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AMD Ryzen 9 9900X vs Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K: Comparison

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X vs Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K l3 cache compared

L3 cache is where these two genuinely part company, AMD Ryzen 9 9900X 64 MB against Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K 16 MB, a 75% lead for AMD Ryzen 9 9900X. AMD Ryzen 9 9900X also leads on l2 cache, 12 MB on the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X versus 2 MB on the Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K.

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X vs Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K: which one fits your build

Take the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X for gaming and content-creation desktop builds wanting genuine 12-core Zen 5 throughput without the flagship 9950X's price. It is not the one for buyers needing the absolute highest core count, the 16-core 9950X offers meaningfully more for heavy rendering workloads. The Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K is the one to take for gaming-focused desktop builds prioritizing single-thread and per-core performance. Avoid it for buyers specifically needing maximum core count for heavy multi-threaded work, the outgoing 10-core i9-10900K or AMD's competing Ryzen 9 chips offer more raw cores. Our rating of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (8.5/10): the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X gives 12 fast Zen 5 cores for rendering and code builds at a lower price than the 16-core flagship.

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X vs Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K price

Cost splits them too. AMD Ryzen 9 9900X sits at $499, Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K at $539, 8% more.

What AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K have in common

Everything else lines up. Efficiency cores, integrated graphics, form factor, market segment and smt enabled read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 1 further specification as well.

Frequently asked questions

Do the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K differ on total cores?

Yes. Total Cores reads 12 on the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X versus 8 on the Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K.

Is the Memory Channels the same on the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K?

It is. Both are listed at 2, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.

Specs and benchmarks

  • Brand

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    AMD
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Intel
  • Product Line

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Ryzen 9
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Core i9
  • Form Factor

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Desktop
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Desktop
  • Model Number

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    9900X
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    11900K
  • Codename

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Granite Ridge
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Rocket Lake
  • Release Year

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    2024
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    2021
  • TDP

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    120 W
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    125 W
  • iGPU

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    AMD Radeon Graphics
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Intel UHD Graphics 750
  • Market Segment

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Desktop
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Desktop
  • Microarchitecture

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Zen 5, Ryzen 9000 Series
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Rocket Lake, 11th Gen Intel Core
  • Socket

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    AM5
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    FCLGA1200
  • Socket Status

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Current
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    End of Life
  • Process Node

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    4 nm
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    14 nm
  • Total Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    12Best
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    8
  • Performance Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    12Best
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    8
  • Efficiency Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    0
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    0
  • Total Threads

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    24Best
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    16
  • SMT Enabled

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Yes
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Yes
  • P-Core Base Clock

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    4.4 GHz
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    3.5 GHz
  • P-Core Boost Clock

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    5.6 GHz
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    5.3 GHz
  • L2 Cache

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    12 MBBest
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    2 MB-83%
  • L3 Cache

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    64 MBBest
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    16 MB-75%
  • Base Power

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    120 W
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    125 W
  • Memory Type

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    DDR5-5600Best
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    DDR4
  • Max Memory Speed

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    5600 MT/sBest
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    4 MT/s
  • Memory Channels

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    2
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    2
  • ECC Support

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Yes
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    No
  • Integrated Graphics

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Yes
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Yes
  • iGPU Model

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    AMD Radeon Graphics
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Intel UHD Graphics 750
  • iGPU Compute Units

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    2
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    32
  • PCIe Generation

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    PCIe 5.0
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    PCIe 4.0
  • PCIe Lanes

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    24
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    20-17%
  • Launch MSRP

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    $499
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    $539
  • Retail Availability

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Boxed Retail
    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Retail

    Which one should you pick?

    Choose 9900X if you want the higher L2 cache (12 MB vs 2 MB), the higher L3 cache (64 MB vs 16 MB) and the higher memory channels (2 vs 2).

    Choose 11900K if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.

    Price comparison

    RetailerAMD Ryzen 9 9900XIntel 11th Gen Intel Core i9 11900K
    Amazon

    $499.00

    View on Amazon
    NeweggView on Newegg
    Best BuyView on Best Buy
    Consumercarts listing

    $539.00

    View on Consumercarts listing

    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

    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X

    8.5 / 10 Expert Rating

    The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X gives 12 fast Zen 5 cores for rendering and code builds at a lower price than the 16-core flagship.

    More comparisons in Processors (CPUs)