This CPU looks to be better for gaming than Intel’s new flagship Core Ultra 285K and it’s now $100 off
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The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has been making huge waves before its launch, outperforming its predecessors and the competition’s top CPU, the Ryzen 9 9950X. However, according to recent developments, it seems like these early benchmark results might not cover the entire picture.
While the performance difference between the 285K and its competition is great, even though the results were done on engineering samples, its gaming performance isn't up to par, and even Intel admits that, according to its own benchmarks. Its gaming performance is on average less than the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, a previous-generation X3D chip.
That said, if you were planning on getting the 285K for your gaming build, it'd be better to opt for the 7950X3D, as it has better gaming performance, and you can save $100 with this Micro Center deal.
Should you get the Ryzen 9 7950X3D?
For anyone looking to make a high-end gaming PC, any X3D processor would do, but the 7950X3D sits at the top of the performance hierarchy, and since you can get it for $100 less, it makes it a steal.
This processor features 16 cores, 32 threads, a 4.2 GHz base clock, a 5.7 GHz boost clock, and a 120W TDP. These specifications are almost the same as those of the 7950X, with the exception of the X3D variant’s 0.3 GHz slower base clock. However, there is a significant difference in the L3 cache: the 7950X has 64MB, while the 7950X3D has twice that, which gives it the gaming edge over other processors.
That said, we've also tested this processor's performance in-house for our Ryzen 9 7950X3D review. We ran a couple of games at 1080p low settings paired with a 4070 Ti Super, and this CPU had no issues tackling all of them. In Cyberpunk 2077, it delivered 173 FPS, while in Days Gone, it had 197 FPS. This performance is impressive, and it should be able to handle any upcoming AAA titles with ease as well – when paired with a decent GPU.
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