To me Amd's answer is always to add more cores for a lesser price because they simply cannot compete core for core. Whether it's IPC or clockspeeds (both normally), intel always wins (although this gap has been closing significantly recently).
Sure lots of cores and loads of threads of secondrate is great for workers or people opening 1000 apps at the same time, but for everything else (including gaming), speed is key and intel wins here.
I always look at it with this analogy.... if you like and can afford to have a fast and flashy car that's quite expensive, turns heads and gets you about in style the quickest, then you opt for something like a Ferrari.......
If you work a lot and move large quantities of heavy and bulky items from place to place, then you buy a fleet of vans instead.....
The ferarri could transport your stuff but will take many, many journeys at a faster pace back and forth to move the entire load. The fleet of vans will of course be slower, but will probably fit most of the stuff in one load and do it all in one journey.....
Can the ferrari go back and forth in the same amount of time it takes the van to do it all in one slow trip? Who knows?..... but always the flashier, snappier, head turning option is the Ferrari and whilst the Ferrari stays faster, the van company will maintain sales by adding that extra van or 2 for value.
This post is probably a bit bait with regards to me getting a total verbal bashing from the pro Amd, but in honesty, you will often get money saving, solitary gamers who defend their budget Amd purchases by suddenly claiming to be renderers, animators, editors and all kinds of other work related professionals (having never done any of this previously and likely still have no clue how) just so they can give justification for their purchases.
They will brag how they paid less for their vans than the guy did with his flashy, faster Ferrari and how they can beat the Ferrari in the only situation where their vans are filled to the brim with cargo going from a to b or taking 40 people on one journey at the same time. They will also pounce on any potential flaws that the Ferrari may have such as that it may get caught by a speed camera (if youre not careful) and how their vans dont pose this same risk because they probably dont have the capability to get flagged (spectre/meltdown etc).
They will lastly state how their workhorses go on and on and will keep you working with an 'any mileage' van warranty until 2020, where with the sports car there is a new flashy one released each and every year for those who can afford it (cpu upgrades on same Amd motherboard)
In reality, for most Amd buyers, they probably wish they had the Ferrari because 99.9% of doing anything else in their van is not as comfortable, not as fast and doesnt turn heads with the luxury price associated with the benefits and privileges of owning the Ferrari. If youre going to save money as a gamer (most moneysaving gamers have a 1080p display at 60hz), then you may as well save yourself more and totally lose the enhthusiast traits and go in for a 2nd 3rd or 4th gen intel with a gtx 970/980/1060 and save more cash and still max your monitor.
i'm sure you get my drift but the Ferrari is intel, Amd is the van fleet. The van manufacturer couldnt compete with making a car fast enough so decided to instead offer 32 vans with 64 trailers so you can do some extra loading in one trip.... Ferrari could also offer 32 much faster cars in retalliation but they know they have the faster, more luxurious and sought after vehicle and they arent about to give 32 away for the same price as the 32 slower work vans....
People who work in vans, go to work with dreams of being able to one day own a Ferrari. People who drive and own a ferrari dont go to work as they already own the Ferrari and enjoy the joyride, if you can afford the Ferrari, why go to work?
This will get some AMD fans very salty i'm sure, but on a positive:
Amd has been closing the gap recently and is creating much needed competion, this in turn gives better pricing and innovation for everyone. For now however, Intel is still ahead for the most part.
***IF*** you are genuinely a majority renderer, editor, animator, dev or any other kind of worker who does use programs that COULD POSSIBLY utilise lots of secondrate cores and you do spend 99% of your time doing this and further dont mind having secondrate performance with absolutley anything else, then sure, buy the van fleet..... for anything else however, go intel (if you can afford it).
Of course it does have a touch of expense to the speed and luxury but as with anything in life, premium usually comes at a premium!