Computer Processors (CPUs)

Every PC has a Central Processing Unit (CPU) which acts as the brain of your system. It is connected to the motherboard and works alongside the other components processing strings of data which allows for data and applications to rendered and run.

There are two companies who dominate the PC Processor market these are AMD and Intel. Both have been around for decades and have become main suppliers for the home and business markets.

Both companies have fierce rivalry and have near identical chip products on the market at the same time as they compete for the fastest chip and share of the market. Intel is without question the larger company and for many years was regarded as the fastest processor supplier. However it is now very close and many people are now turning to AMD for systems and upgrades.

My personal view is I have used both company's products over the years and found very stable and fast systems using both makes. The AMD processors do tend to run hotter than the Intel versions, but with a suitable fan this is easily kept under control.

Intel products have in my experience always been more expensive typically £20-£30 more than an AMD equivalent chips. Throughout my usage and builds find the AMD more affordable and easier to source cheaper but efficient coolers. Intel's products extra price is often as a result that they are available more in retail packaging rather than cheaper OEM.

If you are looking to upgrade then one of the main considerations is likely to be the price. On Intel based boards the area around the CPU is taken up by stands and clips which are needed to attach the heat sink and cooling fan, AMD products use a smaller traditional looking heat sink and fan which clip onto either side of the CPU socket and take up less space on the board.

My advice would be to compare the prices of the CPUs against the higher versions as often another £10 buys you a significant jump in processor speed. You should look at comparing like for like Intel and AMD products for price and check how much a compatible motherboard is likely to cost. As typically you will need to upgrade the motherboard, CPU and memory. This may seem like a lot but they work closely together and will give your system a significant performance boost.