The AMD 7000X3D CPUs have the same core architecture as the rest of the 7000 series but they have one group of eight "3D" cores with extra cache. The “3D” cores are priced higher but run at 10% lower clocks. For most real-world tasks performance is comparable to the 7000X variant. Cache sensitive scenarios such as low res. canned game benchmarks with an RTX 4090 ($2,000) benefit at the cost of everything else. Be wary of sponsored reviews with cherry picked games that showcase the wins, ignore frame drops and gloss over the losses. Also watch out for AMD’s army of Neanderthal social media accounts on reddit, forums and youtube, they will be singing their own praises as usual. AMD continue to develop “Advanced Marketing” relationships with select youtubers with the obvious aim of compensating for second tier products with first tier marketing. PC gamers considering a 7000X3D CPU need to work on their critical thinking skills: Influencers are paid handsomely to promote overpriced niche products (X3D, EPYC, Threadripper etc.). Rational gamers have little reason to look further than the $300 13600K which offers comparable real-world gaming and better desktop performance at a fraction of the price. Workstation users (and RTX 4080+ gamers) may find value in higher core CPUs such as the 16-core $400 13700K. Despite offering better performance at lower prices, as long as Intel continues to sample and sponsor marketers that are mostly funded by AMD, they will struggle to win market share. [Mar '23CPUPro]
The Intel i9-9900K is an 8 core, 16 thread, unlocked 9th generation Coffee Lake processor. It has a base / boost clocks of 3.6 / 4.7 GHz and a single-core boost of 5.0 GHz (the highest frequency achieved yet from this class of Intel CPU). It features 16 MB of cache, a 95W TDP and Intel UHD 630 graphics. The 9900K is compatible with the new Z390 chipset, and subject to a BIOS update, is also compatible with the older Z370 chipset. Aimed at users who do not wish to compromise, the i9-9900K offers the best gaming and desktop experience available at any price. Heavy workstation users should consider the Ryzen 9 3900X which is similarly priced. Comparing the overclocked 3900X shows that it is just 10% worse for gaming and desktop (sub octa-core) but around 40% better for 64-core computations. Gamers should consider the 9700K which offers identical overclocked gaming performance at a $100 USD discount. [Oct '18CPUPro]
We calculate effective speed which measures real world performance for typical users. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top CPUs. [CPUPro]
Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.