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We’re going to break down the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9 13900KS to see which CPU is better suited to your needs.
AMD is releasing the Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor today, to the excitement of many. For good reason too, these CPUs promise to be some of the most powerful chips for gaming available on the market. Their 3D stack technology allows a staggering amount of cache versus the Ryzen 9 7950X, proving its effectiveness.
Cache is used to store frequently used data and allows it to be accessed far quicker than if it were stored in general memory, this is especially useful for gaming performance.
The Intel Core i9 13900KS meanwhile, currently holds the crown for the fastest CPU available, being the first one to be capable of hitting the 6GHz mark right out of the box. Intel also made an effort to maximize efficiency and has done so by utilizing two separate kinds of cores, E-cores for efficiency and P-cores for performance.
This makes this a showdown of two incredibly powerful chips. To make things as simple as possible we’ll be breaking it down into separate sections and comparing the two CPUs in each of them. The aim here is not to crown an overall ‘winner’ but to give as complete an overview of the chips, and their differences, as possible, so you can make an informed choice on which makes the most sense for you.
So let’s get into it, here is everything you need to know about AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9 13900KS
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9 13900KS – Specs
| Specs | Ryzen 9 7950X3D | Intel Core i9 13900KS |
| Architecture | Zen 4 | Raptor Lake |
| Core count | 16 | P-cores 8 / E-cores 16 |
| Thread count | 32 | 32 |
| Boost speed | 5.7GHz | P-cores 6 GHz / E-cores 4.3 GHz |
| Cache | 144MB | 36MB |
| TDP | 120W | 125 W / 253 W boost. |
The Ryzen 9 750X3D and the i9 13900KS are both incredibly powerful CPUs that are great for gaming, but that is pretty much where the similarities end.
You might be wondering what the differences between P-cores and E-cores of the 13900KS are. Essentially E-cores focus on power efficiency while P-cores focus on performance. This means that when your computer is doing simple everyday tasks, it relies on the E-cores and thereby uses less power. When you switch to more intensive computing the P-cores kick in, bringing maximum performance and high speeds.
This gives the whole CPU great power efficiency, though, because the chip is so powerful that its TDP is still considerable.
Read more: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs 9 7900X3D
AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X3D is also incredibly powerful with 16 cores and 32 threads contributing to a boost speed of 5.7GHz. However, this does not match the 6GHz of the i9 13900KS.
It’s in cache size that the 7950X3D really comes into its own. You’ll see from the table that the cache count it boasts is off the scales, a huge 144MB versus just 36MB on the 1900KS. This is thanks to the 3D V-cache used on Ryzen’s entire X3D range.
The cache is really important for CPUs performance because it stores data that is frequently needed and makes it far faster to access, this is especially useful for gaming which relies on using certain bits of data again and again, the more of this it can store in the cache, the faster the performance will be.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9 13900KS – Architecture
Both CPUs carry different, but cutting-edge, internal micro-architectures. The 7950X3D comes with Zen 4. This boasts a newly reduced core size, 4nm, down from 5nm for Zen 3, this means higher density and therefore higher performance.
Read More: Where to buy Ryzen 9 7950X3D – expected retailers
Intel’s chip meanwhile comes with Raptor Lake. This too has made significant improvements over Intel’s previous architecture, with up to 15 percent improvements for single-threaded computing and up to a whopping 41 percent for multithread.
One important fact is that AMD has made the choice to double down and only include DDR5 compatibility, while Raptop Lake chips can also use DDR4, which is more common.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9 13900KS – Cores
Core speed sometimes referred to as clock speed, tells you how many cycles of instructions the CPU can complete in a second. The more it can, the more powerful it will be.
The 13900KS has the edge here as we discussed in the specs section, thanks to its 6GHz speed though the 7950X3D is not far behind at 5.7GHz.
Read more: What is a normal CPU temperature while gaming?
That’s not the end of the story however, another important factor is core count. The core count determines the CPUs multitasking ability. This is because, unless the core is multithreaded, one core can only handle one task at a time.
As you can see, while the i9 13900KS has more cores, both chips have an identical thread count. This is because only the P-cores of the 13900KS are multithreaded, while all 16 cores of the 7950X3D are.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9 13900KS – TDP
TDP is short for thermal design power. It tells you a few things about a CPU such as the maximum power draw it can have, as well as the cooling requirements a CPU needs to perform.
Read More: Best cooler for i9-13900K (air, liquid, RGB)
The i9 has two different TDPs based on whether it is in normal or boost mode. Intel has tried to keep this down, in part through their LITTLE.big technology. This focuses on power management and facilitates switching between the P-cores and E-cores. This means that the CPU should only be drawing the minimal amount of energy it needs to run, reserving the more power-hungry P-cores for when they are needed.
The 7950X3D has both a lower default TDP and boost TDP. This will result in lower running costs and the need for a less sophisticated cooling solution.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9 13900KS – Price
Price, alongside performance, is an absolutely vital factor in deciding what tech to buy. AMD confirmed it will have an MSRP of $699. This is just a shade less than the 13900KS which goes for around $730.
Where to buy Ryzen 9 7950X3D:
Read more: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs 9 7950X3D
While the 7950X3D may come out cheaper it actually represents quite a steep hike compared to the last generation of Ryzen CPUs, while Intel has kept its prices more stable over the last few years.
Intel Core i9-13900KS
Architecture
Raptor Lake
Core count
P-cores 8 / E-cores 16
Thread count
32
Boost speed
P-cores 6 GHz / E-cores 4.3 GHz
Cache
36MB
Which one should you go for?
These are two incredibly powerful chips that are quite different in a lot of ways.
This means exactly which one you should go for does not have an objective answer, instead, it depends on what you intend to use your CPU for.
For example, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is incredibly powerful for gaming, thanks to its monumental cache size, it is less suited to workflows that rely on many cores for multitasking. If you want a powerful CPU that won’t be used for gaming, going for the Intel Core i9 13900KS makes the most sense for you.
If you are looking for a CPU specifically for gaming, these two are almost neck and neck, though the 7950X3D is of course cheaper. With its release not far away it makes a lot of sense to wait till the 7950X3D comes out, so we can have more precise benchmarks before you make your decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is the i9-13900KS worth it?
The i9-13900Ks is currently the best that Intel can offer, though its steep price of around $730 certainly raises some eyebrows. If you’re after a powerful CPU, you should definitely consider AMD’s latest Ryzen 9 7950X3D which costs around $100 less.
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