Intel Core Ultra 9 285K vs AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is faster than Intel Core Ultra 9 285K for gaming by roughly 8%, measured across 5 games at 1080p with the other component held constant. The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D carries AMD's 3D V-Cache, which lifts gaming framerates well beyond what its benchmark score alone suggests.
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K vs AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D at a glance
Each axis is scored against the better of the two, so the outer edge is always the stronger part on that measure, not an absolute scale.
- Gaming
- Cores
- Efficiency
- Value
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K vs AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D benchmark scores
What is the difference between the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?
5 specifications separate the two processors:
- Cores 24 8
- L3 cache 36 MB 96 MB
- TDP 125 120
- Socket LGA 1851 AM5
- Architecture Arrow Lake-S Zen 5
Which one should you buy?
Choose the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K if
- More cores (24) for rendering and streaming
Choose the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D if
- Faster in games by about 8%
- Lower power draw (120 W)
- Cheaper at launch ($479)
- 3D V-Cache, worth a measured premium in CPU-limited games
How many FPS do the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D get?
Estimated framerates with both parts measured against the same reference graphics card (a GeForce RTX 4090), so the processor is the only thing changing. Figures are ranges, not exact numbers.
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K vs AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: full specifications and benchmarks
| Measure | Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | ||
| Gaming score ours | 37,721 | 45,886 |
| CPU Mark | 67,256 | 39,950 |
| Faster than | 100% of 1,255 | 97% of 1,255 |
| Cores and clocks | ||
| Cores / threads | 24 / 24 | 8 / 16 |
| Base clock | - | 4.7 GHz |
| Boost clock | - | 5.2 GHz |
| L3 cache | 36 MB | 96 MB |
| Platform | ||
| TDP | 125 W | 120 W |
| Socket | LGA 1851 | AM5 |
| Architecture | Arrow Lake-S | Zen 5 |
| Process | 3 nm | 4 nm |
| Memory support | DDR5 | DDR5 |
| Integrated graphics | Arc Xe-LPG Graphics (4 Xe-cores) | Radeon Graphics (2 CUs RDNA 2) |
| Price and release | ||
| Launch price | $589 | $479 |
| Released | 2024-10-24 | 2024-11-07 |
Which is better value?
At launch pricing, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K delivers more benchmark performance per dollar, by about 37%. Street prices move, so check current cost before deciding: a 37% value gap disappears quickly on discount.
Will the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D bottleneck your build?
These figures hold one component constant. Your own build decides the answer: a faster processor buys nothing if the graphics card is already the limit.
How we compare processors
Benchmark scores come from PassMark, 3DMark, Geekbench and Cinebench. Our own gaming score adjusts those figures for how games actually behave: high core counts are damped, because they win productivity benchmarks without delivering proportional framerate, and AMD's 3D V-Cache is credited a premium measured against a controlled 14-CPU test set, because no PassMark figure can see stacked cache. Framerates come from our own model, built from measured GPU baselines and processor ceilings, and it declines to produce a number for hardware it does not cover rather than estimating one.