AMD vs Intel For Video Editing: Which One’s Better?

Much of the talk about AMD vs Intel revolves around the gaming benchmarks you can obtain from their processors and graphics cards. However, you can’t ignore the fact that choosing the right processor matters just as much for the content creator segment too. Of course, the two possible choices you have when it comes to buying a CPU are AMD vs Intel for video editing. Which one should you buy if you do a lot of video editing? Let’s find out. 

Also Read: How Much RAM Do You Need For Video Editing? 

Key Takeaways

• AMD and Intel have great options in their 3, 5, 7, and 9 families of processors with integrated graphics to offer impressive video editing performance.
• In 2022, Intel was able to offer more cores and threads on its processors, such as Core i9 13900K, with 24 cores and 32 threads.
• None of the AMD Ryzen 9 processors in 2022 have more than 16 cores, resulting in slightly inferior video editing benchmarking performance.
• Intel’s Quick Sync video encoding and decoding hardware core is the game changer for its unmatched video editing performance.
• In most head-to-head battles, AMD processors have more L3 Cache but fewer cores and threads than the Intel processors they compete with.

Table of Content

AMD Processors

The first thing you should know about AMD processors if you are thinking about using them for video editing purposes is that they may be considered suitable for this job for 2 major reasons. First, they have plenty of L3 cache on most of them. Second, their simultaneous multi-threading technology is great. 

However, we can’t get ahead of ourselves in terms of hyperthreading or simultaneous multi-threading, as it plays little to no role in improving your video editing process. However, there is no denying the fact that AMD CPUs also have quite a few cores and threads, which can be great for improving the speeds of any task, including video editing. 

Putting a lot of cores and threads on a processor isn’t reserved for AMD anymore since Intel has done great work in this area in recent years. However, there is one thing where AMD definitely offers great benefits to video editors: the L3 cache department. 

In most cases, you will find plenty of L3 cache on AMD processors compared to Intel’s similar processors. Having said that, AMD is usually considered a better processor by many in terms of productivity, but Intel is no slouch, and we’ll discover that we continue to read. 

Looking to edit videos on a major scale? Consider knowing more about AMD Ryzen Threadripper in this detailed Ryzen 9 vs Threadripper comparison. 

Intel Processors

Intel might not offer you a lot of L3 cache, but it has other ammunition in the inventory that it uses when required. First of all, Intel has been putting great emphasis on its threads and cores in the recent iterations of its processors. 

To be precise, some of the 13th generation Core i9 processors from the company that are coming in 2023 have up to 24 cores and 32 threads. The company also launched a long lineup of such CPUs in the 4th quarter of 2022. 

The only area in which Intel seems to struggle or lose to AMD is the L3 cache. In the fastest processors offered by the manufacturer, you usually don’t get more than a 32 MB L3 cache. In other words, Intel CPUs can remember fewer instructions than AMD processors. 

However, Intel does have something that AMD processors still can’t beat, and that’s Quick Sync. Intel offers Quick Sync, a dedicated core on the processor to take care of decoding and encoding tasks you perform. Beating that is difficult, and Quick Sync certainly makes a huge performance difference in video editing tools that support it. 

Other Factors That Affect Performance

Before we move into the benchmarks that will give us a clear picture of which is better at video editing, it’s important to mention that CPUs aren’t solely responsible for how fast you can edit videos, encode, and decode them. There are many other components playing a major role in there. 

For example, you have to have enough RAM on your computer to support your PC in order to work faster. Furthermore, what type of RAM you have also matters. Of course, you are going to squeeze more from a DDR4 RAM paired with a new processor than a DDR3 RAM paired with the same. 

A dedicated graphics card’s presence or absence will also impact your computer’s overall video editing performance. Some processors are designed to work with GPUs to share the workload and offer you faster video encoding and decoding speeds. 

Also Read: How To Lower CPU Temperature 

AMD Vs Intel Video Editing – Video Editing Benchmarks

Since we are comparing the two processor manufacturers based on their video editing performance, it only makes sense that we look at their benchmarks based on their performance in one of the most renowned video editing software i.e. Adobe Premiere Pro. 

Keeping in mind that different people have different budgets they’re working with, we have divided the benchmarks into 3 different categories: Top-tier, mid-tier, and low-tier. AMD has recently switched to AM5 sockets, and all the processors we have picked in these benchmarks are compatible with AM5. 

If you are wondering what benefit you will get from switching to AM5 from AM4, you will surely gain a lot from this guide: AM5 Vs. AM4: Worth The Upgrade?

Top Tier Processors Benchmarks

The first two processors that we have picked for the benchmark comparison are among the best ones from both manufacturers i.e. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs Intel Core i9 13900K. Here is a comparison table of the two for your review. 

Comparison Table

Both processors are from 2022, with lots of cores and threads along with a high TDP rating. The benchmark scores have been taken from Jarrod’sTech on YouTube. Before getting into the benchmarks, let’s take a look at their testing rig.

Testing Rig

• CPU 1: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
• CPU 2: Intel Core i9 13900K
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
• Motherboard AMD: Gigabyte Aorus X670 E Master
• Motherboard Intel: MSI Z690 Unify
• RAM:Skill Trident Z5 Neo
• SSD: MSI Spatium M480
• Case: NZXT H700i
• Cooler: MSI Core Liquid S360 AIO
• Power Supply: Corsair HX1000i

Now that we know the rig both processors are being supported with, let’s take a look at the benchmark results.

