AMD Ryzen is one of the most popular computer hardware manufacturers. The top computer component manufacturer is a very close tie between AMD and Intel, and the competition between that created some of the best and most cost effective CPUs.
There are a range of different AMD Ryzen CPUs, and in this article I will provide a full rundown of whether the AMD Ryzen is good for Windows 10.
Overall, AMD Ryzen CPUs are good for Windows 10. But, some models such as the Ryzen FX – 9370 will provide acceptable performance for web browsing and documents only. Whereas, others perform exceptionally for gaming and resource intensive programs, such as the Ryzen 7 3800X.
There are roughly 3 broad categories of performance for AMD Ryzen CPUs, surprisingly there does not appear to be any rhyme or reason to how well the different models of the AMD Ryzen perform.
Therefore it gets a bit confusing which AMD Ryzen CPU to go for, and to figure out how well it will perform for Windows 10 and 11.
Below, I will provide a broad idea of how well the different AMD Ryzen CPUs perform for Windows 10, bearing in mind that Windows 10 and Windows 11 perform pretty much the same on a computer that has identical specs.
How Good the Different AMD Ryzen’s Are for Windows 10
The three different categories of AMD Ryzen CPUs are:
- Those that can do documents and browse the internet only on Windows 10
- Those that can play graphics intensive games on the minimum setting, and resource intensive programs run OK
- Those that play graphics intensive games amazingly well, and resource intensive programs run extremely fast.
Each AMD Ryzen falls into one of these 3 categories. Ryzen explains that the different Ryzen model numbers are for different uses. There are different AMD Ryzen models, these are the Ryzen, 3, 5, and 7. Ryzen states that a:
Ryzen 3 – good for a mainstream user
Ryzen 5 – good for high performance but not a serious gamer or software use
Ryzen 7 – good for extremely high performance such as for professional gaming. Or someone who uses a resource intensive program as part of their profession.
However, there are so many different models of each of these. Also, the real world performance often differs by quite a bit based on extensive testing. User Benchmark
is one of the most comprehensive websites that has rated every CPU out there.
They provide a range of metrics that you can use to sort each of the different CPUs.
They also rate each CPU overall, and provide a ranking for the best CPU on the market. Currently the top position goes to the Intel i5 13600K. With Ryzen CPUs, however, there are some general rules of thumb for how well they will perform for Windows 10.
Below I have compiled a table that shows how well all of the available Ryzen CPUs work for Windows 10. Based on their performance for:
- Web browsing and working on documents
- Resource intensive programs like video editing software
- Gaming
They are also in order from worst performing to best performing. For example, in the last row of the table there are about 30 Ryzen CPUs, These are ordered from worst to best.
| Ryzen model | Web browsing and working on documents | Resource intensive programs like video editing software | Gaming |
| Ryzen FX – 9370 Ryzen 5 2400 G | Yes. Ok performance. | No. | No. |
| Ryzen 3 3200G Ryzen FX 9590H | Yes. Ok performance. | No. | No. |
| Ryzen 7 2800H Ryzen 5 2600 | Yes. Ok performance. | No. | No. |
| Ryzen 3 1300X Ryzen 5 1500X | Yes. Ok performance. | No. | No. |
| Ryzen 9 4900U Ryzen 3 4300U Ryzen 5 3400G Ryzen 5 5600U Ryzen 7 1700 Ryzen 5 5500U | Yes. Ok performance. | No. | No. |
| Ryzen 5 4600HS Ryzen 5 4600H Ryzen 5 1600 Ryzen 7 5800U Ryzen 7 1700X Ryzen 5 4500U | Yes. Good performance. | Yes, but very slow and almost unusable. | Yes. But, only games that are not graphics intensive like Minecraft. |
| Ryzen 7 1800X Ryzen 5 1600AF Ryzen 7 4800HS Ryzen 9 4900HS Ryzen 7 5700U Ryzen 5 2500X | Yes. Good performance | Yes, but very slow and almost unusable. | Yes. But, only games that are not graphics intensive like Minecraft. |
