The Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D have been announced. Judging by the performance of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, these chips should have exceptional gaming performance, making them the go-to option for many.
This isn’t great news for Team Blue, as its Arrow Lake processors didn’t have the best gaming performance, and many are wondering how the flagship Core Ultra 9 285K will fare with the 9950X3D now in the mix. Since we haven’t gotten our hands on the 9950X3D just yet, we’re limited to what we know from AMD’s CES 2025 presentation, but this can still give us a solid idea of how these two processors stack up against each other.
That being said, as soon as we’ve gotten our hands on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, we’ll put it through its paces in our testing lab and update this article with in-depth information and real-world performance metrics. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the key differences between these processors.
Spec comparison
We’ve listed their specifications below to see the hardware difference between the two processors.
| CPU | Ryzen 9 9950X3D | Intel Core Ultra 9 285K |
| Architecture | Zen 5 | Arrow Lake |
| Socket | AM5 | LGA 1851 |
| Process | TSMC 4nm FinFET | TSMC N3B |
| Cores | 16 | 24 |
| Threads | 32 | 24 |
| Base clock speed | 4.3 GHz | E-core: 3.2 GHz, P-core: 3.7GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 5.7 GHz | 5.7 GHz |
| L3 cache | 144 MB | 36MB |
| TDP | 170W | 125W / 250W |
| Integrated graphics | AMD Radeon Graphics | Intel Graphics |
These two processors are from different companies, meaning they vary on each level, from the architecture and L3 cache to core count and CPU processes. So, we’ll take a closer look at some of the differences to gauge which one is better in which domain.
Architecture
The first and most glaring difference between these processors is the architecture. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is based on Zen 5, while the Core Ultra 9 285K is based on the Arrow Lake architecture.
In addition, the 9950X3D has 4nm CPU process technology, while the 285K has 3nm process technology, meaning it should have a higher transistor count. According to TechPowerUp, the 285K has 17.8 billion transistors, while the 9950X has 16.63 billion. Since the 9950X3D and the 9950X are almost the same except for the L3 cache, we can assume that they have the same number of transistors.
This means that the 285K should have an edge in processing, but in our 285K and 9950X review, the latter had better single-core performance, and in multi-core tests, the 285K had a slight lead. However, in gaming, the 9950X managed 319 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p low, while the 285K could only deliver 216 FPS.
L3 cache
The next difference is that the 285K has a 36 MB L3 cache while the 9950X3D has 144 MB, 108 MB more. This is a massive difference in the cache, and we know that it is stacked beneath the CCD, giving it an advantage in gaming.
The 9800X3D managed 334 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 with a 96 MB L3 cache, while the 285K delivered 216. Since the 9950X3D has a much higher L3 cache than the 9800X3D, we expect it to deliver even better in-game performance while competing with the 285K in productivity, making it the to-go option between these flagship processors.
Clock speed
Since Intel chips have a hybrid architecture, their clock speeds are different. They have Performance and Efficient cores with different base and boost clock speeds. The Core Ultra 9 285K has a 3.2 GHz base clock speed for E-cores and 3.7 GHz for P-cores.
On the other hand, the 9950X3D has a 4.3 GHz base clock speed, which is much higher than the clock speed of 285K’s P-cores. Both of these processors have the same boost clock speed of 5.7 GHz, which isn’t different, but the 9950X3D should be able to enable PBO, while the 285K has a world record of overclocking to 7488.8MHz.
TDP
The Core Ultra 9 285K has a base TDP of 125W and a maximum turbo power of 250W. On the other hand, the 9950X3D has a 170W TDP, which is much higher than 125W, but the 285K can potentially consume more than it, depending on how much you’ve overclocked it.
That being said, overclocking a CPU means that you need to keep it from thermal throttling, and if we recommend using the best CPU cooler for the 285K and the 9950X to keep these processors running in optimal condition.
Ryzen 9 9950X3D expected price
There is only a bit of time before we know the official price of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, but looking at previous releases and pricing history, we can make an informative guess as to how much the 9950X3D will cost on launch.
The 9950X had a launch price of $649, and we expect the Ryzen 9 9950X3D to cost around $649 to $699.
Which CPU should you get?
There are a couple of factors that you need to consider before deciding on which CPU to get. First, both the 285K and the 9950X3D are based on their new respective platforms, meaning the path for upgrade is plenty with both of 4them.
However, when it comes to gaming performance, the 9950X3D is the clear winner, and the 285K couldn’t even outperform its predecessor, the i9-14900K. Besides that, it does have slightly better multi-core performance, but nothing too extreme would warrant a change of mind from the 9950X3D, as you can overclock this CPU for better productivity.
After considering all of these factors, we think the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the processor to choose for productivity or gaming.
