Obviously AMD is doing better on price, which has always been its ace card. But now the outfit is offering a plethora of advantages, like bundled coolers and full overclockability on all models, not to mention complementary software that includes the Precision Boost Overdrive auto-overclocking feature.

Then there is the broad compatibility of Socket AM4 motherboards that support both forward and backward compatibility, ensuring that not only do you get the most bang for your processor buck, but also your motherboard investment.

AMD also allows overclocking on all but its A-Series motherboards, which is another boon for users.

Tom's Hardware says that AMD's modern processors tend to offer either more cores or threads and faster PCIe 4.0 connectivity at every single price point.

"There's a clear winner overall, but which brand of CPU you should buy depends most on what kind of features, price and performance are important to you."

AMD beats Intel in seven out of 10 comparisons.

The three in which Intel won were gaming performance, although Tom admits that is because it measures strictly by the absolute top performance possible.,

Intel definitely holds the ultimate in gaming performance with its most expensive desktop processor, the Core i9-9900K, and it's mid-range Core i9-9700K isn't far behind. However, the performance delta between Intel and AMD's comparably-priced chips often isn't worth the premium, at least for the vast majority of enthusiasts. 

Intel does better on drivers and software, it still has an army of software developers and a decade of dominance as an Ace in the Hole.  Chipzilla is better at overclocking too and scores much higher attainable frequencies.

But the differences and advantages make AMD look extremely good for the cash.

Tom says Intel still holds sway with the innumerable customers that don't use a discrete GPU, especially in the high-volume OEM market, so it has some time to try to wrest back the crown.