Whether you are looking to buy a brand new computer, or prefer building them yourself, the question of using AMD or Intel has been around for years.

With the latest Ryzen chipsets hitting the market, consumers everywhere have one thing in mind: What is better for streaming?

We’re going to be taking a look at the pros and cons of both, and give you the scoop on which one you should pick for your streaming PC.

Let’s get started.

The Importance of CPUs for Streaming

Generally speaking, the CPU in your PC takes the bulk of the load for processes. Your processing power determines just how much you can do with your rig, but for gaming and streaming, other factors come into play such as your GPU power or the amount of RAM you have available.

When it comes to streaming, the majority of the workload is determined by your Rendering choice, but that is only for the streaming program itself. Even using a GPU to render, your CPU still handles all of the programs running on your PC, including OBS or SLOBS.

Having a great CPU for your streaming PC is vital, especially to handle all the programs that accompany streaming, like chat bots and web browsers. We also have to be able to run the games we stream.  As we take a look at what each brand offers, let’s keep all of this in mind.

AMD Ryzen Chipsets

In February of 2017, AMD released the first Ryzen chipset, taking the CPU market by storm. The Ryzen chipset brought high performance at the time with a much lower price point, giving Intel a lot of competition for the entry-level market for CPUs.

Fast forward to July of 2019, Ryzen released the 3rd Generation of the chipset, with the higher end CPUs outperforming most other CPUs for the price point. Ryzen boasts high core counts, such as the Ryzen 5 3600, with 6 cores and 12 threads, all for $200.

Pros

The power that comes with Ryzen is from the Multi-Core Performance and Price Point. Before the Ryzen chipset, getting a great CPU meant dishing out a decent amount of cash for your PC.

Multi-core performance gives you more power in running multiple programs. Compared to single-core performance, Ryzens excel in handling stressful work loads, which is exactly what streaming is about.

Whether you are running several Google Chrome tabs, multiple programs to keep a check on your chat and song list, or even multi-boxing in World of Warcraft, multi-core performance is the primary feature that you should look for.

If you already have a First Gen Ryzen, there is also no need for a new motherboard, as the Ryzen chipsets all share the AM4 chipset.

Cons

While multi-core performance sounds wonderful, the Ryzen chipset still falls short to Intel for single-core performance. The performance of a single core gives more fps in gaming, as well as how well each process is handled on a PC.

If you are looking to maximize the performance of gaming, the Ryzen chipset will fall a few frames short of max performance over the top performing Intel processor.

Intel Chipsets

Intel has been the leading competitor with CPUs for years. Even with the recent competition from the Ryzen chipsets from AMD, Intel has still maintained its reputation for quality high-end, well performing processors.

With rapid innovation, Intel offers chips for low-end PCs, all the way up to server PCs for big corporations. The brand has always been a reliable choice for anyone looking for a lasting CPU.

Pros

Intel chipsets have always held the title for Single-Core Performance. The quality and speed per core has, until the 3rd Gen Ryzen released, been unmatched.

While comparing the Ryzen 9 3900 to Intel’s i9-9900k, the 9900k outperforms the Ryzen in Frames per Second in most games on the market at higher settings.

If you are looking to squeeze every frame you can out of your games, Intel has you covered.

Cons

Intel might have the single-core performance, but you will definitely be paying for it. Compared to its competitors, Intel has a much higher price point and Price per Performance mark.

Comparing the i7-9700k, the latest-gen i7 chip, to the Ryzen 7 3700X, Ryzen’s latest Ryzen 7 chip, the price per performance jumps. The CPU Mark Rating favors the Ryzen, and boasts a much higher CPU Value as well.

The Right Choice for You

If streaming is going to be a part of any of your plans and you are working off of a single PC streaming setup, then the Ryzen chipset is the right choice.

With the prices of the 3rd Gen Ryzen processors, the multi-core performance is too good to pass up. Streaming requires a lot of processing power and speed, and that is just what you receive from the Ryzen processors.

The 3rd Gen processors also cover the gap in single-core performance, making it hard not to choose Ryzen.

If you are looking to make a PC that is dedicated for just the stream, then the latest Intel chip will be your best choice. For the time being, Intel does well with CPU encoding, but this requires the best Intel CPU, and a completely dedicated setup for just the stream.

It’s easy to see how Ryzen is taking over the CPU market by storm, and for consumers like us, competition is exactly what we need. For the majority of those looking to get in to streaming, Ryzen has opened the market for great performance.

If you have any questions or concerns on how you should set your stream up for success, feel free to leave a comment below or check out the other guides we offer!

Written by AlfredGG. Check out his Twitch stream here, and YouTube channel here.

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5Head content for streamers looking to improve their channels.

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