On the same day that AMD's Ryzen 9 7950X hits store shelves, Intel is releasing the 24-core Core i9-13900K, the first of its 13th-generation Raptor Lake CPUs. The main products of the upcoming generation are the Core i9-13900K and Ryzen 9 7950X, and because of their close proximity, PC builders must choose between AMD and Intel.
Even though the Core i9-13900K isn't yet available, we can estimate how it will perform based on the data we got for the Ryzen 9 7950X review. The wisest course of action is to wait for more testing before selecting which CPU is ideal for you, but one thing is for certain: The race for this generation's top processor is very contested.
{tocify} $title={Table of Contents}
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs. Intel Core i9-13900K
Price and accessibility
On September 27, 2022—the same day Intel unveiled the Core i9-13900K—AMD debuted the Ryzen 9 7950X. Although it retails for $700, changes in demand may cause that price to fluctuate somewhat for a few weeks after it is made available. That's what happened with the wildly popular Ryzen 7 5800X3D, whose price soared right after before leveling off on the list.
On October 20, the Core i9-13900K will be available. In this iteration, Intel is maintaining the same cost for the Core i9-12900K, with the new component coming in at $589. That pricing is a little bit ambitious because the Core i9-12900K typically went for roughly $620.
However, even at that cost, the Core i9-13900K is still much less expensive than the Ryzen 9 7950X. Overall, Intel's portion will cost you about $100 less, maybe even $120. Although it would be interesting to see how price fares about performance, it's feasible that Intel will provide the greatest value for this generation.
Specs
On paper, the Core i9-13900K appears to destroy the Ryzen 9 7950X, but the reality is a little different. The Core i9-13900K combines performance (P) cores and efficiency (E) cores, just as in the previous generation. Despite increasing the number of cores, the E-cores don't scale performance in the same manner since they aren't nearly as powerful.
| Ryzen 9 7950X | Core i9-13900K | |
|---|---|---|
| Cores/threads | 16/32 | 24 (8+16)/32 |
| Boost clock speed | 5.7GHz | 5.8GHz |
| Base clock speed | 4.5GHz | 3GHz(P-core), 2.2GHz(E-core) |
| Cache (L2 + L3) | 80MB | 68MB |
| Maximum boost power | 230W | 253W |
| Price | $700 | $590 |
However, as we observed in our Core i9-12900KS review, they unquestionably aid in multitasking. The Core i9-13900K offers 24 total cores, divided into eight P-cores and sixteen E-cores. In contrast, the Ryzen 9 7950X has 16 cores. Despite having more cores overall than the Intel processor, the E-cores cannot enable hyperthreading. That indicates that each part will have 32 threads.
The cache is the other important standard. You receive a total of 68MB divided between L2 and L3 cache from Intel, perhaps in response to AMD's 3D V-Cache technology's superior gaming performance. However, AMD still has a little advantage in this area with the Ryzen 9 7950X's 80MB overall cache. The Core i9-13900K has twice as much L2 cache as AMD's component, but AMD concentrates that cache more in L3.
Even though we could compare specs indefinitely, the truth is that performance is ultimately determined by design and architecture. Power is the only objective metric we can compare, and it is now considerably closer than it formerly was. AMD increased the platform's power to 230W, which brings it closer to the Core i9-13900maximum K's power of 253W.
Performance
Even though the Core i9-13900K isn't yet available, the benchmarks Intel released allow us to generalize about how the CPU would perform. According to Intel, the Core i9-13900K outperforms the Ryzen 9 5950X in content creation tests like PugetBench for Photoshop and PugetBench for Premiere Pro by 33% and 16%, respectively.
Based on our tests, the Ryzen 9 7950X outperforms the Ryzen 9 5950X in Photoshop by 48% and Premiere Pro by 18%. This seems to indicate that the Ryzen 9 7950X and Core i9-13900K will compete closely in content production workloads, with the Ryzen 9 7950X edging out a little advantage. But it's crucial to wait for independent benchmarks to assure a one-to-one comparison as well as to verify Intel's performance promises.
According to Intel, the Core i9-13900K outperforms the Ryzen 9 5950X in gaming by about 25%. Only a 13% improvement over the previous generation was seen in our testing of the Ryzen 9 7950X, which may indicate that Intel's CPU offers better gaming performance. Yet again, we must wait for more testing to see how the CPUs do in a variety of titles.
Before the two CPUs are released, it's difficult to predict their exact placement or if the additional AMD 110 is asking for would be worthwhile. The Core i9-13900K isn't yet available, making the Ryzen 9 7950X the fastest CPU we've tested yet. It's difficult to believe there will be a poor option between them if Intel's results hold up.
Motherboard and socket
The Ryzen 9 7950X represents a significant shift for AMD. It no longer supports the AM4 socket AMD has been using since 2016, and now only supports the new AM5 socket. You will require new DDR5 memory in addition to a new motherboard. AMD only offers DDR5 on Ryzen 7000 CPUs, not the Core i9-13900K.
Although DDR5 is expensive, AMD anticipates a decrease in pricing soon. Intel continues to provide DDR4 and DDR5 variants of the majority of motherboards, maintaining its strategy from the previous generation. Even though the Core i-13900K supports both DDR4 and DDR5, you must choose a motherboard that is compatible with the memory type you intend to utilize.
Since Intel is using the same LGA1700 socket, upgrading a computer built with a 12th-generation processor shouldn't need purchasing a new motherboard. However, be sure you look at the support materials for your specific motherboard. Some motherboards, especially those from the B-series and H-series, might not provide support.
Regardless matter the CPU you select, the majority of people will need to purchase a new motherboard, even though the Ryzen 9 7950X will cost you more. With the Core i9-13900K, switching to DDR4 or repurposing some existing memory might help you save some money, but it all depends on your future upgrade plans.
Should you wait on Raptor Lake?
It's difficult to advise purchasing the Ryzen 9 7950X at this time. Although Intel is promising comparable performance enhancements for about $100 less, this chip is outstanding and by far the quickest we've tested. It's definitely better to wait until all the testing is complete before deciding whether the Ryzen 9 7950X is worth the extra $110 because the CPU won't be available for a few weeks.