GuidesComparisonsCore i9-13900k Vs. Ryzen 9 7950x

Core i9-13900k Vs. Ryzen 9 7950x [Gaming Benchmarks]

Our Intel Core i9-13900k Vs. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X guide is here to help you select the right processor for your rig.

Both of the highest-end processors from AMD and Intel work towards the same goals, but they try to achieve them through different techniques. This Core i9-13900k vs Ryzen 9 7950x comparison will put a face to the difference between the two, and crown a definitive victor in terms of gaming performance.

Key Takeaways

  • The core i9-13900k provides 24 cores, and Ryzen 9 7950x 16 has physical cores. A greater number of cores helps in delivering better performance.
  • The turbo clock of the Intel core i9-13900k is up to 5.8 GHz i.e., greater than the 5.7 GHz max clock of the Ryzen 9 7950x.
  • The Ryzen 9 7950x only supports DDR5 memory while the Intel core i9-13900K supports DDR4 and DDR5it better for users with a lower budget to set up their PCs.
  • The gaming performance of the Intel core i9-13900K was better than the R9 7950x in almost all the games. Thus, core i9-13900K would be a better option for gamers.

Core i9-13900k Vs AMD Ryzen 9 7950x

Comparison Table

Specification

Intel Core i9-13900k

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X

Socket Type LGA 1700 AM5
Architecture Raptor Lake Zen 4 (Raphael)
Supports 64-Bit Yes Yes
L2 Cache 32 MB 16 MB
Single Thread Rating 4833 4344
Bus Speed 100 MHz 100 MHz
Max Operating Temperature 100 °C 95 °C
Support USB Type C Yes Yes
Release Date Q4 2022 27 September 2022
Price $589-$599 $699
Graphics    
Integrated Graphics (GPU) Intel® UHD Graphics 770 AMD Radeon 2
GPU Ground Frequency 300 MHz 400 MHz
GPU Turbo Frequency 1650 MHz 2200 MHz
GPU Execution Units 32 2
Graphics Output eDP 1.4b, DP 1.4a, HDMI 2.1
Memory    
Memory Type DDR-5, DDR-4 DDR-5
Max No. of Memory 2 2
Max Memory Speed DDR5 up to 5600 MT/s, DDR4 up to 3200 MT/s 1x1R 5200 MT/s, 1x2R 5200 MT/s, 2x1R 3600 MT/s, 2x2R 3600 MT/s
System Memory Subtype UDIMM
Best Coolers CPU Coolers For Ryzen 9 7950x  CPU Coolers For Core i9-13900K
Best RAM RAM For Ryzen 9 7950X RAM For i9-13900K
Best Motherboard Motherboards for Ryzen 9 7950X Motherboards For i9-13900K 

Architectural Differences

  1. TDP: The Intel Core i9-13900k features a TDP of 125 watts, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X has a higher TDP of 170 watts. This indicates that the Intel processor is more power-efficient in terms of thermal output.
  2. Clock Speeds: The Intel Core i9-13900k offers a performance-core base frequency of 3.00GHz and a performance-core max turbo frequency of 5.40GHz. In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X boasts a base clock frequency of 4.5GHz and can reach a boost frequency of 5.7GHz, making it a powerhouse in terms of clock speeds.
  3. Supported RAM: The Intel Core i9-13900k supports both DDR-5 and DDR-4 memory types, allowing flexibility in RAM selection. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, on the other hand, supports DDR-5 memory exclusively, which offers potential advantages in terms of memory speed.
  4. L3 Cache: The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X has a larger L3 cache of 64MB, which can contribute to improved performance in various tasks, especially those requiring quick data access. In comparison, the Intel Core i9-13900k has a smaller 36MB L3 cache.
  5. Core Counts: The Intel Core i9-13900k combines 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores, resulting in a total of 24 CPU cores. In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X features 16 physical cores, which are all high-performance cores. This difference in core configuration can impact the processors’ performance in multi-threaded workloads.

Gaming Benchmarks

9 games were tested in the first series at a high resolution of 1440p. These benchmarks were obtained using our measured test bench, the specifications of which are mentioned below:

  • GPU: Nvidia RTX 4090
  • Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX Z 690
  • SSD: Samsung EVO 970 500 GB 
  • Cooler: AIO – Arctic Freezer 420mm
  • RAM: Gskill Z Roayl DDR 5 – 6000 Mhz
  • PSU: Super Flower Leadex Platinum 1000W

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter Strike Global Offensive Performance
Counter Strike Global Offensive @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Our test showed that the Ryzen 9 had an average framerate of around 688 FPS, whereas the Core i9 was much further ahead with an average framerate of 800 FPS. The difference in framerate is not noticeable when it is so high already on both processors, but in such a CPU-bound game, this draws a good representation of the overall gaming performance of these processors.
  • The 1% lows hit around the same number for both processors, with the Ryzen 9 getting lows of 280 FPS in our testing, while the Core i9 had minimum framerates of 288 FPS.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 Performance
Cyberpunk 2077 @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The average framerates still showed quite a bit of difference in our test of Cyberpunk, a relatively GPU-intensive game. The Core i9 had an average framerate of around 144 FPS, while the Ryzen brought the framerate down to 130 FPS. Though still relatively unnoticeable, the difference between these processors is relatively large for a CPU swap.
  • The 1% lows were the same on both systems, 95 FPS.

