Intel Core Ultra 7 265K vs AMD Ryzen 7 9700X: Which is better for gaming?

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and AMD Ryzen 7 9700X are high-end gaming CPUs launched to target the mid-premium segment. Both are freshly launched and come with the latest feature sets, such as fast L3 cache, native AI capabilities, and significant improvements to IPC counts that help in gaming prowess.

Should you buy Intel or AMD this generation? Let's look at their on-paper specs and gaming performance processor to answer this question.

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The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and AMD Ryzen 7 9700X are capable mid-premium gaming CPUs

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a mid-premium gaming CPU from Team Blue (Image via Amazon)

Intel and AMD, despite being x86 processors, share little in common in terms of underlying hardware. While Team Blue focuses on high core counts and AI acceleration in a single package with the new Intel 20A process node (2nm-class RibbonFET + PowerVia), AMD sticks to the tried-and-tested monolithic chiplet-based design.

Based on the TSMC N4 design, Zen 5 bundles no hybrid design, enabling better efficiency. This directly results in much better per-core performance, which theoretically should allow better general productivity and gaming.

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Specs comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and AMD Ryzen 7 9700X both ship with significant improvements over their last-gen counterparts. With the new hybrid "Arrow Lake-S" architecture, Intel makes its processors even faster and more refined than the Raptor Lake Refresh offerings. You get 20 cores (8 Performance + 12 Efficient) and 20 threads. The chip can hit a max turbo of 5.5 GHz (P-core ~ 5.4 GHz, E-core 4.6 GHz).

While the 9700X maintains the monolithic design introduced with the original Ryzen chips in 2017, the new processor bundles significant single-core improvements in a single CCX, making it a fierce eight-core chip for everyday productivity.

Here's a look at the specs of the two processors, side-by-side:

Specification	Intel Core Ultra 7 265K	AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
Architecture (Cores + Threads)	Hybrid “Arrow Lake‑S” 20‑core (8 Performance + 12 Efficient), 20 threads	Zen 5 monolithic, 8 cores / 16 threads
Base / Boost Clocks	P‑core base 3.9 GHz, E‑core base 3.3 GHz; max turbo up to 5.5 GHz (P‑core ~5.4 GHz, E‑core ~4.6 GHz)	Base 3.8 GHz; boost up to 5.5 GHz
Cache	30 MB L3 (Smart Cache), 36 MB L2	32 MB L3, 8 MB L2
TDP / Power	125 W base power; max turbo power up to 250 W	65 W default TDP; some BIOS allow up to ~88 W limit, but default is 65 W
Integrated Graphics / NPU	Integrated Intel Graphics (Xe‑based), Intel AI Boost NPU providing ~13 TOPS	Integrated Radeon graphics; no dedicated AI (NPU)
PCIe / Memory Support	PCIe 5.0 & 4.0 support; dual‑channel DDR5 up to roughly DDR5‑6400, max 192 GB	PCIe Gen 5 support (via AM5 platform); dual‑channel DDR5 up to ~5600 MT/s, ECC support, up to ~192 GB
Socket	LGA 1851	AM5 socket
Launch Date / MSRP	Launch in late October 2024 or early 2025; MSRP around US $394 (tray) / $404 boxed	Launched August 2024; MSRP around US $359; retail ~$305 – 335
Real‑World Performance	Cinebench ~128 single‑core / ~1,938 multicore; roughly parity with high‑end 13th/14th‑gen i7s	Widely regarded as solid 8‑core mid‑range performer; recommended for gaming; highly efficient despite older reviews

Both the Core Ultra 7 265K and the Ryzen 7 9700X have been sufficiently discounted from their launch MSRPs. The Team Blue chip dropped to just $259 on Amazon Prime Day, and consistently retails for $260-$290 on Newegg/B&H. The 9700X, on the other hand, is currently selling for $290 on Amazon and Newegg. Other outlets offer the processor in the $305-$330 range.

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Performance comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X can handle up to an RTX 5090 without major hiccups (Image via AMD)

Gaming isn't the perfect proxy for different CPUs. However, looking at the gaming FPS achieved by the 265K and 9700X is important if you're building a system specifically to handle the latest video games.

Here are the framerate numbers logged by either chip when paired with an Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti graphics card. We sourced this data from the YouTube channel Mark PC.

	Intel Core Ultra 7 265K	AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
God of War	134 FPS	127 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	76 FPS	65 FPS
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	110 FPS	104 FPS
Watch Dogs: Legion	112 FPS	105 FPS
Red Dead Redemption 2	104 FPS	96 FPS
Horizon Zero Dawn	127 FPS	122 FPS

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is the faster processor among the two, beating the 9700X by 7.9%. However, other than Cyberpunk 2077 (+16.9%), gains with the Intel chip are pretty thin: +4.1% in Horizon Zero Dawn, +5.5% in God of War, +5.8% in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and +6.7% in Watch Dogs Legion.

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Verdict

The Intel chip shows strong gains in CPU-demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077. Given they're priced similarly, we recommend opting for the Core Ultra 7 265K in 2025. The new Intel platform will allow upgrades for a few years to come, while also offering better scaling when you pair it with more powerful graphics hardware.