Is Intel i9 better than Ryzen 9?
Matching Intel i9 up against AMD's Ryzen 9
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Intel Core i9 and Ryzen 9 are the two top processor lineups available today, with their generational flagships going head to head for the top spot.
If you’re looking to equip yourself with a flagship-grade processor, you’ll be choosing between processors from these two lineups. We’re here to help you determine which is the two is better for you. So, let’s find lets: Is Intel i9 better than Ryzen 9?
What is Intel i9?
Intel i9 is the company’s top-of-the-line processor family, featuring units such as the Core i9-11900K, the Core i9-12900KS, and the latest and greatest, the Core i9-13900KS.
Intel Core i9 11900K Rocket Lake CPU
Clock speed (boost)
5.2GHz.
Cores / Threads
8 / 16
Socket
LGA 1200
Core i9 12900KS
P-cores
8
E-cores
8
Threads
24
P-core clock speed
3.4 / 5.5 (GHz)
E-core clock speed
2.5 / 4.0 (GHz)
Base CPU power
150W
Intel Core i9-13900KS
Cores
24
Threads
32
Base speed
3.2 GHz
Boost speed
6 GHz
Cache
36MB
TDP
150W
Core i9 processors are powerful, power-hungry, and expensive. They offer industry-leading specs and performance that only Ryzen 9 processors are capable of matching.
What is Ryzen 9?
Ryzen 9 is AMD’s top-tier CPU lineup, featuring processors such as the Ryzen 9 3950X, the Ryzen 9 5950X, and their latest flagship, the Ryzen 9 7950X.
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Speed
3.5GHz/ 4.7GHz
Core (Threads)
16/32
Socket
AM4
TDP
105W
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Speed
3.4GHz/ 4.9GHz
Core (Threads)
16/32
Socket
AM4
TDP
105W
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
Cores
16
Threads
32
Base Speed
4.5GHz
Boost Speed
5.7GHz
Cache
64MB
Socket
AM5
We’re expecting to see the first 3D V-cache enhanced Ryzen 9, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, on February 28th. But for now, the 7950X is the company’s most powerful offering.
How does Intel i9 compare to Ryzen 9?
We usually see Intel release a single Core i9 model (along with its variations) each year. This year, it was the Core i9-13900KS. AMD, however, releases two models, one weaker and one stronger. For example, this year, the Ryzen 9 lineup featured the 7900X and 7950X.
While the 7900X is indeed a Ryzen 9 processor, it’s closer to Intel’s Core i7 lineup in terms of performance, so it doesn’t really compete with Core i9.
If you want Core i9 equivalent performance from AMD, you have to go with the Ryzen 9 950 processors.
Performance
Core i9 and Ryzen 9 processors offer very similar performance as a whole. In the past, it has been a trend for Core i9 to lead in single-core performance with its higher maximum clock speeds and for Ryzen 9 to lead in multicore performance with more physical cores and threads on the processor.
With the latest generations (Intel 13th-gen and Ryzen 7000), Core i9 comes out ahead in both categories, though.
The i9-13900K outperforms the Ryzen 9 7950X in both singlecore and multicore scenarios, making it the better processor.
I should mention that we may see the 7950X3D outperform Intel’s flagship, the i9-13900KS, in gaming performance upon its release on 28th February. It’s not out yet, so we can’t say for sure. We predict that the 7950X3D could outperform the 13900KS as a gaming processor but not as a workstation processor. You can learn more in our Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Core i9-13900KS article.
Power usage and thermals
Both CPU lineups are extremely power-hungry, but Core i9 more so than Ryzen 9, especially with the latest generation. The 13900K consumes some 250 watts of power at max load, and the 13900KS can use as much as 320 watts.
The 7950X uses a comparatively lower 170 watts of power, and the 7950X3D will drop that even further, down to a 120-watt power usage.
Price and value
Both Core i9 and Ryzen 9 CPUs are expensive, to say the least. You can expect to pay upwards of $500 for the latest processors and as much as $800 for the flagships.
In terms of value, you have to compare individual processors at the present moment. The 13900K offers you better value than the 7950X currently, but that can change with time as prices fluctuate.
Final thoughts: Is Intel i9 better than Ryzen 9?
As things stand currently, we believe that Intel i9 is indeed better than Ryzen 9. The 13900K and KS simply outperform the Ryzen 9 7950X, and they also launched at a lower MSRP, meaning they offer better value to consumers.
We may see things change with the release of the 7950X3D, and we’ll update you with more info as soon as we get our hands on the upcoming processor.
