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Verdex
AMD

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

Zen 5 · 8C/16T · 104 MB cache · Gaming king

95
/ 100
From $479
VS
Ryzen 7 9800X3D wins by 5
Intel

Core Ultra 9 285K

Arrow Lake · 24C · 5.7 GHz · LGA1851

90
/ 100
From $589
Verdex verdict

Ryzen 7 9800X3D takes it — here’s why.

In our weighted Verdex score, Ryzen 7 9800X3D lands at 95 and Core Ultra 9 285K at 90. That puts Ryzen 7 9800X3D ahead by 5 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.

Pick Ryzen 7 9800X3D if…

  • Fastest gaming CPU on the planet
  • Overclockable unlike prior X3D
  • Great efficiency

Pick Core Ultra 9 285K if…

  • Much lower power than 14900K
  • Strong productivity
  • New LGA1851 platform

Score breakdown

Ryzen 7 9800X3D
95
single 92
multi 86
gaming 100
efficiency 94
Core Ultra 9 285K
90
single 92
multi 94
gaming 85
efficiency 90

Specs side-by-side

Spec
Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Core Ultra 9 285K
Cores
8
24 (8P+16E)
Threads
16
24
Base clock
4.7 GHz
3.7 GHz
Boost clock
5.2 GHz
5.7 GHz
L3 cache
96 MB (3D V-Cache)
36 MB
TDP
120 W
125 W (PL1) / 250 W (PL2)
Socket
AM5
LGA1851
Process
TSMC 4 nm
TSMC N3B
iGPU
Intel Graphics (Xe-LPG)

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

Pros
  • +Fastest gaming CPU on the planet
  • +Overclockable unlike prior X3D
  • +Great efficiency
Cons
  • Only 8 cores for productivity
  • AM5 motherboard required
  • Scarce at launch

Core Ultra 9 285K

Pros
  • +Much lower power than 14900K
  • +Strong productivity
  • +New LGA1851 platform
Cons
  • Gaming regresses vs 14900K in some titles
  • No hyper-threading
  • DDR5 only

FAQ: Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Core Ultra 9 285K

Which is better, Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Core Ultra 9 285K? +

Ryzen 7 9800X3D scores 95 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 5. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.

Is Ryzen 7 9800X3D worth the price? +

At $479, Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivers a Verdex score of 95 — strongest in gaming.

Is Core Ultra 9 285K worth the price? +

At $589, Core Ultra 9 285K delivers a Verdex score of 90 — strongest in multi.

Does Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Core Ultra 9 285K last longer? +

Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.