| Ryzen 5 2600 Ryzen 7 5800HS Ryzen 5 5600H Ryzen 5 1600X Ryzen 7 2700 Ryzen 7 4800H | Yes, Excellent performance, the best performance possible. | Yes. Excellent performance. | Yes. Very good for graphics intensive games |
| Ryzen 5 2600X Ryzen 9 4900H Ryzen 3 3100 Ryzen 5 4600U Ryzen 7 5800H Ryzen 7 4700U | Yes, Excellent performance, the best performance possible. | Yes. Excellent performance. | Yes. Excellent for graphics intensive games |
| Ryzen 7 2700X Ryzen 9 6900HS Ryzen 9 5900HS Ryzen TR 1900X Ryzen TR 1950X Ryzen 5 6600H Ryzen 3 5300G Ryzen 9 5980HS Ryzen TR 1920X Ryzen 7 6800H Ryzen 9 5900HX Ryzen TR 2990WX Ryzen TR 2970WX Ryzen 3 3300X Ryzen 9 6900HX Ryzen 7 4800U Ryzen TR 2920X Ryzen 5 3500 Ryzen TR 2950X Ryzen 5 3500X Ryzen 5 3600 Ryzen 5 3600X Ryzen 5 3600XT Ryzen TR 3990X Ryzen 7 3700X Ryzen 5 5500 Ryzen TR 3970X Ryzen 7 3800X Ryzen TR 3960X Ryzen 5 5600G Ryzen 9 3900X Ryzen 7 3800XT Ryzen 9 3900XT Ryzen 9 3950X Ryzen 7 5700G Ryzen 7 4700G Ryzen 5 5600 Ryzen 5 5600X Ryzen 7 5700X Ryzen 7 5800 Ryzen 9 5900 Ryzen 7 5800X Ryzen 9 5900X Ryzen 9 5950X Ryzen 7 5800X3D Ryzen 5 7600 Ryzen 9 7900 Ryzen 7 7700 Ryzen 5 7600X Ryzen 7 7700X Ryzen 9 7900X Ryzen 9 7950X | Yes, Excellent performance, the best performance possible. | Yes. Excellent performance. | Yes. Excellent for graphics intensive games |
Does Windows Run Better on AMD or Intel
AMD and Intel are the two most popular and best performing processors (CPUs) on the market. CPUs vary in performance and often an older CPU will perform better than a newer CPU. But, here is whether Windows runs better on AMD or Intel.
Overall, Windows runs better on Intel. A list of the top CPUs for performance based on independent tests revealed that in the top 50 best performing CPUs, 41 are Intel CPUs, whereas, AMD only has 9. The top 17 CPUs overall are also all Intel CPUs.
However, it varies based on the specific model of each. Currently, Intel CPUs hold the top 17 positions, and the first AMD CPU to make the list of top performing CPUs comes in at number 18.
Intel uses an i-series naming convention for their CPUs. There is the i3, i5, i7, and i9. Each year they bring out a new generation, and the naming convention is much simpler. There are some general rules for how well the different Intel i-series processors work for Windows 10 and other versions of Windows.
I have provided a full rundown of how well the different Intel i3 CPUs work for Windows 10 and 11 here, as well as, how well the different Intel i5 CPUs in this article here. In the Intel i5 article I also explain how to see what an equivalent i7, and i9 Intel CPU is, so you can get one of those if it’s more cost effective.
It’s common for specific i-series processors to be priced differently to how they perform based on the availability of particular parts, and how well the distribution networks (shipping) are working at any given time. So in many cases, you can get a better deal by getting an older generation i7 compared to a newer generation i5.
Is AMD Ryzen Better Than Intel
A CPU is a CPU, and the difference between different brands of CPUs can be large or only minor and barely noticeable depending on which two CPU models you’re comparing. But, overall here is if AMD Ryzen is better than Intel.
In general, AMD Ryzen is not better than Intel. They have quite similar performance, however, Intel consistently outperforms AMD. The top rated and best performing CPUs are all Intel CPUs, they hold the top 17 positions. AMD is comparable but slightly behind.
With CPUs often the difference is in fractions of a second in load time, or 5 to 10 frames per second (FPS) in a game. But, like most things, if you can get an advantage at a comparable price then it’s better to take it than not.
Therefore, you should choose the best performing CPU based on your budget using the extensive testing and data provided on CPUBenchmark.com