AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9-13900K: Which is the Best Gaming CPU?

AMD’s Ryzen 7000 processors offer mediocre gaming performance, leaving the mantle to their X3D “V-Cache” counterparts. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 9 7950X3D are the leading desktop chips from Team Red, going head to head against the Intel Core i7-13700K and the i9-13900K. Today, we’ll test the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and the Core i9-13900K to decide which is the better gaming CPU.

	AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D	AMD Ryzen 9 7950X	AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D	Intel Core i9-13900K
Cores/Threads	16/32	16/32	8/16	24/32
Base Clock	4.2GHz	4.7GHz	3.4GHz	3.0GHz
Boost Clock	5.7GHz	5.7GHz	5.4GHz	5.8GHz
L3 Cache	32MB+32MB+64MB	32MB+32MB	32MB+64MB	36MB
Power	120 watts	170 watts	105 watts	253 watts
Socket	AM5	AM5	AM4	LGA1700
Price	$699	$569	$316	$559

The 7950X3D features the second iteration of AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology with a 7nm cache die stacked atop one of the 5nm CCDs. It consists of two 8-core dies, one optimized for gaming and the other for compute. The former pairs 96MB of L3 cache (64MB 3D V-Cache) while the latter is a standard Zen 4 CCD with 32MB LLC.

Test Bench

• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus Hero Z790/X670.
• Memory: 16GB x2 DDR5 6,000MT/s CL38.
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 4090 24GB FE.
• Power Supply: Corsair RM1000E.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core i9-13900K Gaming Benchmarks

We’ll test 11 titles at 720p, using the Ultra quality preset on both CPUs alongside a GeForce RTX 4090 to minimize GPU bottlenecks. With rasterization, the resolution doesn’t affect CPU usage or performance. “A Plague Tale: Requiem,” is a particularly CPU-intensive title. In this case, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D averages 194.5 FPS, *just* falling short of the Core i9-13900K.

Baring a particularly nasty spike, the frametime graphs of the two CPUs are very similar, explaining the identical lows.

Assassins’ Creed Valhalla favors AMD hardware, and it shows. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is under 10% faster than the Core i9-13900K with superior lows.

The frametime graph reveals a more erratic chart for the Core i9-13900K with frequent spikes compared to its X3D counterpart.

Cyberpunk 2077 treats the two processors equally, netting an average of 197 FPS and 181 FPS on the 13900K and the 7950X3D, respectively. The Raptor Lake chip also records higher lows.

The frametime graphs are quite similar, although the Ryzen produces a cleaner result.

Dying Light 2 is the fourth title in our suite. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D beats Intel’s 13900K with a satisfactory margin with an average of 359 FPS at 720p. The Core i9 falls behind with 300 FPS but has similar lows.

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D falls behind the Core i9-13900K in F1 2022. The Raptor Lake chip has a margin but consistent lead over the latter, from average to lows.

The frametime graph reveals frequent spikes in the case of the 13900K while the 7950X3D produces a more consistent result.

Ghostwire Tokyo performs comparably on both CPUs, but the Core i9-13900K has slightly higher lows. A look at the frametime graph reveals why. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D runs into a fair fit of micro-stuttering that adversely affects its results.

Hitman 3 performs similarly to Ghostwire, with a higher average on the 7950X3D but roughly the same lows as the 13900K.

As per the frametime graph, the two CPUs perform roughly the same with a slight bit of inter-frame stutter.

Hogwarts Legacy was a headache at launch, but subsequent patches have drastically improved the performance. The Core i9-13900K registers a decisive win in the Hogsmeade benchmark, leading the Ryzen 9 7950X3D by 14%.

The frametime (smoothness) graph again favors the 7950X3D with several spikes for the Raptor Lake flagship.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a widely used benchmark. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D claims a win here with comparable 1% lows. The frametime graph reveals several recurring spikes in the case of the 13900K while its AMD counterpart has smoother sailing.

In the last two titles, we see the Core i9-13900K and the Ryzen 9 7950X3D winning one each. The former is 10% faster than the latter at 720p with slightly cleaner lows. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a rougher ride. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is a smidge faster than its Intel rival (6%) with notably superior lows.

The 7950X3D produces a cleaner graph with significantly lower spikes and a smoother result overall.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D Ray Tracing Benchmarks on the next page…

Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Core i9-13900K Ray Tracing Benchmarks

Ray-tracing is intensive on the CPU and the GPU, depending on how many BVH structures and rays are cast.

The Core i9-13900K extends its lead in “A Plague Tale” with identical or at times worse lows. Apart from a couple of painful spikes, the 13900K runs as smoothly as the 7950X3D.

Crysis Remastered predominantly favors the Intel i9-13900K. The Raptor Lake flagship is more than 50% faster than its Ryzen rival in this ray-traced title.

The frametime (smoothness) graphs of the two CPUs are very similar with a few exceptions.

Cyberpunk 2077 exhibits some of the smoothest frame times we’ve seen in a ray-traced title. Both CPUs deliver similar frame rates, with the 7950X3D winning by an inch.

The frametime graph is the same, with a slight edge for the Core i9-13900K.

Dying Light 2 is another close call with superior lows (and smoother gameplay) for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

F1 2022 is an interesting title. At first sight, it looks like the Core i9-13900K is leading (by an inch), but if you look closely at the frametime graph, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D produces smoother gameplay, leading to a better experience.

We shot our Ghostwire Tokyo benchmark across two different locations in Shibuya but got the same result. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D ekes out a win with comparable lows and a nearly identical frametime chart.

The Core i9-13900K pulls ahead of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D in Hitman 3 with a subtle but definitive lead.

The frametime graphs are more or less the same.

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D marks its territory in Hogwarts Legacy, beating the Core i9-13900K by up to 13% at 1080p.

The Core i9-13900K produces a messy frametime chart with frequent spikes through the course of the benchmark.

Metro Exodus runs infinitely smoother on the 13900K while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D suffers from frequent micro-stutters.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs notably smoother on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D with an average of 274 FPS. With ray tracing maxed out, the Core i9-13900K tops out at 201 FPS at 1080p.

The top-end V-Cache CPU produces a smoother frametime chart than the 13900K, especially in the second scene of the test.

The Callisto Protocol is another AMD partner title that is a smidge faster on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D than the Core i9-13900K.

The frametime graphs of the two CPUs are difficult to tell apart.

Conclusion

In the rasterization suite, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D wins in six out of eleven games while the Core i9-13900K registers wins in seven of the eleven ray-traced titles tested. No matter how you look at it, this is a tie.