AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs Intel Core Ultra 7 265K: Which Is the Better CPU

Ryzen 7 9700X meets Core Ultra 7 265K. Find out which one is better in gaming, benchmarks, and multithreading.

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The Ryzen 7 9700X and the Core Ultra 7 265K are both competent mid-range desktop processors. In terms of multicore performance, the Ultra 7 is significantly faster than the 9700X, but what’s impressive is that the 8 cores within the 9700X are no slouch either. They are incredibly fast with AMD’s SMT integration. When it comes to gaming performance, this is where things get interesting. The comparison is provided below.

Also Read: Intel Core i9-13900K vs AMD Ryzen 7 7800 X3D Specs, Price, Performance, and More Compared

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs Intel Core Ultra 7 265K: Detailed Comparison

Specs Comparison

Here are the specs of Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Core Ultra 7 265K:

Specifications	Ryzen 7 9700X	Intel Core Ultra 7 265K
Architecture	Zen 5	Arrow Lake
Core/Thread count	8/16	20 (8P + 12E)/ 20
Max clock speed	5.5 GHz	5.7 GHz
L3 cache	32 MB	30 MB
RAM support	DDR5-5600	DDR5-6400
PCIe Gen support	Gen 5	Gen 5
Platform Socket	AM5	LGA 1851
Thermal design power (TDP)	65W – 142W	125-250W
Manufacturing nodes	4nm	3nm

In terms of core count, the Intel chip has more cores, but due to the lack of hyper-threading, that number may not feel as substantial compared to the 9700X. However, these CPUs are quite different. Intel does not use HT or SMT, while AMD uses SMT. Design-wise, both chips use chiplets, so frame dips may occur in large open-world games, regardless of which one you choose.

Synthetic Performance Comparison

The numbers support what we’ve stated here: the Ultra 7 265K is substantially faster in multicore performance, thanks to its higher physical core count. However, the 8 Zen 5 cores in the 9700X are not far behind.

Benchmark	AMD Ryzen 7 9700X	Intel Core Ultra 7 265K
Cinebench R23 Single-Core	2268	2300
Cinebench R23 Multi-Core	21,500	35,760
Geekbench 6 Single-Core	3,310	32,80
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core	16,431	22,290

Gaming Performance Comparison

The data is sourced from Testing Games’ YouTube channel, where the person conducted the tests with all the mentioned games at the max preset, using DDR5 6200MT/s Dual Channel Memory kit with the RTX 4090 at 1080p.

Games	AMD Ryzen 7 9700X	Intel Core Ultra 7 265K
Cyberpunk: 2077	107 FPS	105 FPS
Ghost of Thushima	183 FPS	165 FPS
Starfield	113 FPS	121 FPS
Forza Horizon 5	233 FPS	219 FPS
Hogwarts Legacy	70 FPS	70 FPS
Red Dead Redemption 2	183 FPS	177 FPS

At 1080p, CPU limitations become more apparent. As the results show, performance stays in the same ballpark. If you’re looking for a competitive 1080p high-FPS CPU, then these two are not ideal choices. The 9800X3D would be better for that purpose.

If you plan to play at 1440p or above with high settings and a powerful GPU, either of these processors will be more than sufficient. The 1080p results and the selected games clearly reflect a CPU-bound scenario; it is a benchmark case. Real-world use cases like these reveal the weaknesses of an unbalanced hardware combination.

Price Comparison

The Ultra 7 currently retails on Amazon.com for $279, and the Ryzen 7 for $289. Pricing is accurate as of August 1 and may change without notice.

Final Verdict on AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs Intel Core Ultra 7 265K

Choose the Ultra 7 if you’re building a budget workstation-type PC. At this price, it’s a fantastic deal. However, going with Intel comes with several caveats. First, it’s a dead-end upgrade path, as Nova Lake will use a new socket. Second, there’s the E-core setup, which many users dislike.

As for AMD, the 9700X is extremely capable with 8 cores but falls short in multicore workloads and lacks QuickSync for video encoding.

Choosing AMD offers the AM5 platform advantage and a more refined SMT approach. To determine the better value, compare motherboard prices across both platforms and select the one that fits your budget. For multithreaded performance, Intel clearly has the upper hand, which is a strong selling point.

Also Read: Intel Core i5-14600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 7600X: Specs, Price, Performance, and More Compared

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AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs Intel Core Ultra 7 265K: Which Is the Better CPU