## AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs. Intel Core Ultra 9 285K: Gaming Domination vs. Productivity Powerhouse
The highly anticipated AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is finally here, and it’s a serious contender for the best gaming processor on the market. This CPU features AMD’s next-generation 3D V-Cache technology, delivering phenomenal gaming performance. However, Intel is not backing down with their latest flagship, the Core Ultra 9 285K, offering more cores and higher clock speeds for those seeking maximum productivity.
But with both CPUs vying for your attention, how do they stack up against each other? We put them head-to-head to see which processor truly reigns supreme, and the results are surprising.
### Specs and Pricing: A Closer Look
While the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Core Ultra 9 285K belong to different performance categories, their price points are closer than you might think. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D, with its price increase, now sits at $479, while the Core Ultra 9 285K, despite its flagship status, sees its price steadily decreasing, currently at $629 but expected to drop to around $589 soon.
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is undoubtedly cheaper, but the gap isn’t as substantial as it used to be. This price difference stems from the distinct features of each processor.
The Core Ultra 9 285K, being a flagship, justifies its price tag with its impressive core count: a whopping 24 cores with 24 threads. Intel, unlike in previous generations, has ditched hyper-threading for this model, focusing instead on individual core performance, making the Core Ultra 9 285K a true 24-core beast.
On the other hand, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D takes a different approach, offering only eight cores with 16 threads. Its strength lies not in its core count, but in its groundbreaking 3D V-Cache technology, packing a massive 104MB of cache compared to the Core Ultra 9 285K’s 60MB. AMD’s latest 3D V-Cache innovation involves placing the cache directly under the CPU die, enabling more direct access to cooling and allowing for higher clock speeds and overclocking capabilities.
In terms of power consumption, the Core Ultra 9 285K draws significantly more power than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, reaching up to 250 watts compared to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s 120W. However, both CPUs demonstrate high efficiency, making the power difference less substantial than it appears.
### Productivity Performance: A Tight Race
Considering the specs, you might expect the Core Ultra 9 285K to dominate the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in productivity performance. While there is some truth to that, the gap between the two processors is not as wide as you might anticipate.
In benchmark tests like Cinebench R24, the Core Ultra 9 285K, with its core advantage and higher clock speeds, emerges victorious in both single-core and multi-core performance. The Core Ultra 9 285K has earned its reputation as the Cinebench king, consistently excelling in rendering applications.
However, the Core Ultra 9 285K’s lead starts to diminish in other rendering applications like Blender. While still faster than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, it doesn’t achieve a two-fold performance improvement across the board.
Beyond rendering, the Core Ultra 9 285K’s performance dominance takes an unexpected turn. In Handbrake, a heavily threaded workload that should ideally benefit from the Core Ultra 9 285K’s massive core array, the Core Ultra 9 285K only completes the transcode 26% faster than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. This comparatively small margin is a surprise, highlighting the inconsistent performance of the Core Ultra 9 285K despite its impressive core count.
These performance differences have tangible consequences in real-world applications. In Premiere Pro, an application capable of scaling to more than eight cores, the Core Ultra 9 285K and Ryzen 7 9800X3D deliver virtually identical performance, a disappointing result for the Intel chip. To make matters worse, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D actually surpasses the Core Ultra 9 285K in Photoshop, a less demanding application that doesn’t scale beyond eight cores. This inconsistency further highlights the Core Ultra 9 285K’s performance discrepancies despite its impressive specs.
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D also takes the lead in Y-Cruncher, an application that calculates Pi. While most users won’t purchase a CPU solely for this purpose, it provides valuable insight into the AMD chip’s advantage. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D supports AVX-512 instructions, which Y-Cruncher utilizes, while the Core Ultra 9 285K lacks this support, resulting in a significant lead for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D despite its core disadvantage. AVX-512 instructions are also employed in some AI applications and PS3 emulation, further showcasing the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s strength in specific scenarios.
While the Core Ultra 9 285K might be the better choice for users solely focused on productivity performance, it’s not the optimal choice overall. AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X is the reigning king for productivity tasks. However, when considering the two CPUs in isolation, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D edges out the Core Ultra 9 285K, thanks to its balanced blend of acceptable productivity performance and exceptional gaming capabilities.
### Gaming Performance: A Decisive Victory
When it comes to gaming, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a force to be reckoned with. The chart speaks volumes: the Ryzen 7 9800X3D consistently delivers higher frame rates across the 10 games we tested, with no discernible lead for the Core Ultra 9 285K. In fact, it’s hard to imagine any game where the Core Ultra 9 285K would dominate.
The remarkable gaming performance of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D isn’t solely attributed to its 3D V-Cache. In games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Returnal, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Black Myth: Wukong, which are heavily dependent on your graphics card rather than your processor, the difference between the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Core Ultra 9 285K is minimal. Yet, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D consistently outperforms its Intel counterpart, highlighting its overall gaming prowess, 3D V-Cache or not.
However, the AMD chip truly shines in games where the additional cache makes a significant impact. Games like F2 2022 and Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail showcase the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s dominance, exceeding the Core Ultra 9 285K by over 50 frames per second – a truly impressive margin directly attributed to the 3D V-Cache technology.
Even in Cyberpunk 2077, a game that scales well to multiple cores, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D emerges victorious despite its modest core count. The 3D V-Cache’s impact is evident in this title as well, showcasing the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s overall gaming prowess.
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s superior gaming performance is expected, but the sheer magnitude of its lead is remarkable. Typically, we see a slight boost in performance from 3D V-Cache CPUs over flagship models, but AMD has truly outdone itself, delivering a decisive victory over Intel in the gaming realm.
### The Verdict: A Clear Choice
With its lower price, significantly better gaming performance, and surprisingly capable productivity performance, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the clear winner in this showdown. While it does come with a price hike compared to its predecessor, it remains substantially cheaper than the Core Ultra 9 285K. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is also based on the AM5 platform, allowing for cost-effective upgrades from existing Ryzen 7000 CPUs.
The Core Ultra 9 285K struggles to find its place in the current CPU landscape. While undoubtedly an impressive and intriguing chip, its high price and tendency to underutilize its power make it a less compelling choice for both gaming and productivity, unless your primary focus is running Cinebench all day.
Ultimately, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the champion of gaming performance and a solid contender for productivity, making it a well-rounded choice for your next CPU upgrade.
