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AMD Ryzen 9 5900X vs Intel Core i9-13900K: Comparison

What is the difference between AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Core i9-13900K?

L3 cache is where these two genuinely part company, AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 64 MB against Intel Core i9-13900K 36 MB, a 44% lead for AMD Ryzen 9 5900X. Intel Core i9-13900K also leads on l2 cache, 6 MB on the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X versus 32 MB on the Intel Core i9-13900K. Tdp is not the same on both, 105 W on the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X versus 125 W on the Intel Core i9-13900K.

Which should you buy, AMD Ryzen 9 5900X or Intel Core i9-13900K?

Take the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X for buyers wanting a genuinely balanced high-end desktop chip strong at both gaming and heavy productivity work. Avoid it for buyers who need integrated graphics, this chip requires a discrete GPU. Take the Intel Core i9-13900K for buyers on the mature LGA 1700 platform wanting flagship-tier Raptor Lake gaming and productivity performance at a lower price than the 14900K. It is the wrong buy for new builds without an existing LGA 1700 investment, the newer Arrow Lake lineup offers better power efficiency on a fresh platform. Our rating of the Intel Core i9-13900K (8.3/10): the Intel Core i9-13900K is still a powerful 24-core desktop chip, now largely matched by its cheaper 14th-gen successors.

What AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Core i9-13900K have in common

Where they agree, they agree completely, socket status, form factor, market segment, smt enabled and unlocked multiplier included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 5 further specifications as well.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X vs Intel Core i9-13900K price

Cost splits them too. AMD Ryzen 9 5900X sits at $549, Intel Core i9-13900K at $589, 7% more.

Frequently asked questions

Do the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Core i9-13900K differ on total cores?

Yes. Total Cores reads 12 on the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X versus 24 on the Intel Core i9-13900K.

Is the 3D Stacked Cache the same on the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Core i9-13900K?

It is. Both are listed at No, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.

Specs and benchmarks

  • Brand

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    AMD
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Intel
  • Product Line

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Ryzen 9
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Core i9
  • Form Factor

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Desktop
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Desktop
  • Model Number

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    5900X
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    13900K
  • Codename

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Vermeer
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Raptor Lake
  • Release Year

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    2020
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    2022
  • TDP

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    105 W
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    125 W
  • iGPU

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    None
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Intel UHD Graphics 770
  • Market Segment

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Desktop
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Desktop
  • Microarchitecture

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Zen 3, Ryzen 5000 Series
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Raptor Lake, 13th Gen Intel Core
  • Socket

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    AM4
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    FCLGA1700
  • Socket Status

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    End of Life
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    End of Life
  • Process Node

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    7 nm
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    10 nm
  • Total Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    12
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    24Best
  • Performance Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    12Best
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    8
  • Efficiency Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    0
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    16Best
  • Total Threads

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    24
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    32Best
  • SMT Enabled

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Yes
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Yes
  • P-Core Base Clock

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    3.7 GHz
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    3 GHz
  • P-Core Boost Clock

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    4.8 GHz
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    5.4 GHz
  • Unlocked Multiplier

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Yes
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Yes
  • L2 Cache

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    6 MB-81%
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    32 MBBest
  • L3 Cache

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    64 MBBest
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    36 MB-44%
  • 3D Stacked Cache

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    No
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    No
  • Base Power

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    105 W
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    125 W
  • Max Turbo Power

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    142 W
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    253 W
  • Memory Type

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    DDR4
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    DDR5 or DDR4Best
  • Max Memory Speed

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    3200 MT/s
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    5600 MT/sBest
  • Memory Channels

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    2
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    2
  • Max Memory Capacity

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    128 GB
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    192 GBBest
  • ECC Support

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Yes
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Yes
  • Integrated Graphics

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    No
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Yes
  • Copilot Plus Certified

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    No
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    No
  • PCIe Generation

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    PCIe 4.0
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    PCIe 5.0
  • PCIe Lanes

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    24
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    20-17%
  • Launch MSRP

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    $549
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    $589
  • Retail Availability

    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Boxed Retail
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Boxed Retail

    Which one should you pick?

    Choose 5900X if you want the higher L3 cache (64 MB vs 36 MB), the higher memory channels (2 vs 2) and the higher PCIe lanes (24 vs 20).

    Choose 13900K if you want the higher L2 cache (32 MB vs 6 MB).

    Price comparison

    RetailerAMD Ryzen 9 5900XIntel Core i9-13900K
    Amazon

    $549.00

    View on Amazon

    $589.00

    View on Amazon
    NeweggView on Newegg

    Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.

    Verdict

    Intel Core i9-13900K

    8.3 / 10 Expert Rating

    The Intel Core i9-13900K is still a powerful 24-core desktop chip, now largely matched by its cheaper 14th-gen successors.

    More comparisons in Processors (CPUs)