Ryzen 5 vs Core i5

[Gary Beene]

I've generally stayed with Intel for my customer PCs but am considering moving over to AMD because of the price difference. At the local MicroCenter, I can get these two all-in-one touch screen PCs. The AMD has a $120 advantage (but does have a smaller SSD).

$680
HP 23.8" All-in-One Desktop Computer; 23.8" Full HD Touch Display; AMD Ryzen 5 4500U 2.3GHz Processor; 8GB DDR4-3200 RAM; 256GB SSD

$800
HP 23.8" All-in-One Desktop Computer; 23.8" Full HD Touch Display; Intel Core i5 1035G1 1.0GHz Processor; 8GB DDR4-3200 RAM; 512GB SSD

Does anyone have any insight to offer?

My reading on the web puts the two about on par in most categories, but with a slight edge for the AMD.

[keith shelton]

I would go with the ryzen and spend the 120 in a 1tb nvme drive.
I just upgraded from a amd fx6300 to a ryzen 2600 and the difference is amazing.
KS

[Chris Boss]

Comparing benchmarks for the CPU's helps: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

The Ryzen 5 4500U is rated: 11,308 (6 cores)

The Intel Core i5 1035G1 is rated: 8,006 (4 cores)

Ryzen is a good is a good 40% faster than the i5 !

Take than into consideration as well.

[Gary Beene]

Howdy, Keith!

Thanks for the comment. I've used an i3 on several prior machines and wanted to move up to the i5. From what I've read, the Ryzen 5 ought to be a nice step up over the i3, without the penalty of the i5 price.

and, Howdy, Chris!

Yes, I saw that benchmark and it certainly says the Ryzen is a good performer. But I also saw some of the subtests where the i5 did better. It was hard to tell which of the results apply in my case.

I assume that the choice of processor has no bearing on whether the application works as expected - the underlying Windows OS shields the apps from the processor.

[Michael Mattias]

Should CPU manufacturer, model or brand really matter to an applications programmer using a third or fourth generation programming language?

(Other than "general" attributes such as reliability and support, that is.)

[Mike Doty]

Nothing wrong with 256GB drives. I clone to them. Good price.
https://www.techspot.com/review/2045-amd-ryzen-4500u/

[Mike Doty]

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-IdeaCe...dDbGljaz10cnVl

Lenovo                 HP
$682.57                $680
16GB                   8GB
512GB                  256GB
802.11ac  
card reader
hdmi out    
dvd rw      
webcam 720p

Price range under $1000 and can have 27inch screen.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-Touchscree..._t4_B089N4WC3L

[Mike Doty]

QHD
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/desktop.../p/FFICF500348

[Gary Beene]

Howdy, Mike!

Thanks for both links! The Lenovo PC is pretty souped up for that price. I wish my local place had it. I like having a local warranty provider, particularly when I'm dealing with customers whose only PC is the one I provide.

And, MCM,
I don't know. That's the point of asking. The reading I've done suggests that one processor or the other gives better results depending on the type of application it's running, such as multi-threaded or not. So I'm just looking to expand what I know that might influence the buying decision.

For "nothing" applications, I suspect it's a don't care. But for some applications the answer may be different. Some of my apps are multi-threaded and some process video, so I care if the underlying processors have different performance for those types of apps at equivalent price points.

Another thing to consider is that in my case, where I deliver a PC with my own customer software, a user might want to use the PC for other reasons - gaming, office stuff, etc. So I would want to know more about the PC's limitations than whether it would simply run my software.

Interestingly, I've had customers satisfactorily run my software on Win10 Intel and Lenovo sticks - price tags under $200. So I'm not super worried about whether an i5 or a Ryzen 5 will work. Rather, I'm just looking to better understand all of the PC purchase decision factors, especially those that would affect deciding how much budget is warranted.

[Mike Doty]

More is better like the 27" touch-screen. BestBuy should be local. $969.99
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-27-t...?skuId=6413369

[Jerry Wilson]

I went through a similar decision exercise last month. I've been using an old Dell with and i5 Core 2 Duo for way too many years as my primary code development machine (other code runs in separate noisy servers). It wasn't the fastest horse at the track but it was good enough and quiet enough to live near the desk without being annoying. However, I've been working more with multi-threaded apps and decided it was time to make a change.

