AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Intel Core 9 273PQE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data records 15 direct comparisons between the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and the Intel Core 9 273PQE. Intel takes 12 of those wins, while AMD secures 3. The overall margin is substantial: Intel leads by 40.7% in Cinebench R23 multi-core (39190 vs 23230) and by 62.4% in Cinebench R23 single-core (5532 vs 2080). Those are the largest deltas in the entire head-to-head set, and they establish a clear pattern of Intel dominance in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded CPU workloads.

The Cinebench R15 results reinforce the same story, though with a smaller multi-core gap. Intel wins R15 multi-core by 7.7% (3950 vs 3647) and R15 single-core by 41.1% (557 vs 328). The R15 single-core margin is striking: Intel more than doubles AMD's score in absolute terms, which suggests a fundamental difference in per-thread capability between the two designs.

AMD's three wins are concentrated in specific workload types. The most dramatic is PassMark find prime numbers, where AMD scores 423 against Intel's 198, a 113.6% advantage. This test is highly sensitive to cache behavior and integer throughput, and the 9800X3D's large L3 cache plays a central role here. AMD also wins PassMark physics by 48.3% (4083 vs 2754), a test that often reflects memory latency and cache efficiency. The third AMD win is narrow: PassMark extended instructions, 38808 vs 38743, a 0.2% margin that is effectively a tie.

Intel's remaining wins cover the broad productivity spectrum. PassMark floating point math goes to Intel by 36.7% (125546 vs 79456). PassMark integer math favors Intel by 29.1% (164629 vs 116709). Data compression sees Intel ahead by 20.1% (585752 vs 468017), and data encryption shows Intel leading by 25.2% (29636 vs 22158). Random string sorting is closer at 8.7% (53167 vs 48526), while the multithread aggregate test gives Intel a 13.2% edge (46107 vs 40009). In single-threaded PassMark, Intel leads by a modest 3.1% (4573 vs 4430), a much smaller gap than the Cinebench single-core numbers would suggest.

The overall average benchmark score tells a similar story: Intel sits at 66099 with a 93rd percentile ranking against all CPUs, while AMD records 39768 with an 87th percentile. Intel's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D at a 0.3% delta, meaning the 273PQE essentially matches that high-end AMD part in aggregate. AMD's own nearest rivals cluster around the Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS and Ryzen AI 9 365, with deltas under 1% in either direction.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. AMD uses the Zen 5 architecture on a 4 nm TSMC process, with the codename Granite Ridge. Intel uses Bartlett Lake on a 10 nm Intel process. The node difference is significant: 4 nm versus 10 nm suggests a major transistor density and power efficiency gap, though the recorded data does not include direct power efficiency measurements.

Core counts differ sharply. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Core 9 273PQE has 12 cores and 24 threads. That 50% core advantage explains much of Intel's multi-core lead in Cinebench R23 and the PassMark multithread test. AMD compensates with a much larger shared L3 cache: 96 MB versus Intel's 36 MB. The per-core L2 cache also differs, with Intel offering 2 MB per core against AMD's 1 MB per core. Both use 80 KB of L1 per core.

Clock speeds go in opposite directions. AMD's base clock is 4.70 GHz with a 5.20 GHz boost. Intel's base clock is lower at 3.40 GHz, but the boost reaches 5.90 GHz. The higher Intel boost clock aligns with its superior single-thread performance in Cinebench, though the PassMark single-thread gap is much smaller.

Memory support differs in flexibility. Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while AMD is DDR5-only. Both use dual-channel memory buses with identical peak bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and both support ECC memory. PCIe lane counts differ: AMD provides Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU, Intel provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes. Integrated graphics also differ: AMD includes Radeon Graphics, Intel includes UHD Graphics 770.

Socket compatibility is another split. AMD uses Socket AM5, Intel uses Socket 1700. The Intel part has a locked multiplier, while the AMD chip is multiplier-unlocked, meaning the 9800X3D allows user-controlled overclocking while the 273PQE does not.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PQE reaches 5.90 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D boosts to 5.20 GHz.

Q: How much larger is AMD's L3 cache?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has 96 MB of shared L3 cache, compared to 36 MB on the Intel Core 9 273PQE.

Q: Which chip wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: Intel wins by 40.7%, scoring 39190 against AMD's 23230.

Q: Does the Intel part support DDR4 memory?

A: Yes, the Core 9 273PQE supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D only supports DDR5.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of each chip?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has a launch MSRP of $479, and the Intel Core 9 273PQE has a launch MSRP of $589.

Q: Which processor wins the PassMark physics test?

A: AMD wins by 48.3%, recording 4083 against Intel's 2754.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | Intel Core 9 273PQE |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 8 | 12 |

| Threads | 16 | 24 |

| Base Clock | 4.70 GHz | 3.40 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.20 GHz | 5.90 GHz |

| TDP | 120 W | 125 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket AM5 | Intel Socket 1700 |

| Architecture | Zen 5 | Not listed |

| Codename | Granite Ridge | Bartlett Lake |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 10 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB per core | 2 MB per core |

| L3 Cache | 96 MB shared | 36 MB shared |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR4, DDR5 |

| PCIe Lanes | Gen 5, 24 lanes | Gen 5, 16 lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon Graphics | UHD Graphics 770 |

| Multiplier | Unlocked | Locked |

| Launch MSRP | $479 | $589 |

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core 9 273PQE dominates compute-heavy, thread-saturated workloads. Its 12 cores and 24 threads translate directly into a 40.7% Cinebench R23 multi-core lead and a 13.2% PassMark multithread advantage. For rendering, video encoding, scientific simulations, or any workload that scales across cores, the data consistently favors Intel. The floating point math result (36.7% ahead), integer math (29.1% ahead), and data compression (20.1% ahead) all point in the same direction. Even in single-threaded tasks, Intel holds the edge, with a 62.4% Cinebench R23 single-core win and a smaller 3.1% PassMark single-thread margin.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D wins where cache capacity and latency matter most. The 113.6% lead in PassMark find prime numbers is the clearest signal: this test is heavily dependent on repeated memory access patterns, and the 96 MB L3 cache provides a massive advantage. The 48.3% win in PassMark physics reinforces that interpretation, as physics calculations often benefit from cached data and low-latency access. The extended instructions result is essentially a tie, so AMD's practical strengths narrow to cache-sensitive integer workloads.

The use-case split follows the benchmark patterns. For users running long multi-threaded jobs, video exports, or parallel compilation, the Intel part offers a substantial throughput advantage. For workloads that repeatedly hit the same data set, such as certain physics simulations or prime-number algorithms, the AMD chip's cache architecture delivers outsized gains. The single-threaded picture is mixed: Intel wins Cinebench R23 single-core by a wide margin, but the PassMark single-thread gap is only 3.1%, suggesting that the Intel advantage is not universal across all single-threaded tests. Overall, the database records 12 wins for Intel against 3 for AMD, making the Core 9 273PQE the stronger performer in the majority of measured scenarios.