

I need to build a new rig. I have to configs in my mind but cant decide between the AMD based system or the Intel one.
I'm going to use this for gaming, coding, and media compumption.
Performance is important but stability and problem free experience is more important. I dont want to diagnose, solve mysterious BSOD, freezes.
I was going to buy AMD 7900X (or 3d) + B650-E motherboard but watching a video from Jay2cents changed my mind since he complains about system unstability, USB problems and says updates didn't solve any of it and it seems other users are complaining about these too. But it seems most of these problems are seen with 3D Cache variends not the 7900X.
Should I stay away from 7900X 3d?

The thing is AMD system has a more future proof motherboard, identical cores and less power draw.

On the other hand, Intel uses more power, but I haven't heard stability problems. I'm thinking a Intel 14700K + Asus Z790-A motherboard.

They cost about the same.
So which one should you go for? Is there any other factor I should be taking into account?

 

[hotaru.hino]

The first question to answer is what are your exact needs?

• For gaming, an i5 or Ryzen 5 is plenty if you're not after 200+ FPS across the board.
• Similarly, I'd argue unless you're building multi-million line code apps and you have to constantly rebuild them, coding is actually a low power task. Especially if you're doing something like building for simple embedded systems or web apps.
• Media consumption can be done with a phone, so there's no need for power here (not saying you should use your phone, but driving a point)

The other thing with the whole future proofing thing on Socket AM5 is we really don't know what AMD's exact plans or implementation's are going to be. Zen 3 on Socket AM4 was a crap show with older boards getting the shaft more often than not.

If it were me though and I really want a new system, I'd rather go with Intel this time around because AMD hasn't really impressed me with how things are being handled with AM5 platforms. Another thing to note is, while it's not really a problem right now with games, there's the potential for improvement in gaming performance on a Ryzen 9 chip than a Ryzen 7 chip is limited because if there's any need for cross-chiplet communication, performance is going to drop. It's likely why the X3D versions of Ryzen 9 only have one chiplet with V-Cache.

The only other thing is the next generation of CPUs is due in the middle of next year. So if you can wait, it might worth waiting.

 

[Hyedwtditpm]

Thank you for the reply.
I cant wait really, my current rig is almost 10 years old. I'm having small problems here and there.
I do gaming on 4k monitor and use the rig with a VR headset, also this is a multi purpose computer I use like almost everything so I always buy the fastest possible CPU I can afford.

 

[Zerk2012]

The thing is AMD system has a more future proof motherboard

Not really unless your going to upgrade the processor again in the next couple of years.
Your last build lasted 10 years so that is probably not going to happen.

I would go with Intel well to be fair I always do.

 

[Hyedwtditpm]

This was a very extreme situation. I used to upgrade the rig every year before this one. I'm not sure how this one lasted 10 years.

 

[sitehostplus]

As far as alleged USB problems are concerned.

I'm running a 7950x3d with an asus rog strix x670e-e motherboard, and I'm running a wifi 6 wireless adapter from a USB port (replaces the built in intel wifi...yeech) and I've had zero problems with my wifi like this.

I also run an HP lazer printer on a USB port, and it's fine.

And the system is rock solid with no instabilities either.

My biggest problem so far is the SATA drivers not installing correctly (resolved by forcing the system to actually find the correct drivers in the AMD motherboard driver install program folder).

Does Jay overclock his rig? Because I don't, and that might make a difference.

Also, who makes Jay's motherboard? That could also be an issue.

Not telling you to steer away from Intel at all, just telling the truth about my experiences with the Ryzen 9 you're concerned about.

 

[Why_Me]

I need to build a new rig. I have to configs in my mind but cant decide between the AMD based system or the Intel one.
I'm going to use this for gaming, coding, and media compumption.
Performance is important but stability and problem free experience is more important. I dont want to diagnose, solve mysterious BSOD, freezes.
I was going to buy AMD 7900X (or 3d) + B650-E motherboard but watching a video from Jay2cents changed my mind since he complains about system unstability, USB problems and says updates didn't solve any of it and it seems other users are complaining about these too. But it seems most of these problems are seen with 3D Cache variends not the 7900X.
Should I stay away from 7900X 3d?

The thing is AMD system has a more future proof motherboard, identical cores and less power draw.

On the other hand, Intel uses more power, but I haven't heard stability problems. I'm thinking a Intel 14700K + Asus Z790-A motherboard.

They cost about the same.
So which one should you go for? Is there any other factor I should be taking into account?

Grab a 13 gen i7 and call it a day.

 

[hotaru.hino]

Does Jay overclock his rig? Because I don't, and that might make a difference.

Also, who makes Jay's motherboard? That could also be an issue.

From what I can gather on his video about why he switched to Intel recently is he was:

• Going after DDR5-6000 memory speeds
• Get the system to stay at high boost clock speeds as much as possible, which I gather to mean he at least enabled PBO (but he also mentions using Curve Optimizer)

And his motherboard manufacturer is ASUS, which doesn't have the best track record for AM5 X3D chips sure, but his main complaint is that memory was an issue. Which even at stock settings, appeared that he didn't have a stable enough computer to do anything.

So sure, you could write this as a one-off, but he mentions also that people have e-mailed him saying that they also had similar issues. In addition, Jay's a PC tinkerer. He likes metaphorically speaking pushing buttons and setting knobs. If overclocking and such is a requirement for his builds and it said build doesn't deliver, then what's the point in keeping it?