I still build my own hardware so that I can get exactly what I want. The primary criteria was a reasonable amount of "power" in a VERY quiet desktop machine. It came down to a build that would use either the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or the Intel i5-10400 - both with a 65W TDP and 6 cores. While the AMD CPU uses 7nm technology and supports higher memory speeds than the Intel CPU, I chose the i5 because it provides enough speed and doesn't require a separate video card (I don't do gaming). Here's the build specs (USD):

ASUS Prime H470M-PLUS Motherboard ($110)
Intel i5-10400 CPU ($180)
Noctua NH-L9i CPU Cooler ($40)
Corsair Vengeance LPX RAM - 32GGB ($105)
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 250GB M.2 SSD ($60)
Win 10 Pro ($130)
In-Win CE685 Micro ATX Slim Case ($95)
Noctua NF-A9 Case Cooling Fan ($15)

Except for a VERY small amount of PSU cooling fan noise, this thing is absolutely silent at idle and under load. And, it boots to Windows in under five seconds. So far, I'm a very happy camper.

Bonus: ASUS AI Suite is a very nice app that comes with the motherboard. But, I had to download it as the ASUS install disk that came in the box was reporting a virus - which I reported to ASUS. ASUS on-line tech support chat was very good.

Don't forget to do Windows "cleanup" to get rid of some of the Windows crapware that gets automatically installed (see https://christitus.com/debloat-windows-10-2020/).

[George Bleck]

Gary Beene Something else to include in your calculations. MTBU (Mean time before upgrade). I usually OVERBUILD my systems so I get a longer lifespan out of it (except for maybe RAM or HD upgrades). Replacing/rebuilding a machine is a hassle and a half, so I'd rather pay up front for a more powerful system that will last me longer.

• Yes, more expensive in the short-term
• Usually, less expensive in the long-term
• Definitely, less hassle in the long-term

YMMV

[Paul Dixon]

Most software runs on 1 CPU core.
Those 2 CPUs have nearly the same single core performance.
They're both more powerful than you need.
Assuming the other specs are the same, go for the cheaper one.

[Stuart McLachlan]

Should CPU manufacturer, model or brand really matter to an applications programmer using a third or fourth generation programming language?

(Other than "general" attributes such as reliability and support, that is.)

Yes.
And even more so to an equipment supplier: "for my customer PCs"

[Steve Hutchesson]

If you are something like handy and can build your own computers, there is a viable alternative, China is awash with Xeon processors at about 10% of their original price and you can pick up a 12 core monster for peanuts. I was lucky enough to get 2 excellent Gigabyte boards that support socket 2011-3 CPUs and one of the two that I built has a 12 core Xeon E5-2690v3 which runs in the range of 2.6 to 3.5 gig and it really hoots on multi-thread work. Pleasant enough to use for ordinary tasks but as a dev box, I still use an unlocked i7 5820k as it is a bit snappier with single thread work.

The other thing, put LOTS of memory into a decent box and you will never be sorry, I have had 64 gig for about 5 years and the two new ones have the same.

[Gary Beene]

Howdy, Steve!

64 GB??? Good grief, what does that do for you? I've read that in general more RAM equals better performance, but only for a very limited number of applications. When I've gone from 8GB to 16GB in various upgrades, I can't say as I notice any difference at all.

Is the value of that much RAM understated?

[Steve Hutchesson]

Hi Gary,

Yes it is understated, for a modern box 32 gig works fine but if you handle large data, you can go larger and you will see the difference. You can also run a decent sized ramdisk and use something smart like ImDISK and you don't use all of what you specify unless you fully load the ramdisk. If I have learnt one thing from building my own boxes, more memory works for you. Put in "too much" and over time you will find a use for it.

[Steve Hutchesson]

Having read most of this thread, the box you build depends very much on the target you have in mind. For your own DEV box, build a ThreadRipper if you can afford it or a Xeon Platinum but if you are targeting a low cost box for folks who are not technical, look for reasonable CPU performance and a decent board. With memory with Win10, I would not go under 16 gig or it will start to get slow. I am not right up to date with the recent AMD processors but they provide good bang for your buck. Recent i3's perform OK, an i5 if it matters and you will be providing a decent user computer for a very reasonable price.

[Gary Beene]

Thanks for all the comments!

I went out today and bought one of the Ryzen 5 machines that I mentioned earlier. For my non-technical customers, the Ryzen 5 should be more than adequate. I'll let you know how the testing goes ...

[Michael Mattias]

And even more so to an equipment supplier: "for my customer PCs"

I agree.. but then you have to acknowledge you are acting as something other than an applications programmer.