Core Ultra 9 285K vs Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Which is better for gaming?

AMD has officially launched its flagship gaming processor: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D at retail price of $479.

But what does it offer in terms of performance and technology compared to its predecessor and its Intel rivals?

For both AMD and Intel, as you can see from the specifications, there hasn't really been much of a step up from the previous generation for either brand.

Despite the new architecture for Intel, the Core Ultra 9 285K's frequency and threads are lower than those of the Core i9 14900K. This might have been a move to lower temps as the 14900K was notoriously difficult to cool. Luckily, your CPU cooler will be working less hard for both of these options.

For AMD, the new Ryzen 7 9800X3D has reworked the design of the 3D V-cache, which is no longer above the CCD but below it. This allows the Ryzen 7 9800X3D to run at higher frequencies (4.7 GHz base and 5.2 GHz boost).

When it comes to Intel's latest competitor, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is roughly 25% faster in games for a price that's $140 less. Comparing the Ryzen 7 9800X3D to the previous generation Core i9-14900K, the AMD processor is 15% faster but costs $40 more than the Intel processor.

Even in terms of power consumption not only for gaming but in general, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and the Core ultra 9 285K are only a few percent apart, while the Core i9 14900K consumes nearly 30% more power for the same performance.

YES, for any new configuration, AMD's latest flagship gaming processor is currently the most powerful gaming processor, without neglecting energy efficiency, and offers the best value for money.

If you already have a Ryzen 7 7800X3D or an Intel Core i9 14900K, you could consider upgrading your GPU before upgrading your CPU, unless you are limited by your CPU, which should not be the case except for specific games.