2022 has been a great year for PC enthusiasts. NVIDIA, AMD and Intel have announced their latest GPUs. Similarly, Intel and AMD also introduced their latest desktop CPUs, offering a complete solution for those who plan to build a custom RIG for personal use, gaming, and professional workloads.
Intel made headlines with discrete GPUs
2022 was a big year for it Intel. From the launch of the Arc series of graphics cards to the 13th generation of Intel core processors, the company has refreshed its entire range of processors with the latest models that are faster and more energy efficient.
With the 13th generation Raptor Lake series of processors, Intel delivered CPUs with higher clock speeds and more cores. Like the 12th generation Intel Core CPUs, the raptor lake series CPUs use hybrid architecture with a combination of P (performance) and E (cores). The hybrid CPU system allowed Intel to provide enhanced multitasking capabilities by cleverly assigning the right kind of core to the right task to improve performance per watt coefficient.
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PremiumWhat came as a surprise was the Intel Arc series of dedicated desktop and laptop GPUs. While these may not be as capable as the top GPUs from AMD and NVIDIA, these aren’t bad either. GPUs like the Arc A770 and A750 are mid-tier GPUs, made for 1080p gaming and cost around $350.
The 1080p and 1440p gaming performance of the flagship Arc A770 was comparable to that of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060. What was even more surprising was the fact that Intel even managed to deliver good ray-tracing performance once again, while the might not be as good as NVIDIA’s counterpart, it’s definitely something that makes games look good.
AMD launched the Ryzen 7000 series of CPUs with Zen 4 architecture in 2022.
AMD leapt over Intel in chip supremacy
AMD has also had quite a year. From Zen 4-based Ryzen 7000 series processors clocked higher than ever before to the RDNA 3-based Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs, which are as good as NVIDIA’s flagship RTX 4000 series.
Like Zen 3-based CPUs, the Zen 4-based Ryzen 7000 Series delivered excellent single-core and multi-core CPU performance, making these processors great for both gaming and content creation. With the new platform, the Ryzen 7000 series is also AMD’s first generation of CPUs to support DDR5 memory.
Again, RDNA 3 based Radeon RX 7900 XT and the Radeon RX 7900 XTX GPUs are better in both gaming and thermal performance. Compared to their NVIDIA contemporaries, AMD’s offerings come at a slightly lower price point, which makes them even more appealing, especially for those who want a GPU that offers the best value for money.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is clearly the most powerful mainstream gaming GPU in the world (Image credit: NVIDIA)
New powerful GPUs from NVIDIA
If you want the most powerful mainstream GPU for gaming, look no further than the RTX 4090. It’s gotten both bigger and better in size and performance. The extra performance also means you’ll need a bigger case and a new PSU rated for at least 850W.
The latest RTX 4000 series GPUs are based on the latest Ada Lovelace architecture. While the RTX 4080 is aimed at mainstream 4K gamers, the more powerful RTX 4090 can offer true 8K gaming and even comes with an HDMI 2.1 port, which allows users to connect the GPU directly to an 8K monitor or TV.
Despite the higher price, NVIDIA’s latest high-performance GPUs are still in high demand. NVIDIA is likely to announce some more entry-level and mid-range Ada Lovelace GPUs in the coming days, such as the RTX 4070 and the RTX 4060.
The Zenbook 17 Fold is the world’s first 17-inch foldable laptop (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Bonus: foldable laptops, ARM based machines
2022 is also the year we witnessed the launch of laptops with foldable displays from brands like Asus and Lenovo. Companies like PK and Samsung are also working on laptops with a foldable screen, which allows users to carry a laptop with a much larger screen by folding it in half.
Apple proved that Arm based laptops can be just as good as Intel/AMD powered notebooks. That’s why brands like Qualcomm have announced custom Arm processors for Windows-powered laptops that are likely to offer better battery life with more connected features.
We can expect more Arm-based Windows 11 laptops from top brands in different price ranges. NVIDIA and AMD are also expected to announce their next-generation mobile CPUs and GPUs in early 2023.
