Core Ultra 9 290K Plus vs Ryzen 9 7950X: which is better
Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus (desktop, 2026) against AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (desktop, 2022): benchmarks, games, specs and current prices.
Key differences
- Ryzen 9 7950X is 2% faster in multi-threaded work (PassMark 62,125 vs 60,860).
- Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is 13% faster per core.
- Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a lower TDP: 125 W vs 170 W.
- Different sockets (LGA1851 and AM5): they need different motherboards.
| Core Ultra 9 290K Plus | Ryzen 9 7950X | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 84.4 | 86.2 |
| PassMark CPU Mark | 60,860 | 62,125 |
| Single-thread rating | 4,823 | 4,251 |
| Games, 1080p, % of the best | no data | 71.0% |
| US price | no current price | from $488 |
| Cores | 24 (8P + 16E) | 16 |
| Threads | 24 | 32 |
| Base clock | 3.7 GHz | 4.5 GHz |
| Max boost | 5.8 GHz | 5.7 GHz |
| L3 cache | 36 MB | 64 MB |
| TDP | 125 W | 170 W |
| Max power | 250 W | 230 W |
| Memory | DDR5 | DDR5 |
| Memory speed | 7200 MT/s | 5200 MT/s |
| PCI Express | PCIe 5.0 | PCIe 5.0 |
| Socket | LGA1851 | AM5 |
| Process | 3 nm (TSMC N3B) | 5 nm (TSMC N5) |
| Architecture | Arrow Lake Refresh | Zen 4 |
| Series | Core Ultra 200S Plus | Ryzen 7000 |
| Release year | 2026 | 2022 |
| Integrated graphics | Intel Graphics | Radeon (2 CU) |