AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Intel Core Ultra 7 265K
Head-to-head CPU comparison: cores, clocks, cache, benchmarks, and value. Which belongs in your next build?
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
The pure gaming pick. The 9800X3D is the fastest gaming CPU ever made — beating even the 9950X3D in some titles thanks to its single-CCD design. If your build is gaming-first and you're not running CPU-heavy workloads, this is the sweet spot.
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Intel Core Ultra 7 265K
Strong productivity chip at a reasonable price. 20 cores chew through rendering and compilation. Gaming is solid but not class-leading.
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| Spec | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | Intel Core Ultra 7 265K |
|---|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $479 | $394 |
| Cores / Threads | 8 / 16 | 20 / 20 |
| Performance Cores | 8 | 8 |
| Efficiency Cores | 0 | 12 |
| Base Clock | 4.7 GHz | 3.9 GHz |
| Boost Clock | 5.2 GHz | 5.5 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 96 MB | 30 MB |
| TDP | 120W | 125W |
| Socket | AM5 | LGA 1851 |
| Memory Support | DDR5-5600 | DDR5-6400 |
| Process Node | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 3nm |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 23,200 | 35,600 |
| Cinebench R23 Single | 2,150 | 2,200 |
| Gaming Score | 99/100 | 78/100 |
| Productivity Score | 78/100 | 88/100 |
| Value Score | 92/100 | 76/100 |
The Verdict
Based on our benchmark database and scoring, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D wins on gaming by about 21 points, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K pulls ahead in productivity by 10 points. Overall the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D comes out ahead in this matchup, but the right pick depends on what you're actually building: gaming-first rigs favor higher single-thread and 3D V-Cache designs, while streaming and content-creation rigs benefit more from raw multi-core output. Note the socket mismatch — the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D needs an AM5 motherboard, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K needs LGA 1851, so these aren't drop-in swaps on the same platform.