Is AMD (NYSE:AMD)’s Carrizo Better than Broadwell?

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By Hanson So on January 14, 2015 Technology & Software

When it comes to computer processor manufacturers, only two names are worthy of mention in any such discussion: Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices AMD (NYSE:AMD). Truly, these two companies have been competing neck to neck for the past many years in the IT industry, one upping each other in clientele, and innovation. Now, both the companies have entered the battlefield yet again, this time Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) with its new Broadwell chips, and AMD (NYSE:AMD) with its Carrizo chips.

In recent times, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has taken over the majority of the total microprocessor industry’s market share, beating out AMD (NYSE:AMD) to become the dominant force in the market for microprocessors. According to experts in the field, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has been able to achieve this feat mainly because of its competitive prices – its processors are relatively cheaper than those of its main competitor, and it also offers solutions to its clients which are more accommodative in nature.

Now, at the 2015 CES, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) made a huge announcement: the Broadwell chip family, which has been designed for thin notebooks of low-power architecture. AMD (NYSE:AMD) couldn’t stand back and watch Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) glisten in all the glory, hence simultaneously made the announcement of the release of its Carrizo processor, made for machinery of a similar nature that Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)’s Broadwell processors have been designed to cater.

So, which chip is better? By simultaneously making the announcement of their chips, both Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and AMD (NYSE:AMD) have allowed analysts and experts to assess how equally the companies stand as far as their technological innovation potential is concerned. By simply comparing Carrizo and Broadwell, one of the two microprocessor chip manufacturers can be declared victor in this race. However, maybe a comparison is not even necessary, as some analysts have already declared the Carrizo chip family victorious in this competition.

According to analysts, even though Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has given more competitive solutions to its clientele, AMD (NYSE:AMD) has been developing stronger and more powerful microprocessors. So is the Carrizo chip really more powerful? Well, its design surely is. While Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)’s Broadwell processor is built on a split-die architecture, the Carrizo processor by AMD (NYSE:AMD) uses a single die to perform its functions.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)’s technology uses a 14-nanometer die for core functions, and then a 32-nanometer die is used to perform all peripheral functions. The Carrizo, on the other hand, uses a 28-nanometer die only, performing both core and peripheral functions of the system on the one die. This speeds up the processes, maybe just a tiny bit, but also raises cost (making Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) the cheaper option, as always). But such an architecture results in a stronger chip design, hence Carrizo takes the lead.

Another key function where AMD (NYSE:AMD)’s Carrizo takes the lead is the ability to decode H.265 video streams directly on the board. On the other hand, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)’s Broadwell processor cannot do this, and requires another graphics card of a dedicated nature to decode media files of such a complexity. Carrizo takes the lead yet again, as it is then able to decode H.265 media at a much faster rate because of the dedicated hardware capacity that Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has failed to provide in its Broadwell processors.