Consumercarts

Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs Intel Core Ultra 9 285K: Comparison

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs Intel Core Ultra 9 285K: the l3 cache difference

On l3 cache the spread is 44%, AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 64 MB against Intel Core Ultra 9 285K 36 MB, so AMD Ryzen 9 5950X takes it. The benchmark result agrees. Blender Cycles (CPU) puts Intel Core Ultra 9 285K 30% ahead, 562 against 391 over 279 runs. Add l2 cache to that, 8 MB on the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X versus 40 MB on the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, and the pattern holds.

Which should you buy, AMD Ryzen 9 5950X or Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?

Take the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X for content creators and prosumers needing genuine 16-core throughput for video encoding, rendering, or compiling. It also earns its place with buyers wanting strong gaming performance alongside high-end multi-threaded capability in one chip. It is not the one for buyers who need integrated graphics, this chip requires a discrete GPU. Take the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K for content creation and heavily multi-threaded productivity desktop builds wanting Intel's newest, most power-efficient flagship. It is the wrong buy for buyers prioritizing maximum gaming frame rates, AMD's 3D V-Cache chips generally lead in gaming-specific benchmarks.

Which is cheaper, AMD Ryzen 9 5950X or Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X asks 36% more, $799 against $589 for the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.

Where the two are identical

Where they agree, they agree completely, form factor, market segment, unlocked multiplier, 3d stacked cache and memory channels included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 4 further specifications as well.

Frequently asked questions

Do the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K differ on total cores?

Yes. Total Cores reads 16 on the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X versus 24 on the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.

Is the ECC Support the same on the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?

It is. Both are listed at Yes, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.

Which is cheaper, AMD Ryzen 9 5950X or Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X asks 36% more, $799 against $589 for the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.

Specs and benchmarks

  • Brand

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    AMD
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Intel
  • Product Line

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    Ryzen 9
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Core Ultra 9
  • Form Factor

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    Desktop
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Desktop
  • Model Number

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    5950X
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    285K
  • Codename

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    Vermeer
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Arrow Lake-S
  • Release Year

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    2020
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    2024
  • TDP

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    105 W
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    125 W
  • iGPU

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    None
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Intel Graphics
  • Market Segment

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    Desktop
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Desktop
  • Microarchitecture

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    Zen 3, Ryzen 5000 Series
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Arrow Lake, Core Ultra 200 Series
  • Socket

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    AM4
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    FCLGA1851
  • Socket Status

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    End of Life
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Current
  • Process Node

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    7 nm
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    3 nm
  • Total Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    16
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    24Best
  • Performance Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    16Best
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    8
  • Efficiency Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    0
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    16Best
  • Total Threads

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    32Best
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    24
  • SMT Enabled

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    Yes
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    No
  • P-Core Base Clock

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    3.4 GHz
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    3.7 GHz
  • P-Core Boost Clock

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    4.9 GHz
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    5.5 GHz
  • Unlocked Multiplier

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    Yes
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Yes
  • L2 Cache

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    8 MB-80%
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    40 MBBest
  • L3 Cache

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    64 MBBest
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    36 MB-44%
  • 3D Stacked Cache

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    No
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    No
  • Base Power

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    105 W
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    125 W
  • Max Turbo Power

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    142 W
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    250 W
  • Memory Type

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    DDR4
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    DDR5-6400Best
  • Max Memory Speed

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    3200 MT/s
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    6400 MT/sBest
  • Memory Channels

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    2
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    2
  • Max Memory Capacity

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    128 GB
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    256 GBBest
  • ECC Support

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    Yes
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Yes
  • Integrated Graphics

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    No
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Yes
  • Copilot Plus Certified

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    No
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    No
  • PCIe Generation

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    PCIe 4.0
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    PCIe 5.0
  • PCIe Lanes

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    24
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    24
  • Launch MSRP

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    $799
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    $589
  • Retail Availability

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    Boxed Retail
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    Boxed Retail

Benchmarks

  • 3D Rendering
  • Blender Cycles (CPU)

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
    391-30%
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
    562Best

    Blender 4.5, Blender Open Data (CC0). Median of monster + junkshop + classroom, combined samples/min.

    Renders a 3D scene using every core. Shows speed for 3D and rendering work, not gaming.

Which one should you pick?

Choose 5950X 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 24).

Choose 285K if you want the higher L2 cache (40 MB vs 8 MB) and the higher blender cycles (CPU) (562 vs 391).

Price comparison

RetailerAMD Ryzen 9 5950XIntel Core Ultra 9 285K
Amazon

$799.00

View on Amazon

$589.00

View on Amazon
NeweggView on NeweggView on Newegg
Micro CenterView on Micro Center

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 Ultra 9 285K

8.5 / 10 Expert Rating

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is a fast, more efficient flagship for multithreaded work, though its gaming speed trails the best AMD chips.

More comparisons in Processors (CPUs)