Best Desktop CPU: Tech Awards 2023 Editor's Choice series
This year's eternal battle between Intel and AMD is the closest in years.
Best Desktop CPU
In this year's comparison, we will be examining flagship desktop processors from both Intel and AMD in the mainstream segment.
AMD has continued to build upon the success of their Ryzen processors, particularly with their latest generation Ryzen 7000 series chips. On the other hand, Intel has released their equally impressive 13th Gen series that’s fronted by the Core i9-13900K, which boasts incredible single- and multi-threaded performances. If you have been following our CPU reviews, you would know that this year’s Best CPU is quite possibly the tightest in recent years.
Nominees:
- AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
- Intel Core i9-13900K
And the winner is...
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
When it comes to high-end CPUs, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D stands out as the best alternative due to its exceptional performance in gaming as well as its lower thermal design power (TDP). The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is a good choice for gaming at any resolution thanks to its base clock speed of 3.5GHz and peak clock speed of 4.9GHz. It can easily manage heavily threaded workloads as well, thanks to its 16 cores capable of crunching up to 32 work threads simultaneously.
The Intel Core i9-13900K, while performing exceptionally well in single-threaded operations, is not always able to keep up with the Ryzen 9 7950X3D when it comes to heavily threaded workloads and other multi-core apps. Don't get us wrong. The Core i9-13900K is truly fast and capable, but it's bested by AMD's Ryzen 9 7950X3D and its built-in 3D V-Cache.
But what truly makes the Ryzen 9 7950X3D exceptional is its lower TDP operation than the Core i9-13900K, which means that it generates less heat and uses less power in general. Because of this, it is a fantastic option for those who want to construct a high-performance system while minimising the amount of power they use and the money they spend on cooling it.
That’s not taking anything away from the Core i9-13900K though, as both AMD and Intel processors are competent high-end processors, but it is our opinion that the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better option for gamers and power users who require top-of-the-line performance across a wide range of applications. This is due to the Ryzen 9 7950X3D's excellent combination of multi-threaded performance, lower TDP, and superior gaming performance. Here's a small sample of results from our reviews:-
For more details on how we rated our nominees and to find out our usage experience of each, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References section below.
Meanwhile, check out our other Tech Awards 2023 Editor's Choice winners from the team behind HardwareZone and HWM. If you're looking for the best CPU for Gamers who don't need excessive processing cores or the expensive price tag and power draw of the best of the best we've put together in this article, look out for our recommendation tomorrow.
References
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