AMD Ryzen 9 7900X vs Intel Core i9-9900K vs Intel Core i7-9700K

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a fast high-end desktop processor of the Raphael series. It offers 12 cores based on the Zen 4 architecture that supports hyperthreading (24 threads). The cores clock from 4.7 (base) up to 5.7 GHz (single core boost). When all 12 cores are fully loaded, 5.1 GHz is the max. clock speed. The 7900X is the second fastest Ryzen at launch, only bested by the Ryzen 9 7950X with 4 more cores.

The performance of the R9 7900X is clearly better than the old Ryzen 9 5900X thanks to the improved architecture and modern 5nm process. Compared to Intels Raptor Lake Core i9-13700K the single-core performance is slightly lower and the multi-core performance slightly faster. The gaming performance is a bit lower, and is on average only on par with the Core i5-13600K and also lower than the old Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

The Raphael series still uses a chiplet design with two CCD-clusters (each with 8 possible cores) in 5nm and an IO-die (including the memory controller and the Radeon Graphics iGPU) in 6nm.

Intel Core i9-9900K

The Intel Core i9-9900K is a high end desktop processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. At the time of announcement in late 2018, the 9900K is the fastest Coffee Lake CPU and offers an open multiplicator for easy overclocking. The CPU integrates 8 cores (16 threads) clocked at 3.6 - 5 GHz and it needs a new Z390 based mainboard.

Thanks to the two additional cores, the performance in multi-threaded applications is up to 25 % faster than the older Core i7-8700K. The single thread performance is only slightly faster due to the higher clock speeds. As a high end desktop CPU, the i9-9900K is suited even for very demanding applications and perfect for 3D gaming.

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 graphics card is clocked at up to 1.2 GHz and offers no advantage compared to previous generations. As it is a very low end GPU, only some low demanding games like Hearthstone can be played with it (see GPU page for benchmarks).

Intel specifies the TDP at 95 Watt, so if the CPU is used in laptops a big and chunky cooling system is needed to avoid throttling and lower clock speeds under sustained loads. When overclocking the CPU, the power consumption can easily rise up to 200 Watt and higher.

Intel Core i7-9700K

The Intel Core i7-9700K is a high end desktop processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It offers an open multiplicator for easy overclocking and integrates 8 cores (no Hyperthreading therefore also 8 threads) clocked at 3.6 - 4.9 GHz and it needs a new Z390 based mainboard.

Thanks to the two additional cores, the performance in multi-threaded applications is even better than the old Core i8-8700K with 6 cores and Hyperthreading. As a high end desktop CPU, the i9-9700K is suited even for very demanding applications and perfect for 3D gaming.

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 graphics card is clocked at up to 1.2 GHz and offers no advantage compared to previous generations. As it is a very low end GPU, only some low demanding games like Hearthstone can be played with it (see GPU page for benchmarks).

Intel specifies the TDP at 95 Watt, so if the CPU is used in laptops a big and chunky cooling system is needed to avoid throttling and lower clock speeds under sustained loads. When overclocking the CPU, the power consumption can easily rise up to 200 Watt and higher.