'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and the Core i7-14700K will go head-to-head once the Team Red chip launches later this month. The chips target the mid-premium segment and are meant for gamers who want the best performance for their rigs. Both are priced around the $400 margin and pack enough computing prowess to handle up to an RTX 4090 without any problems.
However, should you call dibs on the Intel chip or wait for the Ryzen to launch? The answer depends on a variety of factors. Let's try to look at the differences between the chips in this article.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the opinions of the writer
The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Core i7-14700K both target the mid-premium segment
The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and the Core i7-14700K are based on wildly different architectures. Hence, a specs comparison wouldn't tell us much about them.
Trending
While AMD is sticking to its tried-and-tested chiplet-based design with the AM5 lineup, Intel's 14th gen is a monolithic chip like others before it, making the processors react quite differently to the same workloads.
Specs comparison
Coming to the on-paper specs, the 9700X will be an eight-core and 16-threaded chip. The 14700K, on the other hand, uses a hybrid design with a total of 20 cores. Eight of them are performance-rated 'P' cores, and the remaining 12 are efficient 'E' cores.
Another difference is in the power design of the chips. The 9700X has been scaled down to just 65W this generation, down from the 105W Ryzen 7 7700X. The Core i7-14700K, on the other hand, is a power-hungry 125W chip. It can draw up to 253W under full load.
The detailed specs of the chips are as follows:
The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X will likely be priced at $399 upon launch. The Core i7-14700K, on the other hand, is currently selling for $399, which could make these two equivalent chips.
Performance comparison
In terms of performance, the Ryzen 7 9700X and Core i7-14700K are quite different. According to performance numbers from leaked engineering samples of the upcoming Zen 5 chip, it will receive a massive boost in single-core performance. This makes it faster than the Intel 14th gen alternative.
However, the sheer number of cores on the 14700K still makes it the faster processor in terms of multi-core performance. If you want your gaming rig to double up as a workstation with fantastic performance in productivity workloads like rendering, video editing, file compression, and others, the Core i7 is the way to go.
Below is a comparison of synthetic benchmark scores achieved by either chip. We have sourced the numbers from Nanoreview.
*Based on leaked benchmark scores
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs Intel Core i7-14700K: Final verdict
I believe it's best to wait for the final launch of the Ryzen 7 9700X for now. If you are building a gaming rig, looking at the actual benchmarks of the two processors will give further insight into which one is the real winner.
However, for now, the Ryzen 7 9700X seems like the better deal for gamers. The processor also has decent multi-core numbers and can be a great all-rounder for all kinds of workloads.
Check out other CPU comparisons from Sportskeeda:
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT vs Ryzen 9 5900X
- Ryzen 9000 vs Ryzen 7000 series
- Intel Core i9-14900K vs Ryzen 9 7900X
