But would they "rule" as much if everything 7nm-based was 30% more expensive?
Intel's CPUs aren't bad. They're just slightly behind technologically at this point. They still work and do all the stuff we ask them to do.
Having a "good product" is actually the problem AMD is facing. A "good product" has to be attractive to distributors, stores and OEMs/agents if necessary. It has to be well known among the target consumer group.
For now AMD has a very well performing product (with very good value for the consumer). I wouldn't go further.
I get this point and brought it up a couple of times in the Ryzen 4k mobile thread awhile back. AMD needs more "killer cpu's". AMD can win on price vs performance and the 3900 and 3950 are moves in the right direction. But for the same reason Threadripper is a niche product, as much as people are better off in value getting those over 9900K. The people that use that value would be few and far between. The cross section for people willing to spend that money on the CPU, that don't value gaming more than having the extra cores even with the small difference in gaming between them and the 9900k is rather small. Threadripper due to its configuration is while supperior in all ways from X299 and even super high core xeon W CPU's. The price structure is super restrictive, going into rather expensive and just increasing from there.
CPU's like the 4800U is what AMD has needed. That is a killer CPU, one that Intel doesn't have a real solution to and won't till they get to 7nm. 14nm just isn't going to let them get a CPU with any really clocks, with that many cores that low, and intels 10nm, besides yields, isn't going to let them get the upper end clocks up as high. Now AMD will have a CPU that just doesn't have a competitor, in a market where it can sell because the demand will be there. One that begs for a real premium product to be installed into. If those sells like they should, doors will fly open, and OEM's who would already be working with AMD would be more willing to stick their necks out for AMD in other product lines.