AMD Ryzen 9 7900X vs Intel Core i7-13850HX Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Core i7-13850HX are two very different processors that happen to land at nearly identical average benchmark scores, but the data shows the comparison is not a close contest. The Ryzen 9 7900X wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the dataset, sweeping all 17 recorded tests, while the Intel chip fails to claim a single victory. Despite the Intel part’s higher core and thread count, the AMD desktop processor delivers decisively superior performance across every workload measured, from single-threaded tasks to heavily multithreaded rendering and encryption workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the head-to-head data is the uniformity of AMD’s dominance. In the Cinebench suite, the Ryzen 9 7900X leads by exactly 39.4% in every multi-core test, including R15, R20, and R23, with scores of 4404 versus 3159, 18351 versus 13165, and 43695 versus 31346 respectively. The single-core Cinebench results tell the same story: the AMD chip posts 621 in R15, 2590 in R20, and 6168 in R23, each time beating the Intel part by 39.4% or 39.6%. This consistency across multiple generations of the Cinebench test indicates a fundamental architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The Passmark suite reveals even larger gaps in certain specialized tasks. The biggest delta appears in the prime number search test, where the Ryzen 9 7900X scores 388 against Intel’s 184, a massive 110.9% advantage. Extended instruction performance is nearly as lopsided, with AMD’s 47619 crushing Intel’s 26586 by 79.1%. Random string sorting shows a 51.8% gap (74658 versus 49198), and data compression favors AMD by 43.3% (632505 versus 441525). These results indicate that the Zen 4 architecture handles integer-heavy and encryption-related workloads far more efficiently than Raptor Lake-HX.

Even in the areas where Intel might be expected to compete, such as floating-point math and single-threaded performance, AMD still wins comfortably. The floating-point math score of 103952 beats 92369 by 12.5%, while single-thread Passmark shows 4238 versus 3769, a 12.4% edge. The multithread Passmark score of 51406 versus 36870 represents a 39.4% lead, mirroring the Cinebench multicore margins. Physics performance rounds out the sweep with a 23.2% advantage (3060 versus 2483). With 17 wins and 0 losses, the head-to-head data leaves no ambiguity about which processor is faster in every measured scenario.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-13850HX has a marginally higher average benchmark score of 50827, compared to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X’s 50556, a difference of only 0.5%. Both processors sit at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs.

Q: How does the core count compare between the two?

A: The Intel Core i7-13850HX has 20 cores and 28 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X has 12 cores and 24 threads. Despite having fewer cores and threads, the AMD processor wins all multithreaded benchmarks.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head tests?

A: The largest gap is in the Passmark find-prime-numbers test, where the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X scores 388 against Intel’s 184, representing a 110.9% advantage for AMD.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the Intel Core i7-13850HX wins?

A: No. In the 17 head-to-head benchmarks recorded, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X wins every single test. The Intel chip records zero wins.

Q: How do the two compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 7900X is 0.1% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT, while the Core i7-13850HX is 0.2% ahead of the Ryzen 9 5900XT and 0.5% ahead of the Core Ultra 5 235. Both are within 0.8% of the Intel Core i9-13980HX.

Q: Which processor was released more recently?

A: The Intel Core i7-13850HX was released on 2023-01-03, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X was released on 2022-09-26, making Intel the newer part by several months.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures from different foundries. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X uses the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Raphael, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. Intel’s Core i7-13850HX uses Raptor Lake architecture, codenamed Raptor Lake-HX, built on a 10 nm process at Intel. This process node difference likely contributes significantly to the performance gap, as the smaller 5 nm node allows AMD to achieve higher efficiency and clock speeds.

The cache layouts also differ substantially. AMD allocates 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a large 64 MB shared L3 cache. Intel’s design uses 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, but only 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ryzen 9 7900X’s 64 MB L3 cache is more than double Intel’s 30 MB, which likely explains its dominance in data-heavy workloads like compression and random string sorting.

