Should you wait for the Ryzen 9000 or buy the Intel 14th Gen CPUs?

Modified May 09, 2024 13:11 GMT

It is worth waiting for the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs (Image via Unsplash/Zii Miller)

AMD will possibly release the Ryzen 9000 CPUs in the second half of this year. While we don’t know much as of this writing, there will be a clearer image after COMPUTEX 2024, where the Opening Keynote will be delivered by Dr. Lisa Su, Chair and CEO of AMD, on June 3, 2024. Given AMD's track record and the numerous leaks online, it's reasonable to expect that the upcoming processor could represent a significant advancement in performance, efficiency, and future-proofing.

The question remains: should you hold out for the Zen 5 CPU, or opt for the currently available Intel 14th Gen CPUs? The answer hinges on individual requirements and preferences. In my view, if you're currently using an older chip such as the Ryzen 3000 or Intel Core 10th Gen, investing in a 14th Gen Intel Core silicon now may offer a more substantial performance upgrade.

Multiple aspects might impact your decision-making process. To assist you, we will discuss more regarding the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9000 series.

NOTE: Some aspects of this article are subjective, speculative, and solely reflect the writer’s opinion.

Ryzen 9000 CPUs' expected specs and features

Would it be worthwhile to wait for the forthcoming Zen 5 chip (Image via AMD)

The upcoming silicon from AMD is expected to be fabricated on TSMC's cutting-edge 4nm process, offering potential benefits in performance and efficiency. We might not see any increase in the core count. This is quite disappointing if you were looking forward to getting more core capacities.

Nevertheless, the Ryzen 9000 CPUs will be using the Zen 5 architecture. It is said to get advancements in instruction processing and potentially higher IPC compared to the Zen 4 framework. That means that each core of the new CPU will be faster than the current chipset. So you get better performance with the same core counts.

HighYield a reputable tech YouTuber and leaker shared on X that the new CPU will have the same on-package chipset design as Zen2/3/4, the same IO-die as Zen4, similar clocks, and DDR5-6400 support.

The Granite Ridge processors (code name for the Zen 5 microarchitecture) will work fine with an AM5 motherboard, subjected to BIOS updates. The cache size is also expected to increase. We might see 64MB of L3 cache and 16MB of L2 cache.

How good are Intel 14th Gen CPUs for gaming?

Team Blue offers fantastic SoCs (Image via Intel)

The 14th Gen CPUs are the latest offerings from Team Blue. These chips are based on Raptor Lake Refresh architecture. Based on your requirements, these Intel SoCs are a pretty decent choice for gaming.

That said, apart from higher clock speeds and a few architectural tweaks, there are not many significant changes to notice compared to its previous generations' variants.

There are multiple options available in the series, and covering them all will be very challenging. All 14th-Gen CPUs utilize the same 10nm Intel 7 manufacturing process as the 13th-Gen. They also have both P-cores and E-cores. You can pick the one that suits your needs.

Is it worth waiting for Ryzen 9000 CPUs?

Should you get the available Intel processors? (Image via AMD)

While it's certain that the upcoming Ryzen 9000 CPUs will exceed the performance of the current AMD Ryzen 7000 series, the exact magnitude of this performance leap is still unknown. Additionally, there is uncertainty surrounding their market release date.

That said, we have Intel 14th Gen CPUs, which are new and more advanced than the AMD’s 7000 lineup. So they are a decent choice if you want to build a new PC now. But if you want to upgrade from the Ryzen 5000 series or above or the Intel 11th Gen series or above, it makes more sense to wait for the release of the Ryzen 9000 CPUs.

Another important thing to note here is the new Zen 5 processor will require a fresh AM5 motherboard. On the other side, if you have an LGA 1700 you can upgrade your CPU to the latest Intel silicon without needing a new motherboard. It will be more cost-effective.

So ultimately, the final decision is completely based on your specific needs and priorities.

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Edited by Ritoban "Veloxi" Paul