How good is AMD’s AVX-512? Does it improve Zen 4 performance?

When Intel Rocket Lake processors with AVX-512 instructions came out last year, we took the opportunity to test how they can improve performance in the x265 video encoder. Since the now-released Ryzen 7000 processors with Zen 4 architecture also support AVX-512, and there has been a lot of debate about the pros and cons with Rocket Lake, we went back to that test to see how AMD’s alternative implementation fares in it. Read more “How good is AMD’s AVX-512? Does it improve Zen 4 performance?” »

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X test: A BANG of an intergenerational leap

More aggressive power limits? Okay, but at a higher efficiency than Intel can do, AMD told itself while working on the Ryzen 7000 processors. And that’s how it really is, despite record-high clock speeds that are truly unusual for a new, unrefined manufacturing node. If this is just the beginning… In any case, not everything is rosy and AMD’s new processors have downsides that will need to be addressed in the future. Read more “AMD Ryzen 9 7900X test: A BANG of an intergenerational leap” »

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D: Best for gaming? In practice, rarely

AMD’s first processor with 3D V-cache is a rather controversial piece of hardware. Sure, it may be the ultimate in gaming performance, but the desired effect is more “on paper” than practical, and when it does come, it’s in very rare cases. So that you don’t end up disappointed with a virtually single-purpose processor that may not even excel at gaming, we’ve broken it all down in detailed tests. Read more “AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D: Best for gaming? In practice, rarely” »

AMD conquers Intel territory: Ryzen 5 5600 vs. Core i5-12400(F)

In the cheaper mid-range of processors, only Intel has been involved in recent years, gaining a lot of popularity in the segment of the cheapest Core i5s. Similar to the popularity that the Ryzen 5 3600 once had. Since its release, however, Intel has turned around three generations of competing processors to get on the proverbial horse. To knock it off it though, AMD is coming up with the Ryzen 5 5600. Read more “AMD conquers Intel territory: Ryzen 5 5600 vs. Core i5-12400(F)” »

AMD Ryzen 7 5700X: A much more efficient CPU than the 5800X

At the eleventh hour, but still. The long-awaited Ryzen 7 5700X is here. However, we won’t be writing about the successor to the Ryzen 7 3700X as a significantly cheaper alternative to the Ryzen 7 5800X. The new octa-core Ryzen 7 5700X is primarily more economical compared to the higher-end model. Its power draw is just half in some tasks, which means that temperatures are also significantly lower. Read more “AMD Ryzen 7 5700X: A much more efficient CPU than the 5800X” »

BIOS bugs inflate Pentium G7400’s power draw by up to 100 %

Manufacturers don’t bother too much with tuning BIOSes for cheaper processors. As a result of mishandled power management, the processor may have an inadequately high power draw in the default settings. In addition, there is poor cooling and lower performance than there should be. However, this is not a thing you can’t fix, you just need to know where, what and how to adjust. You’ll learn that too from this article. Read more “BIOS bugs inflate Pentium G7400’s power draw by up to 100 %” »

Intel Pentium G7400: For what are two cores with HT (not) enough?

From the top, we gradually worked our way down to the class of the iconic Pentium. Its design is quite conservative by today’s standards. The performance of the dual-core processor is at the limit, which begins to complicate the actual execution of the tests. One of the biggest appeals is the low power draw, but that may not be worth much if your processor can’t handle your demands in real time. Or can it? Read more “Intel Pentium G7400: For what are two cores with HT (not) enough?” »

Test of the AMD CPU with the biggest price drop, the Ryzen 7 5800X

Why did we ignore the Ryzen 7 5800X for a long time and only add it to our tests now? Because it had a higher price, which made other models more attractive. However, thanks to AMD’s recent CPU price cuts, the R7 5800X will have its place in the market even after the release of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D with 3D V-Cache. That excellent price/raw (multi-threaded) performance ratio won’t be taken away from the 5800X. Read more “Test of the AMD CPU with the biggest price drop, the Ryzen 7 5800X” »

The same and yet different. Intel Core i5-12400 duel (H0 vs. C0)

We have a shocking revelation! And now, seriously. Different Core i5-12400 processor steppings differ not only in S-Spec code, but also in behavior in practice. Some of the expectations were confirmed, some were not. More importantly, you can choose the more suitable of the two options. But the best part is that everyone can evaluate the “better” variant differently. The differences across these processors must be negligible? No way… Read more “The same and yet different. Intel Core i5-12400 duel (H0 vs. C0)” »

Intel Core i3-12100F: No. 1 for nimble PCs at a bargain

We recently enjoyed the pleasing results of the Core i3-10105F here, and that processor already has a successor – the 12100F. It presents an option in the Alder Lake family for users on a budget. But that doesn’t mean it will limit you in performance. Plus, in target environments (especially simpler gaming PC builds), the latest Core i3 is nicely power-efficient without breaking your bank account. Read more “Intel Core i3-12100F: No. 1 for nimble PCs at a bargain” »

Core i5-12400 with DDR4 test: Meet the fresh bestseller

The more efficient Alder Lake processors with TDP/PL1 35–65 W are out. We are, of course, ready, and for a perfect overview we have complete tests of the Core i5-12400, i.e. the successor of the most popular models of the past generations. You can compare this processor in all aspects not only with them, but also with the Ryzen 5 5600X . It looks like this processor will sell like hot cakes. Read more “Core i5-12400 with DDR4 test: Meet the fresh bestseller” »

Intel Core i3-10105F is a rarity: Cheap processor for cheap mobos

The choice of CPUs for low budget builds is getting weaker and less economical – the current prices of Pentiums are reminiscent of a bad joke. Core i3-1010x(F) are the only ones in sufficient numbers at the moment, and still for reasonable money. It’s just a shame that AMD has no competition here. But the comparison of Core i3 Comet Lake with Core i5-10400(F) is also attractive. You might find that it’s worth the savings. Read more “Intel Core i3-10105F is a rarity: Cheap processor for cheap mobos” »

Test: Disabling small (E) and big (P) cores of the Core i9-12900K

The big.LITTLE concept in Intel Alder Lake processors encourages various “re-configurations” of the cores. Especially in the context of inferior scaling or priority settings that are not good for some applications. However, user interventions in this direction will more often lead to a disservice than to a benefit. Does it make sense to bypass E cores in games? It doesn’t. Such intervention drives processors into severe inefficiency. Read more “Test: Disabling small (E) and big (P) cores of the Core i9-12900K” »

Intel Core i9-12900K megatest: AMD in 2nd place again

The 12th generation Intel Core processors – Alder Lake is now out and we already have the full-fledged tests for you. These processors are significantly different from the previous ones in many aspects and many things are used “for the first time”. Among them are DDR5 memory support, PCI Express 5.0, 7 nm manufacturing process or hybrid concept of small and large cores. It’s time for a detailed analysis! Read more “Intel Core i9-12900K megatest: AMD in 2nd place again” »

AMD Ryzen 5 3600: Older bestseller head-to-head with new CPUs

One of the most popular CPUs in recent history. That is the Ryzen 5 3600. In stores It’s almost totally unavailable, yet it’s performance numbers are very valuable. Many of you own this processor thanks to its popularity so I presume you will appreciate a little head-to-head with more recent and more available models. From these tests, you will get an idea how the 6 Zen 2 cores stack up against Zen 3 (5600X) or Intel (be it Rocket Lake or Comet Lake). Read more “AMD Ryzen 5 3600: Older bestseller head-to-head with new CPUs” »