AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Core Ultra 9 285K: Which is the best gaming CPU?

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K are some of the fastest gaming CPUs in the market. These chips represent some of the latest innovations from either chip manufacturer, like 3d V-cache, 3nm processing nodes, and hybrid core design. However, while the 9800X3D has been the best-selling gaming CPU in the market, the Core Ultra 9 285K hasn't taken a similar outlook. This makes us question Intel's best vs AMD's popular kid — which is the better buy in 2025?

We have dissected the on-paper specs and performance details in this article. Read on to find out how these processors stack up in gaming.

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The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Core Ultra 9 285K are some of the most powerful gaming CPUs

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is the highest-end offering from Team Blue (Image via Amazon)

The Core Ultra 9 285K and Ryzen 7 9800X3D are distinct in terms of their underlying hardware and market positioning. While both are some of the priciest CPUs you can buy, the former is Team Blue's best offering this generation, while the AMD processor is midway between the budget Ryzen 5 9600X and higher-end Ryzen 9s.

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Specs comparison

The 9800X3D is powered by eight Zen 5 cores that boost to 5.2 GHz. In terms of the cache, you get 104 MB total, 96 MB of which is the 3D V-cache stacked atop the CCX. The processor is a bit power hungry, requiring at most 120W.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is a more impressive chip on paper. It's based on Arrow Lake-S, the brand new TSMC N3-based design from Team Blue. It features 24 cores and a similar number of threads with maximum boost speeds of 5.7 GHz. While there's no 3D V-cache here, you still get an impressive 76 MB of L2+L3 on-chip memory. The extra hardware on the chip makes it pretty power hungry, however, with the Ultra 9 drawing northwards of 200W under peak load.

Here's a detailed specs comparison:

Spec (what matters for gaming)	Ryzen 7 9800X3D	Core Ultra 9 285K
Architecture / Process	Zen 5 + 3D V-Cache (4 nm)	Arrow Lake-S (Intel 4/TSMC N3 mix)
Cores / Threads	8C / 16T	24C / 24T (8P + 16E, no HT)
Base / Boost clocks	4.7 GHz / up to 5.2 GHz	P-cores 3.7 / 5.5 GHz, E-cores 3.2 / 4.6 GHz (max turbo 5.7 GHz)
Cache (L2 + L3)	8 MB + 96 MB (3D V-Cache)	40 MB + 36 MB (Intel Smart Cache)
Memory support (official)	DDR5-5600 (dual-channel)	DDR5-6400 (CUDIMM) / DDR5-5600 (UDIMM)
iGPU	Radeon Graphics, 2 CUs @ up to 2.2 GHz	Intel Graphics (Xe-LPG), 4 Xe cores, up to 2.0 GHz
Platform / Socket	AM5 (drop-in on AM5 boards)	LGA-1851 (200-series “Core Ultra” boards)
Power (TDP / Base Power; Turbo/MTP)	120 W TDP	125 W base, up to 250 W MTP
Price	$479	$529

The Ultra 9 285K is the costlier of the two. While the Ryzen 7 9800X3D comes in at $479 brand new, the Intel processor starts at $529. Moreover, LGA 1851 is more expensive as well, given it's brand new and hasn't matured, unlike AM5.

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Performance comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is among the most popular gaming CPUs today (Image via Amazon)

Here are the framerates achieved by either CPU when paired with an RTX 4090 24 GB. These tests were conducted at 1080p, the most CPU-bound resolution. We sourced the data from the YouTube channel Testing Games.

	AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D	Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
PUBG	399 FPS	303 FPS
Hogwarts Legacy	103 FPS	79 FPS
Forza Horizon 5	271 FPS	260 FPS
Microsoft Flight Simulator	145 FPS	99 FPS
God of War: Ragnarok	346 FPS	290 FPS
Horizon Forbidden West	197 FPS	184 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	158 FPS	131 FPS
Ghost of Tsushima	219 FPS	185 FPS
Starfield	153 FPS	143 FPS
The Witcher 3	116 FPS	96 FPS

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, on average, delivers 20.6% faster performance than the Core Ultra 9 285K. The chip shows the largest difference in Microsoft Flight Simulator (+46.5%), which is natural given the game's heavy CPU reliance. The extra cache in the X3D comes in handy in such scenarios.

The Ultra 9 fails to secure a win in any game, which is embarrassing given the positioning of the CPU as Intel's flagship. The chip consistently remains 15-20% behind the 9800X3D, a gap large enough to fit in a GPU upgrade.

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The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best buy for gamers in mid-2025. It's cheaper, delivers better performance, and supports a wide future upgrade path with the AM5 platform. Moreover, the chip opens up the budget to invest in a faster GPU, which should help push framerates further.