AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core i7 14700K: Which is the better CPU?

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core i7 14700K is an interesting battle because the former is a mid-range processor, while the latter is a premium CPU. According to the leaked price of the Ryzen 5 9600X, the processor is also cheaper than its Intel counterpart. AMD has praised the gaming performance of the Ryzen 5 9600X, so the company has high hopes for it. But can it dethrone the i7 14700K?

Let's find out in this comparison of the Ryzen 5 9600X and Intel Core i7 14700K.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinions.

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AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core i7-14700K

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is based on the Zen 5 architecture from AMD. It brings 16% IPC improvements, has better efficiency, and boasts support for faster DDR5 memory. Meanwhile, the Intel Core i7-14700K has faster clock speeds, Application Optimization Overview (APO), support for Wi-Fi 7, and more.

Let's look at the specs of the two CPUs to learn what's under their hood.

Specs comparison

AMD Ryzen 9000 series CPU (Image via AMD)

Here are the specs of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Intel Core i7-14700K:

Specifications	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i7-14700K
Architecture	Zen 5	Raptor Lake Refresh
P-cores/threads	6/12	8/16
E-cores/threads	---	12/12
Total cores/threads	6/12	20/28
Max clock speed	5.4 GHz	5.6 GHz
L3 cache	32MB	33MB
RAM support	DDR5-5600	DDR4-3200 DDR5-5600
Thermal design power (TDP)	65W Typical | 88W Max	125W Typical | 253W Max
Manufacturing nodes	4nm, 6nm	10nm
Price	$279 (Leaked pricing)	$381

As you can see, the Intel CPU has more than double the core count and higher clock speeds than the AMD processor. However, the Ryzen 5 9600X is manufactured on a smaller node, so it is more efficient and consumes less power than its Intel counterpart.

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Performance comparison

Let's put the specs aside and look at the actual performance differences between the two CPUs. Here's how the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Intel Core i7-14700K perform in popular benchmarks like Cinebench and Geekbench:

Note: More benchmarks will be added after the final launch of AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

Benchmarks	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i7-14700K
Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)	2223	2062
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)	16998	34673
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)	3284	3012
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)	14594	20262

In single-core benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 9600X is 8.5% faster on average than the Intel Core i7-14700K. However, the latter CPU achieves a 73.8% better score on average in multi-core benchmarks.

The Ryzen 5 9600X's higher single-core score means it will perform better in gaming. Similarly, the higher multi-core score of the Intel processor will result in significantly better performance in productivity, 3D rendering, and video editing applications.

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Pricing comparison

Intel Core i7-14700K (Image via Intel)

An X user (@momomo_us) recently leaked the Ryzen 5 9600X's price ($279). The same user accurately leaked the prices of the Nvidia RTX 40 Super series in the past.

If you take this leaked price of the Ryzen 5 9600X at face value, the AMD processor will be 26% cheaper than the Intel Core i7-14700K ($381).

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Final verdict of AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core i7-14700K

Based on the specs, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is better for gaming. It is about 8.5% faster on average and reportedly also costs less. On the contrary, the Intel Core i7-14700K will perform significantly better in productivity applications.

If gaming is your priority, go with the AMD CPU. However, choose the Intel offering if you want a processor for your gaming, productivity, and streaming needs.

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Note: There are some user reports of instability issues on the 13th- and 14th-gen Intel CPUs, and the company is actively investigating the issue. Besides, they are extending the warranty of 13th- and 14th-gen processors by two years.