During the AMD Tech Day at CES last month in Las Vegas, among the invitees were numerous gamers, and many of them were of the view that AMD processors are the best as far as gaming is concerned. Is this true? Lenovo, which uses both AMD and Intel processors for its products, is of the opinion that “both bring something to the table.” It notes that, as far as straightforward computing needs are concerned, while Intel processors offer a number of strengths—power conservation, graphics performance, processing speed, power—these also tend to be more expensive than their AMD counterparts. By comparison, it says on its website, AMD processors tend to be more affordable. In any processor comparison, it is important to determine what you’re looking for. Are you seeking speed, or graphics performance, or affordability, or flexibility? Do you primarily play games, or are you seeking a simple processor to allow for multitasking while browsing the internet? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you decide which processor is right for you. Sanjeev Kumar, managing director of Circle Gaming—which is behind setting up gaming cafés to organising gaming events—says, “For our gaming solutions at gaming cafés and e-sports tournaments, we are delighted to have AMD as one of our trusted hardware solutions.” According to Statista, in 2016, the value of the Indian gaming industry amounted to Rs 30.8 billion, and it is expected that the industry will be worth Rs 71 billion in 2021. Gaming, clearly, is the next big industry in India, and so it is a major opportunity for processor companies.
Vinay Sinha, director, Enterprise Business, Asia Pacific & Japan, AMD, says that AMD’s recent product launches are designed to provide breakthrough performance based on brand new architecture and they also provide intense competition in terms of pricing. “As a company, we have always stood for fair trade and believe that encouraging open and competitive markets is the only way everyone wins. This involves pushing the boundaries of technology to provide breakthroughs in graphics and computing, providing the best experiences to both content creators and consumers.”
On the CPU front, AMD Ryzen processors heralded a new era of premium AMD processors designed for impeccable performance. All Ryzen 7 processors are unlocked and feature 8 cores with 16 threads, to help players game and stream at the same time with performance to spare.
However, while AMD processors appear to enhance gaming experience, do gamers consider which processor a laptop or desktop has before making a buying decision? Santanu Basu, a professional gamer, says, “The choice of hardware makes a huge difference in the gaming experience. From my first desktop to my latest Ryzen system, my hardware choice has always been AMD.” Sinha says that gamers consider the GPU as the priority processor as it is responsible for providing graphics performance, which is used during gaming. “An analysis of how powerful the performance is against the price is the first check for gamers. It is also supplemented by software support, support for overclocking, thermals, and power draw. However, CPUs also matter as they provide computing performance, and therefore a good combination of both CPUs and GPUs makes for a good overall system,” he says.
All these, taken into account with ease of availability (gamers usually have specific shops or online portals where they trust they will get genuine products at the best prices) are factors that help a gamer decide a processor before making a buying decision.
Sinha says that AMD has the unique capabilities to build both the CPU and GPU, and this has led to a unique product in the market—the APU (Accelerated Processing Unit). “The AMD Ryzen 5 2400G and AMD Ryzen 3 2200G processors combine four of the latest ‘Zen’ CPU cores with advanced Radeon ‘Vega’ architecture on a single chip, offering leadership levels of system and graphics performance,” Sinha adds.
Most analysts are of the opinion that if you are looking for a more cost-effective processor, AMD may be the better bet. “For students, budget gamers and individuals with straightforward computing needs, AMD processors are a great choice—they are powerful and fast enough for most, while undercutting competitor pricing,” said a Gurgaon-based analyst.
