AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs Intel i7-14700K: Which is the Better Gaming CPU?

Areej Syed

Intel’s 14th Gen processors are (mostly) identical to their 13th Gen counterparts, offering nominal clock boosts to avoid reprinting the same specs sheet. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 7000X3D family features the 2nd Gen 3D V-Cache technology to stack a 7nm cache die atop the 5nm Zen 4 CCDs. While overclocking is still missing, the operating clocks have gotten lofty upgrades across the board. In this comparison, we’ll test the 14th Gen Core i7-14700K against AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D to try and decide the better gaming CPU.

Intel Core i7-14700K vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Specs

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D features eight Zen 4 cores, capable of a 5GHz boost clock. It is backed by 96MB of L3 cache (32MB + 64MB) and has a TDP of 120W. The Core i7-14700K consists of 8 P-cores and 12 E-cores, with a boost clock of 5.6GHz and 4.3GHz, respectively. It packs 33MB of shared L3 cache and a base TDP of 125W. When reporting, the 7800X3D was priced at $369, while the 14700K sat just under $400.

CPU NameP-Core CountE-Core CountThreads1T P-Core Boost1T E-Core BoostL3 CacheTDPPrice
Intel Core i9-13900K816325.8 GHz4.7 GHz36 MB125W$518
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D8165GHz96 MB120W$369
Intel Core i7-14700K812285.6GHz4.3GHz33 MB125W$399
Intel Core i7-13700K88245.4 GHz4.3 GHz30 MB125W$335

Test Bench

Test Methodology

We tested the two CPUs across ten titles at 720p (ultra-quality preset) to minimize GPU bottlenecks. The CPU workload generally remains unchanged with resolution, unlike its GPU counterpart. The average frame rate and the 1% lows identify the average and weak points in the CPU performance.

Intel Core i7-14700K vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Gaming Performance

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D comfortably beats the Core i7-14700K in 7 out of 10 games. On average, the 7800X3D is 17% faster than the 14700K, drawing less than a third of the power as its rival. The AMD chip delivers markedly better performance per watt and performance per dollar.

CPUIntel Core i7-14700KAMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (+17% faster)
Average Framerate229.7 FPS269.1 FPS
Average Power175W52W
Performance Per Watt1.31 FPS/W5.18 FPS/W
Performance Per $0.58 FPS/$0.73 FPS/$

A Plague Tale: Requiem

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average203.4 FPS185.8 FPS
1% Lows158.7 FPS131.1 FPS

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average223.9 FPS238.6 FPS
1% Lows160.4 FPS162.3 FPS

Cyberpunk 2077

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average197.8 FPS174.2 FPS
1% Lows132.9 FPS94.6 FPS

Dying Light 2

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average286.1 FPS297.3 FPS
1% Lows184.2 FPS239.6 FPS

F1 2022

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average290.1 FPS343.1 FPS
1% Lows217.1 FPS257.2 FPS

Most games are under 10% faster on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, with AMD favored titles like F1 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider running 20-25% better than on the Core i7-14700K. However, Hogwarts Legacy and Hitman 3 average over 70% higher on the 7800X3D, shifting the balance.

Ghostwire Tokyo

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average217.6 FPS231.1 FPS
1% Lows99.8 FPS88.9 FPS

Hitman 3

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average224.3 FPS395.9 FPS
1% Lows108.6 FPS139.1 FPS

Hogwarts Legacy

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average141.3 FPS247.3 FPS
1% Lows93.7 FPS186.7 FPS

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average294.2 FPS370.8 FPS
1% Lows185.7 FPS195.1 FPS

The Callisto Protocol

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average218.1 FPS207.2 FPS
1% Lows118.4 FPS117.5 FPS

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D easily wins this segment, beating the Core i7-14700K in seven out of ten titles. Cyberpunk 2077 and “The Callisto Protocol” are the latter’s only two wins with double-digit advantages.

Ray tracing benchmarks on the next page…

Intel Core i7-14700K vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Ray Tracing Performance

Enabling ray tracing slightly reduces the performance deficit between the two CPUs. Nevertheless, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D remains 16% faster than the Core i7-14700K. It delivers superior performance in seven out of ten games with wider deltas than rasterization.

CPUIntel Core i7-14700KAMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (+16% faster)
Average Framerate155.4 FPS180.5 FPS
Average Power166W59W
Performance Per Watt0.94 FPS/W3.06 FPS/W
Performance Per $0.39 FPS/$0.49 FPS/$

Crysis Remastered

CPUCore i7-14700KRyzen 7 7800X3D
Average182.1 FPS163.3 FPS
1% Lows95.4 FPS97.1 FPS

Cyberpunk 2077

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average144.3 FPS133.6 FPS
1% Lows105.6 FPS78.7 FPS

Dying Light 2

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average155 FPS222.2 FPS
1% Lows128.3 FPS184.5 FPS

F1 2022

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average177.5 FPS199.7 FPS
1% Lows128.1 FPS140.6 FPS

Ghostwire: Tokyo

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average158.2 FPS232.6 FPS
1% Lows85.8 FPS91.4 FPS

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is over 40% faster than the Core i7-14700K in Dying Light, Ghostwire, and Hitman 3. In most other games, the deltas don’t exceed 15% on either side.

Hitman 3

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average141.3 FPS202.8 FPS
1% Lows59.4 FPS91.9 FPS

Hogwarts Legacy

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average73.5 FPS96.7 FPS
1% Lows49.5 FPS58.1 FPS

Metro Exodus

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average142.5 FPS131.5 FPS
1% Lows80.5 FPS24 FPS

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average274.1 FPS313.3 FPS
1% Lows165 FPS170.5 FPS

The Callisto Protocol

CPU14700K7800X3D
Average103.7 FPS109.1 FPS
1% Lows81.9 FPS75 FPS

Conclusion: 14700K or the 7800X3D

This wasn’t a close contest. AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the better gaming CPU, beating the Core i7-14700K in 14 out of 20 titles. On average, it’s 16-17% faster, over thrice as power efficient, and more affordable than the Intel chip. Most 7800X3D users can get away with a budget air cooler, but the 14700K requires a high-end water cooler, or you’ll be thermally bottlenecked. If this weren’t enough, the B650/X670 boards used by the X3D are expected to be retained for two more generations. Intel’s LGA1700 socket and the 700 series chipsets are about to be phased out later this year.

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