Diablo II Resurrected

Diablo 2 Performance
Diablo 2 @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The average framerates with both processors differed quite a bit in our test of Diablo II. The Core i9 had an average framerate of 210 FPS, which was noticeably more responsive than the 185 FPS average of the Ryzen 9 7950x.
  • Surprisingly, our tests showed the 1% lows of the Ryzen to be better at 130 FPS vs 106 FPS on the Core i9-13900k, which is more of a noticeable metric to find a difference in, considering the average framerates are super high already.

Fortnite

Fortnite
Fortnite @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The rather large differences in average framerates continue with our test of Fortnite. The average of the i9 13900K reached around 227 FPS, whereas the Ryzen 9 had a performance of around 199 FPS. This difference can be very noticeable to e-sports players who enjoy this game.
  • The 1% lows had a large deviance as well in our test. The i9 had minimum framerates of around 142 FPS, whereas the Ryzen 9 had minimums of around 129 FPS.

God Of War

God Of War Performance
God Of War @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Our test of God Of War had the same disappointing performance from the Ryzen 9 with an average framerate of 111 FPS, whereas the Core i9-13900k rose above it with an average of around 129 FPS.
  • The 1% lows were even more drastic in our test. The i9 had lows of 106 FPS, whereas the Ryzen 9 dipped all the way down to 90 FPS.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Marvel's Spider-Man
Marvel’s Spider-Man @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Swinging through the streets of New York in Marvel’s Spiderman gave us the closest performance gap between these two chips. The i9 had an average framerate of 127 FSP, whereas the Ryzen 9 was slightly slower with an average of 122 FPS.
  • The 1% lows weren’t terribly different as well in our testing. The i9-13900k got down to minimums of around 81 FPS in our testing, whereas the Ryzen had a minimum framerate closer to 77 FPS.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Performance
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • In our test of Flight Sim 2020, the i9-13900k came out ahead with an average framerate of 122 FPS, whereas the Ryzen 9 had an average framerate of around 111 FPS
  • The 1% lows were pretty close in this game, with the Ryzen 9 7950X getting around 86 FPS, while the i9 lagged behind with lows of around 81 FPS.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 Performance
Red Dead Redemption 2 @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The average framerate was greater on the i9-13900k in our testing of RDR2. The Intel processor managed an average framerate of 130 FPS, while the Ryzen 9 had an average of around 120 FPS.
  • The 1% lows had a similar level of difference, which the Ryzen 9 7950X going down to around 89 FPS, while the i9-13900k had a minimum framerate closer to around 98 FPS.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3 Performance
The Witcher 3 @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Finally, the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt also ran better on the i9, marking its final victory for this comparison. The Intel chip gave a performance of around 163 FPS on average, significantly beating out the 148 FPS average of the Ryzen 9.
  • 1% lows were also noticeably smoother on the i9, hovering around 122 FPS, while the Ryzen 9 had lows of around 110 FPS in our testing.

Overall Gaming Performance

Now that we have some knowledge of the performance of the Core i9-13900K vs Ryzen 9 7950x, this part of the comparison will take a step back to look at the average performance of either processor. 

Framerate

Average FPS Performance
Average FPS @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The i9 had around a 13.5% increase in average framerate compared to the Ryzen 9, which is very significant. Our testing showed the i9-13900K to give an average framerate around 223 FPS in the games we tested, whereas the Ryzen 9 7950x hovered around 201 FPS.
  • 1% lows were not as drastically different in our tests, but there was a difference. The i9 had lows of around 124 FPS, whereas the Ryzen 9 had lows of around 120 FPS.

Temperature

Average Temperature
Average Temperature @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The higher performance of the Intel processor also came at the cost of more temperature, with the processor peaking at around 67ºC on average in our testing, while the Ryzen had a peak temperature of around 63ºC on average.
  • There are a multitude of factors that can affect the temperatures of your processors, so your exact result may vary from us.

Price And Availability

  • Being some of the most powerful processors on the planet, neither of the CPUs in this comparison comes cheap. The 13900K retails for around $569, while the Ryzen comes in a bit cheaper at around $552 on average.
  • These processors should be available all around the world.

Core i9-13900K Vs. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X: What We Recommend

  • i9-13900K: High-end processor with extra cores for excellent all-around performance and gaming.
  • Ryzen 9 7950x: Slightly cheaper but requires a new platform and RAM standard, increasing overall cost. Requires a new build.
  • Compatibility: 12th gen Intel processors allow for a drop-in upgrade, while Ryzen 9 7950x necessitates a new build.
  • Performance: Both processors bottlenecked an RTX 4090 in 1080p tests, but with a more modest GPU, they offer similar performance.
  • Winner: i9-13900K provides better performance for a similar price, making it the preferred choice in the comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ryzen 9 7950x better than the Intel Core i9-13900K?

No, Intel core i9-13900K is better than R9 7950x. The core i9-13900K has a greater number of cores, a higher turbo clock, more TDP, and better performance than the R9 7950x. It is also cheaper than R9 7950x.

What is the maximum operating temperature of R9 7950x and core i9-13900K?

The maximum operating temperature of R9 7950x is 95 °Cand that of core i9-13900K is 100 °C.

Which CPU is better for gaming: Core i9-13900K or  Ryzen 9 7950x?

The Intel core i9-13900K is better for gaming as it delivers more frames per second in almost all games than Ryzen 9 7950x.

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