I also worked on a friend's computer with a Ryzen 7700X. It was having trouble being stable and I dialed it down to memory. They took it in for service and they had to replace the CPU, but I wasn't there so I can't confirm what happened.

In any case, if your Zen 4 system is working fine with all the adjustments, great! But I mean, that's like saying there's no problem with 12VHPWR just because you managed to install it correctly on a 4090 and no fires broke out in your computer.

I'm sure Zen 5 and the second generation of AM5 boards will be better. But as of right now? From what I've seen and experienced, currently AM5 left a sour taste in my mouth.

 

[TerryLaze]

I also worked on a friend's computer with a Ryzen 7700X. It was having trouble being stable and I dialed it down to memory. They took it in for service and they had to replace the CPU, but I wasn't there so I can't confirm what happened.

It is possible that the memory controller degrades really fast if you push the ram too high forcing you to to dial it way down, below stock even, to make it stable again. In the end that would force you to replace the CPU to get at least stock ram speed again.
On the 7xxx series a high vsoc (responsible for the imc) can blow the CPU up, so getting some amount of degradation from it isn't crazy talk.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Reading through real quick, it comes to mind as someone who was a a relatively early adopter on socket am4, it seems like I remember people having stability and ram issues in the first generation. However after a few months they seemed to work most of it out.

I do have to say from what I’ve heard of socket am5, and to be fair it’s been out what a year now? It does sound like there have been some concerns for sure and I do remember hearing about some CPUs getting fried etc.

I do think Intel has more of a reputation that if you want to put it in and it works, that that’s the way to go. However to be fair, as someone who’s owned amd systems pretty well exclusively since the late 90s, I think you are setting ryzen after the am4 socket, go more mainstream. How many more bundle deals are you seeing with amd parts and how many prebuilt systems are you seeing with their product compared to before?

That said, you can’t really say I’m biased seeing as I bought my first ever Intel parts for my rig, which is a z690 msi board I got for under 100 bucks and an i5 12600kf I got on Amazon for $140, along with a Thermalright peerless assassin 120 se. Great cooler imo. Plus I could keep using ddr4 and not have to buy ram again this go around. This should be a decent pc for 2-3 years anyway and I will have the option of a 13th or 14th generation i7 at some point if I feel to go that way.

However with Intel you will be more limited on upgrades plain and simple. Know that going in. At least on 12th generation gear you might be very very slightly behind the current amd parts. 13th or 14th generation you are probably closer but again know LGA 1700 is a dead platform.

AMD, I think they’ll work things out, they did with socket am4 and I’d say they are making too much money on ryzen to need this up. Their big thing for me is they need to get the cost of the platform down. Which is part of the reason I went with Intel this go around. AMD I’d be looking at least at $100 bucks now if I went with their lowest a620 motherboard and the ryzen 7600 and ddr5 vs reading my ram and getting a better board this time out.

Totally up to you. I can’t say when amd will exactly work out their kinks but they did with am4, so I think they will this time around.

Keep in mind also, guys like Jay, they aren’t necessarily like most pc users where you dial your settings in, set it and forget and move along with gaming, work etc. No these guys get stuff dialed in, then start hitting buttons to see how can I make this or that faster, what can I do to squeeze the max performance out of this box? If you do that all the time of course you will have stability issues. The folks emailing Jay, I’m not sure unless some are trying to replicate what he did.

I like having a fast pc as much as the next person, I’m a tech, and I like getting faster parts and seeing the performance. But that said I’ve come to the conclusion that mostly amd and Intel pretty much overclock parts on their own, so I just prefer to get things running cool and leave it there until I upgrade personally.

 

[sitehostplus]

From what I can gather on his video about why he switched to Intel recently is he was:

• Going after DDR5-6000 memory speeds
• Get the system to stay at high boost clock speeds as much as possible, which I gather to mean he at least enabled PBO (but he also mentions using Curve Optimizer)

And his motherboard manufacturer is ASUS, which doesn't have the best track record for AM5 X3D chips sure, but his main complaint is that memory was an issue. Which even at stock settings, appeared that he didn't have a stable enough computer to do anything.

So sure, you could write this as a one-off, but he mentions also that people have e-mailed him saying that they also had similar issues. In addition, Jay's a PC tinkerer. He likes metaphorically speaking pushing buttons and setting knobs. If overclocking and such is a requirement for his builds and it said build doesn't deliver, then what's the point in keeping it?

I also worked on a friend's computer with a Ryzen 7700X. It was having trouble being stable and I dialed it down to memory. They took it in for service and they had to replace the CPU, but I wasn't there so I can't confirm what happened.

In any case, if your Zen 4 system is working fine with all the adjustments, great! But I mean, that's like saying there's no problem with 12VHPWR just because you managed to install it correctly on a 4090 and no fires broke out in your computer.

I'm sure Zen 5 and the second generation of AM5 boards will be better. But as of right now? From what I've seen and experienced, currently AM5 left a sour taste in my mouth.

So he is overclocking his stuff. That explains a lot.

On the memory isseues: Not sure if he does this or not, but companies like ASUS publish a list of memory they have tested, and confirmed works with their motherboards. I follow this list religiously, and it's why I chose the memory modules I'm using. It does help.