• The score on both processors is quite similar, with AMD Ryzen 9 7950X offering a score of 1306 vs Intel Core i9 13900K offering a score of 1304, which means there is no better or inferior between the two processors in this test.

Want to see how Intel Core i9 13900K fairs against another one of Intel’s powerful CPUs i.e. Core i9 12900K? This Intel i9-13900K vs i9-12900K comparison would be the perfect way to know. 

Mid-tier Processors Benchmarks

In this benchmark test, we’ll test two mid-tier processors from AMD and Intel to compete with each other. The two processors we’ve chosen are AMD Ryzen 7 7700x vs Intel Core i7 13700K. Let’s take a look at their comparison based on the spec sheet. 

Comparison Table

It hasn’t been long since the launch of two processors, and while Intel Core i7 13700K seems a bit better on paper, only benchmarks will tell the true winner out of the two. Let’s head over to Jarrod’sTech yet again for these benchmarks. Here’s the test setup they are using for these benchmarks.

Testing Rig

• CPU 1: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
• CPU 2: Intel Core i7 13700K
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
• Motherboard AMD: Gigabyte Aorus X670 E Master
• Motherboard Intel: MSI Z690 Unify
• RAM: Skill Trident Z5 Neo
• SSD: MSI Spatium M480
• Case: NZXT H700i
• Cooler: MSI Core Liquid S360 AIO
• Power Supply: Corsair HX1000i

While both CPUs have their own motherboards, the rest of the setup is the same. Let’s take a look at the benchmark results. 

• The performance difference between the two processors was quite clear in this benchmark, with Intel Core i7 13700K offering a score of 1215 against AMD Ryzen 7 7700X’s score of 1092, which means you’re getting a little more than 11% improved performance from Intel Core i7 13700K, courtesy to its more cores and threads.

Take a look at two mid-tier and budget-friendly processors from Intel battle it out in this comprehensive Core i5-13600K vs Core i5-12600K comparison. 

Low-tier Processors Benchmarks

If you are on a tight budget, but video editing is your bread and butter, you have to make a small amount work in your favour. That’s when you must look at truly pocket-friendly processors that can deliver. The two processors picked for this comparison are AMD Ryzen 5 7600X vs Intel Core i5 13600K. Here’s a comparison table of their specifications.

Comparison Table

The launch of both processors has taken place recently, which means you’ll get the best from both in terms of their architectures, memory compatibility, and core performance. The price point for both is quite similar too. Let’s look at their benchmarks now and thank Jarrod’sTech yet again for those. Here’s the setup he’s using for this test. 

Testing Rig

• CPU 1: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X  
• CPU 2: Intel Core i5 13600K
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
• Motherboard AMD: Gigabyte Aorus X670 E Master
• Motherboard Intel: MSI Z690 Unify
• RAM: Skill Trident Z5 Neo
• SSD: MSI Spatium M480
• Case: NZXT H700i
• Cooler: MSI Core Liquid S360 AIO
• Power Supply: Corsair HX1000i

Let’s take a look at how both processors do against each other in this low-tier processor benchmark for video editing. 

• Testing both CPUs on their video editing performance using the Puget Systems Benchmark resulted in a clear win for Intel again, with Intel Core i5 13600K scoring 1100 points against AMD Ryzen 5 7600X’s 972 points, giving victory for Intel with a 13% performance boost. 

Overall Benchmark Results

The overall results clearly show Intel to be the winner, and its Quick Sync technology could just be the reason behind that clear victory. However, it needs to be mentioned here that AMD did not lose by a huge margin in any of the tests. 

In fact, the top-tier video editing results were quite the same for both manufacturers. The maximum performance boost offered by Intel over AMD was 13% in the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X vs Intel Core i5 13600K benchmarks. 

The only time there was a great price difference between the two processors was in the case of the top-tier benchmarks, where AMD Ryzen 9 7950X was priced $110 higher than Intel Core i9 13900K. In the other two cases, the price difference was very negligible.

Intel Vs AMD Video Editing – Which One’s For You

The answer to which processor is better for video editing in 2022 comes down to your preferences. Our results showed Intel consistently winning in the benchmarks against AMD in the top-tier, mid-tier, and low-tier processor benchmarks. 

In the case of top-tier benchmarks, AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is priced shockingly higher than Intel Core i9 13900K. In the mid-tier and low-tier benchmarks, AMD’s processors are priced at $10 and $20 lower than Intel’s processors. 

However, that price difference isn’t huge since Intel’s Core i7 13700K and Core i5 13600K are priced quite reasonably as well. In the end, it must not go without mentioning that Adobe Premiere Pro can take advantage of Quick Sync on Intel processors, giving Intel the upper hand due to hardware advantage. 

Finally, if we have to ignore all other factors and focus only on video editing performance for the money spent, Intel Core i9 13900K is the best processor, with AMD Ryzen 9 7950X being the second best. Yet again, you never know how AMD might perform in the games, so it does come down to your preference. 

Would you like to see two of the best processors from AMD and Intel going head to head in a detailed benchmarking battle? Read this in-depth Intel i9-13900K Vs Ryzen 9 7900X comparison and find out which one is more impressive. 

Also Read:

• Ryzen 7 3800X Vs Ryzen 5 5600X: Worth Upgrading?
• i7-13700K Vs Ryzen 9 7900X: Which Is Better?
• Intel i7-12700K Vs i5-13600K: Which Is Better?