Transistor counts and die sizes tell a story of different design philosophies. The AMD processor packs 13,140 million transistors across a die size of 2x 71 mm², while Intel lists a single 257 mm² die with no transistor count provided. The integrated graphics differ as well, with AMD featuring Radeon Graphics and Intel using UHD Graphics 770. Memory support also diverges: AMD supports DDR5 only, while Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5, though AMD’s memory bandwidth is listed at 83.2 GB/s while Intel’s is not provided.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal stark contrasts in nearly every category. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, while the Intel Core i7-13850HX runs at a much lower 2.10 GHz base and 5.30 GHz boost. The TDP difference is enormous: AMD draws 170 watts versus Intel’s 55 watts, reflecting the desktop versus mobile design targets. The socket types are incompatible, with AMD using Socket AM5 and Intel using BGA 1964.

Core and thread counts favor Intel on paper, with 20 cores and 28 threads versus AMD’s 12 cores and 24 threads, yet this does not translate into benchmark victories. The process nodes differ as noted, with AMD at 5 nm and Intel at 10 nm. Memory support shows AMD limited to DDR5 while Intel offers DDR4 and DDR5 compatibility. PCIe lanes differ slightly, with AMD providing 24 Gen 5 lanes versus Intel’s 20. The market segments are clearly different, with AMD targeting desktop and Intel targeting mobile. Launch prices also differ, with AMD at $549 and Intel at $428.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X wins in every measured category, making the use-case split straightforward. It excels in multithreaded rendering workloads, as shown by the 39.4% advantage across all three Cinebench versions. Content creators running Cinebench R23 will see the 43695 score versus 31346, representing a substantial reduction in render times. The 110.9% lead in prime number finding and 79.1% lead in extended instructions makes it the clear choice for scientific computing and integer-heavy mathematical workloads.

Data professionals will favor the AMD chip for compression and encryption tasks, where it leads by 43.3% and 43% respectively. The 51.8% advantage in random string sorting indicates superior performance in database and sorting applications. Even in floating-point math, traditionally a strong area for Intel, AMD leads by 12.5%. For single-threaded responsiveness, the 12.4% Passmark lead and 39.4% Cinebench single-core lead mean the Ryzen 9 7900X provides snappier application performance across the board.

The Intel Core i7-13850HX, despite winning no benchmarks, has its own positioning based on non-performance specifications. Its 55 watt TDP makes it suitable for mobile platforms, and its support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory offers flexibility in system design. The 20 cores and 28 threads provide a higher thread count on paper, which could theoretically benefit heavily threaded workloads if software scaling were perfect, though the benchmark data does not support this. Its lower launch price of $428 may also appeal to system integrators, though this is not a performance consideration.

The Verdict

The benchmark data delivers an unambiguous verdict: the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is the superior processor in every measurable performance category. With 17 wins and 0 losses, the sweep is complete and decisive. The largest gaps appear in integer-heavy workloads, where AMD leads by over 100% in some cases, while the smallest gaps still favor AMD by more than 12%. The 39.4% consistent lead across Cinebench multicore tests indicates that the architectural efficiency of Zen 4 on 5 nm simply outclasses Raptor Lake on 10 nm, despite Intel’s higher core count.

Users who prioritize raw performance in rendering, data processing, encryption, or any CPU-bound task should choose the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X without hesitation. The data shows no scenario where the Intel Core i7-13850HX provides better benchmark performance. However, the Intel part’s 55 watt TDP and mobile socket make it a viable option for laptop designs where power consumption and thermal constraints are the primary concerns, and where the AMD desktop chip cannot physically be installed. For anyone comparing these two based on performance metrics, the choice is clear: the Ryzen 9 7900X wins outright, and the 0.5% difference in average benchmark scores is entirely explained by the Intel chip’s slightly higher average, which does not translate into a single head-to-head victory.