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AMD Ryzen 9 9950X vs Intel Core i9-14900K: Comparison
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X vs Intel Core i9-14900K l3 cache compared
Start with l3 cache, because it is the widest measured gap between them: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 64 MB against Intel Core i9-14900K 36 MB, 44% in favour of AMD Ryzen 9 9950X. The benchmark result agrees. Everyday Performance puts Intel Core i9-14900K 1% ahead, 124 against 123. Intel Core i9-14900K also leads on l2 cache, 16 MB on the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X versus 32 MB on the Intel Core i9-14900K.
Who each one is for
Take the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X for enthusiast gaming and heavy content-creation desktop builds wanting AMD's strongest mainstream Zen 5 performance. Avoid it for buyers on a tighter budget, the Ryzen 9 9900X or 7 9700X deliver strong performance at meaningfully lower cost. Take the Intel Core i9-14900K for buyers on the mature, widely-supported LGA 1700 platform wanting Intel's strongest 14th Gen gaming and productivity performance. 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 AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (9/10): the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is the strongest mainstream desktop chip for heavy multithreaded work, pairing 16 Zen 5 cores with excellent efficiency.
What AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel Core i9-14900K have in common
Everything else lines up. Total threads, integrated graphics, form factor, market segment and smt enabled read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 9 further specifications as well.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X vs Intel Core i9-14900K price
Cost splits them too. Intel Core i9-14900K sits at $589, AMD Ryzen 9 9950X at $649, 10% more.
Frequently asked questions
Do the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel Core i9-14900K differ on total cores?
Yes. Total Cores reads 16 on the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X versus 24 on the Intel Core i9-14900K.
Is the Unlocked Multiplier the same on the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel Core i9-14900K?
It is. Both are listed at Yes, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Everyday Performance
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 123-1%
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 124Best
Heavy Workload Performance
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 173Best
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 163-6%
Brand
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- AMD
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Intel
Product Line
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Ryzen 9
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Core i9
Form Factor
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Desktop
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Desktop
Model Number
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 9950X
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 14900K
Codename
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Granite Ridge
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Raptor Lake Refresh
Release Year
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 2024
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 2023
TDP
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 170 W
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 125 W
iGPU
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- AMD Radeon Graphics
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Intel UHD Graphics 770
Market Segment
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Desktop
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Desktop
Microarchitecture
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Zen 5, Ryzen 9000 Series
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Raptor Lake Refresh, 14th Gen Intel Core
Socket
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- AM5
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- FCLGA1700
Socket Status
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Current
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- End of Life
Process Node
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 4 nm
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 10 nm
Total Cores
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 16
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 24Best
Performance Cores
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 16Best
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 8
Efficiency Cores
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 0
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 16Best
Total Threads
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 32
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 32
SMT Enabled
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Yes
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Yes
P-Core Base Clock
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 4.3 GHz
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 3.2 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 5.7 GHz
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 5.6 GHz
Unlocked Multiplier
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Yes
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Yes
L2 Cache
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 16 MB-50%
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 32 MBBest
L3 Cache
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 64 MBBest
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 36 MB-44%
3D Stacked Cache
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- No
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- No
Base Power
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 170 W
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 125 W
Max Turbo Power
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 230 W
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 253 W
Max Operating Temp
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 95 C
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 100 C
Bundled Cooler
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- None
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- None
Memory Type
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- DDR5-5600
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- DDR5 or DDR4
Max Memory Speed
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 5600 MT/s
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 5600 MT/s
Memory Channels
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 2
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 2
Max Memory Capacity
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 256 GBBest
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 192 GB
ECC Support
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Yes
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Yes
Integrated Graphics
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Yes
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Yes
iGPU Model
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- AMD Radeon Graphics
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Intel UHD Graphics 770
iGPU Compute Units
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 2
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 32
Copilot Plus Certified
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- No
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- No
PCIe Generation
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- PCIe 5.0
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- PCIe 5.0
PCIe Lanes
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 24
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 20-17%
Launch MSRP
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- $649
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- $589
Retail Availability
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- Boxed Retail
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- Boxed Retail
Benchmarks
- 3D Rendering
Blender Cycles (CPU)
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 625Best
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 508-19%
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.
- General CPU
Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 2,292Best
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 2,183-5%
Renders a 3D scene on every core. Shows speed in rendering and other heavy work.
Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 137-1%
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 138Best
Renders a 3D scene on one core. Shows how quick the CPU feels in everyday apps and games.
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 41,898Best
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 39,056-7%
Renders a 3D scene on every core. Shows speed in rendering and other heavy work.
Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 2,232-3%
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 2,311Best
Renders a 3D scene on one core. Shows how quick the CPU feels in everyday apps and games.
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 22,094-3%
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 22,840Best
Everyday tasks like photo editing, compression and compiling, run on all cores.
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- 3,414Best
- Intel Core i9-14900K
- 3,230-5%
The same everyday tasks on one core. Tracks how responsive the PC feels.
Which one should you pick?
Choose 9950X if you want the higher heavy workload performance (173.0 vs 163.0), the higher L3 cache (64 MB vs 36 MB) and the higher memory channels (2 vs 2).
Choose 14900K if you want the higher everyday performance (124.0 vs 123.0), the higher L2 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB) and the higher cinebench 2024 (Single-Core) (138 vs 137).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AMD Ryzen 9 9950X | Intel Core i9-14900K |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $649.00 View on Amazon | $589.00 View on Amazon |
| Newegg | View on Newegg | View on Newegg |
| B&H Photo | View on B&H Photo |
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 9950X
9 / 10 Expert Rating
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is the strongest mainstream desktop chip for heavy multithreaded work, pairing 16 Zen 5 cores with excellent efficiency.
Intel Core i9-14900K
8.6 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Core i9-14900K is a very fast unlocked desktop chip with 24 cores, best for enthusiasts who can cool its high power draw.