AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE vs Intel Core i9-9900KS Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE and Intel Core i9-9900KS are both 8-core, 16-thread desktop processors, but they target completely different corners of the market. The 4700GE is a 35W part built on TSMC’s 7 nm process, while the 9900KS is a 127W Intel part on 14 nm. Despite the massive difference in power envelope, benchmark results show the AMD chip consistently edges out the Intel chip in every Cinebench test included in the data, making this a fascinating comparison of efficiency versus raw legacy performance.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for most builders: the AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE. In all six head-to-head Cinebench benchmarks, the 4700GE takes first place, with a consistent 1.7% lead over the Core i9-9900KS in both single-core and multi-core tests. That includes Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the 4700GE scores 16722 versus the 9900KS’s 16446, and Cinebench R23 single-core, where the 4700GE scores 2360 versus 2321. The 4700GE achieves this while drawing only 35W TDP compared to the 9900KS’s 127W TDP—a staggering efficiency advantage.

However, the 9900KS is not without merit. It features a higher base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, both well above the 4700GE’s 3.10 GHz base and 4.30 GHz boost. The Intel part also has 16 MB of shared L3 cache versus the AMD’s 8 MB. For users who already own an Intel Socket 1151 motherboard and want a drop-in upgrade with high clock speeds, the 9900KS remains a viable option, especially since it is end-of-life and can be found used.

But for anyone building a new system, the 4700GE is the better pick. It matches the 9900KS in core count and threads, beats it in every benchmark recorded, uses a fraction of the power, and includes a more capable integrated GPU (Radeon Vega 8 versus Intel UHD 630). The 9900KS’s launch MSRP was $513, but the data does not include a price for the 4700GE, so a direct cost comparison is not possible. Still, on performance and efficiency alone, the AMD part wins.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The 4700GE uses AMD’s Zen 2 architecture, specifically the Renoir codename, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It packs 9,800 million transistors into a 156 mm² die. The 9900KS uses Intel’s Coffee Lake architecture, codenamed Coffee Lake-R, on a 14 nm process at Intel, with a die size of 180 mm² and no transistor count listed in the data.

Cache layouts differ significantly. The 4700GE has 64 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, with 8 MB of L3. The 9900KS has the same 64 KB L1 per core, but only 256 KB of L2 per core, and a larger 16 MB of shared L3. This means the Intel chip has double the L3 cache, which can help in certain workloads, but the AMD chip has double the per-core L2.

Both support DDR4 memory with dual-channel buses, but the 4700GE offers higher memory bandwidth at 51.2 GB/s versus the 9900KS’s 42.7 GB/s. Neither supports ECC memory. For PCIe, both are Gen 3, but the 9900KS specifies 16 lanes from the CPU only, while the 4700GE simply lists Gen 3 without a lane count.

The integrated graphics differ as well: the 4700GE includes Radeon Vega 8, while the 9900KS has Intel UHD 630. Both processors have unlocked multipliers and target the desktop market, but the 4700GE was released on 2020-07-20 and remains active, while the 9900KS was released on 2019-10-27 and is now end-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900KS has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE boosts to 4.30 GHz.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE beat the Intel Core i9-9900KS in multi-core performance?

A: Yes. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the 4700GE scores 16722 versus the 9900KS’s 16446, a 1.7% advantage. The same 1.7% lead appears in Cinebench R20 multi-core (7023 vs 6907) and Cinebench R15 multi-core (1685 vs 1657).

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The 4700GE has a TDP of 35W, while the 9900KS is rated at 127W. That is a substantial difference favoring the AMD chip.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900KS has 16 MB of shared L3 cache, double the 8 MB found on the AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE.

Q: Are both processors unlocked for overclocking?

A: Yes, both the 4700GE and the 9900KS have unlocked multipliers.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of each processor?

