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AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Intel Core i5-14600KF

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against desktop processors at a similar price

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D scores 6.3/10 overall, ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600KF at 5.8/10.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D leads on platform and integrated graphics.

The Intel Core i5-14600KF leads on multi-core performance.

They score the same on single-core performance and efficiency.

The biggest difference is integrated graphics, where the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D scores 5/10 to the Intel Core i5-14600KF's 0/10.

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

6.3/10verdict: good, not the best

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is for builders who want an 8-core AM5 processor with a large 96 MB L3 cache and a high boost clock. It suits a fast desktop or workstation more than a low-power always-on server, because AMD publishes no idle figure and owners report high temperatures under load. Buyers who need a media-encoding iGPU or lots of cores should check the specifications closely first.

Typically about £339.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Intel Core i5-14600KF

Intel Core i5-14600KF

5.8/10verdict: good, not the best

The Core i5-14600KF suits builders who want a high thread count for compiling, VMs and containers. It pairs 14 cores and 20 threads with a 5.3 GHz performance-core turbo. Buyers should be comfortable with the owner reports on 14th-gen voltage and stability.

Typically about £220 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightAMD Ryzen 7 9800X3DIntel Core i5-14600KF
Multi-core performance25%6/108/10
Single-core performance20%8/108/10
Efficiency20%5/105/10
Platform20%7/106/10
Integrated graphics15%5/100/10
Overall6.3/105.8/10

Specifications

SpecAMD Ryzen 7 9800X3DIntel Core i5-14600KF
Cores / threads8 cores / 16 threads14 (6 performance + 8 efficient), 20 threads
Base / boost clockBase 4.7 GHz, boost up to 5.2 GHzP-core base 3.5 GHz; E-core base 2.6 GHz; P-core max turbo 5.3 GHz; E-core max turbo 4 GHz
SocketAM5FCLGA1700
TDP120 W default TDPProcessor Base Power 125 W; Maximum Turbo Power 181 W
Cache104 MB total (L2 8 MB, L3 96 MB)24 MB Intel Smart Cache; 20 MB total L2
Integrated graphicsAMD Radeon Graphics, 2 graphics cores, 2200 MHznot listed
Memory supportDDR5, 2 memory channels, DDR5-5600 at 1 DIMM per channel and DDR5-3600 with 2 DIMMs per channel; maximum capacity listed as 192 GB by the shop page and 256 GB by the AMD support pageUp to DDR5 5600 MT/s, up to DDR4 3200 MT/s, two channels, max 192 GB

Strengths and weaknesses

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

  • + Boost up to 5.2 GHz on Zen 5
  • + 96 MB L3 cache, 104 MB total
  • + PCIe 5.0, DDR5 and ECC with board support
  • − Owners report temperatures near 94 °C and loud fans
  • − No published idle power figure
  • − Hardware AV1/HEVC encode support not published

Skip it if:

  • Homelabbers who need hardware AV1 or HEVC encoding from the iGPU for Plex or Jellyfin.
  • Builders wanting a quiet, low-power always-on server who need a published idle power figure.
  • Anyone needing more than 8 cores for heavy parallel compiling, VMs or rendering.
Read the full AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D review ›

Intel Core i5-14600KF

  • + 14 cores and 20 threads for compiling and VMs
  • + 5.3 GHz P-core max turbo
  • + Owners praise low idle power
  • − Owner reports of 14th-gen voltage and stability problems
  • − 181 W maximum turbo power
  • − 125 W base power rating

Skip it if:

  • Builders who want to avoid any 14th-gen voltage and stability risk
  • Buyers who want a low power ceiling, given the 181 W maximum turbo power
  • Anyone planning heavy expansion with many add-in cards, given 20 PCIe lanes in total
Read the full Intel Core i5-14600KF review ›

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