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AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

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 Ultra 5 250K Plus at 6.0/10.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D leads on single-core performance, efficiency and platform.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus leads on multi-core performance.

They score the same on integrated graphics.

The biggest difference is multi-core performance, where the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scores 9/10 to the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D's 6/10.

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 Ultra 5 250K Plus

Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

6.0/10verdict: good, not the best

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus suits developers and homelabbers who want a lot of cores for builds, rendering and parallel workloads. It also suits anyone who needs ECC memory support on a desktop socket. It is a weaker fit for always-on servers where idle power matters, or for buyers whose main aim is gaming.

Typically about £216.99 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

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightAMD Ryzen 7 9800X3DIntel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
Multi-core performance25%6/109/10
Single-core performance20%8/106/10
Efficiency20%5/103/10
Platform20%7/106/10
Integrated graphics15%5/105/10
Overall6.3/106.0/10

Specifications

SpecAMD Ryzen 7 9800X3DIntel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
Cores / threads8 cores / 16 threads18 total (6 performance + 12 efficient), 18 threads
Base / boost clockBase 4.7 GHz, boost up to 5.2 GHzP-core base 4.2 GHz, P-core max turbo 5.3 GHz; E-core base 3.3 GHz, E-core max turbo 4.6 GHz
SocketAM5FCLGA1851
TDP120 W default TDPProcessor Base Power 125 W; Maximum Turbo Power 159 W
Cache104 MB total (L2 8 MB, L3 96 MB)30 MB Intel Smart Cache; total L2 cache 30 MB
Integrated graphicsAMD Radeon Graphics, 2 graphics cores, 2200 MHzIntel Graphics, 4 Xe-cores, 300 MHz base, 1.9 GHz max dynamic, 8 GPU peak TOPS
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 DDR5-7200 MT/s; 2 memory channels; max 256 GB; ECC supported

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 Ultra 5 250K Plus

  • + 18 cores and 18 threads for parallel work
  • + ECC memory supported, up to 256 GB DDR5
  • + Reviewers praised its low price and multi-core performance
  • − Reviewers criticised high idle power draw
  • − 125 W base power, 159 W maximum turbo
  • − Reviewers noted gaming shortfalls and limited Gen 5 SSD speeds

Skip it if:

  • Homelabbers building a low-power server that stays on around the clock
  • Gamers who want the best gaming results above all
  • Buyers planning around the fastest Gen 5 SSD speeds
Read the full Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus review ›

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