A: The 4700GE supports 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the 9900KS supports 42.7 GB/s.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences between the two processors are as follows:

• Base clock: 3.10 GHz (4700GE) versus 4.00 GHz (9900KS)
• Boost clock: 4.30 GHz (4700GE) versus 5.00 GHz (9900KS)
• TDP: 35W (4700GE) versus 127W (9900KS)
• Socket: AMD Socket AM4 (4700GE) versus Intel Socket 1151 (9900KS)
• Architecture: Zen 2 (4700GE) versus Coffee Lake (9900KS)
• Process node: 7 nm (4700GE) versus 14 nm (9900KS)
• Foundry: TSMC (4700GE) versus Intel (9900KS)
• Die size: 156 mm² (4700GE) versus 180 mm² (9900KS)
• Transistors: 9,800 million (4700GE) versus not listed (9900KS)
• L2 cache: 512 KB per core (4700GE) versus 256 KB per core (9900KS)
• L3 cache: 8 MB (4700GE) versus 16 MB shared (9900KS)
• Memory bandwidth: 51.2 GB/s (4700GE) versus 42.7 GB/s (9900KS)
• Integrated graphics: Radeon Vega 8 (4700GE) versus UHD 630 (9900KS)
• Release date: 2020-07-20 (4700GE) versus 2019-10-27 (9900KS)
• Production status: Active (4700GE) versus End-of-life (9900KS)
• Launch MSRP: Not listed (4700GE) versus $513 (9900KS)
• PCIe: Gen 3 (4700GE) versus Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) (9900KS)

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data covers six Cinebench tests, and the AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE wins all of them by a uniform 1.7% margin. Starting with Cinebench R15 multi-core, the 4700GE scores 1685 against the 9900KS’s 1657. In single-core R15, the 4700GE scores 237 versus 233. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core result is 7023 for the AMD chip and 6907 for the Intel chip; single-core is 991 versus 974. In the most demanding test, Cinebench R23 multi-core, the 4700GE scores 16722 while the 9900KS scores 16446, and in single-core R23, the scores are 2360 and 2321, respectively.

The consistency of the 1.7% delta across all six tests suggests a stable, repeatable performance advantage for the 4700GE, not a workload-specific fluke. This is notable because the 9900KS runs at much higher clock speeds—5.00 GHz boost versus 4.30 GHz—and has double the L3 cache. The 4700GE’s 7 nm process and Zen 2 architecture appear to overcome those disadvantages through better instructions-per-clock and higher memory bandwidth.

It is notably the 9900KS has additional benchmarks not present for the 4700GE, including Geekbench multi-core (9771) and single-core (1715), as well as several 3DMark thread tests. Those results cannot be directly compared, but they show the 9900KS is capable in threaded workloads, with a 3DMark max-threads score of 7360 and a single-thread score of 841.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE wins in every measured Cinebench benchmark category, making it the superior choice for rendering, video encoding, and any CPU-bound workload that relies on multi-core performance. It also wins in single-core tests, which is surprising given the 9900KS’s higher clock speeds. The 4700GE’s 35W TDP makes it ideal for small-form-factor builds, low-noise systems, or any scenario where power draw and heat output are primary concerns. Its integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics are more capable than the 9900KS’s UHD 630, so it can handle light gaming or media playback without a discrete GPU.

The Intel Core i9-9900KS, despite losing all head-to-head benchmarks, has its own strengths. Its 5.00 GHz boost clock and 16 MB of shared L3 cache give it a theoretical edge in latency-sensitive applications that are not captured by the Cinebench suite. It also benefits from being on the mature Intel Socket 1151 platform, which may be more accessible to users upgrading an existing system. The 9900KS’s end-of-life status means it might be available at reduced prices on the used market, though the data does not include any current pricing. For someone who already owns a compatible motherboard and values the higher clock speeds for legacy software that favors Intel’s architecture, the 9900KS remains a functional choice—but the benchmark data shows it is behind the 4700GE in every test conducted.