When building a PC for AutoCAD, you have to spend some time considering what hardware to get. You need plenty of RAM, a fast SSD, a good graphics card, and, of course, a blazingly fast CPU. But what is better for AutoCAD AMD or Intel?
There is actually not much of a difference between AMD and Intel in terms of performance nowadays. Both Intel and AMD CPUs can perform very well in AutoCAD as well as other tasks. When creating designs, the single-core performance matters more, which slightly favors Intel CPUs. For everything else, AMD is overall more powerful and better value for your money.
But how do you choose which CPU to buy between the two? What is better for AutoCAD AMD or Intel for a high-end workstation build? You can learn the answers by reading the text below!
What Is Better for AutoCAD AMD or Intel?
Even very cheap CPUs from both AMD and Intel CPUs like the Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 are powerful enough for basic AutoCAD work. This is especially true when it comes to 2D and 3D work because that relies on your single-core performance. But AutoCAD scales very nicely with both CPU frequency and the number of cores.
What this means for you is that the more powerful the CPU, the better. AMD is still the best CPU manufacturer in terms of raw CPU performance when comparing the 11th Gen Intel and AMD Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs. This is especially true for high-end CPUs and workstation CPUs with zero compromises.
If you want the best CPU possible, get an AMD Ryzen Threadripper. Intel Xeon CPUs are generally much worse in terms of value and are about the same in terms of performance anyway. If you want something more sensible, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is amazing. It is a beast of a CPU with 16 cores and 32 threads, which scales nicely with AutoCAD thanks to multithreading.
This is where Intel falls short. Intel’s best i9 is the 11900K that has only 8 cores and 16 threads. It does have impressive single-core performance, though, so it might be a bit better when creating models.
But in terms of value, you might be surprised to hear that Intel’s new 11th Gen CPUs are often cheaper and perform better than AMD CPUs. This is especially true for mid-range CPUs like the Intel Core i5. For example, the Intel Core i5-11600K has slightly better single-core performance than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, which is more beneficial in AutoCAD.
If you are choosing between AMD Ryzen 7 and Intel Core i7, then go with AMD again. The prices are pretty much about the same, but we once again see significantly faster multi-threaded performance on AMD’s side thanks to their better architecture on the 7 nm node vs Intel’s old 14 nm node process.
When it comes to features, this will depend on your preferences. With Intel, you can use Intel Optane for faster storage, but a fast M.2 SSD is still better. Both Intel and AMD have support for PCIe Gen 4.0 but note that AMD has had it for a few generations now. If you are buying an Intel CPU, double-check just to be sure.
Also, AMD overall runs a bit cooler and can achieve better overclocks. Their CPUs are all unlocked, whereas for Intel you need a “K” CPU. Last but not least, AMD can benefit from faster RAM frequency, which further boosts AutoCAD performance.
All things considered, you can’t go wrong with either AMD or Intel for AutoCAD. If you are building a high-end machine, get an AMD CPU because they perform better and have more cores. But if you are buying a cheaper consumer CPU, both options are more than enough, so find one that fits your budget.
Conclusion
AutoCAD is a program that can run on almost any CPU, but it scales well with powerful hardware. What is better for AutoCAD AMD or Intel then? AMD usually has better multi-core performance and Intel has slightly faster single-core.
For modeling, the single-core performance matters more. But for rendering and any other tasks outside of the software, you want to have the best multi-core performance. So, both options are great and you should choose a CPU based on your budget or one that can fit your current motherboard.
