AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Intel Core 9 273PQE Comparison

The Intel Core 9 273PQE and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D sit at nearly identical overall performance levels, with average benchmark scores of 66099 and 65914 respectively—a mere 0.3% gap. Despite this statistical tie, the two processors achieve parity through completely different strengths, and the head-to-head results show a clear split: the AMD part wins 10 of 15 direct comparisons, while the Intel part takes 5, but the Intel victories are often by massive margins in specific workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic single result is in Cinebench R23 single-core, where the Intel Core 9 273PQE scores 5532 against the Ryzen 9 7950X3D's 2053—a 169.5% advantage. This is not a small lead; it is a generational gap in single-threaded throughput. The same pattern appears in Cinebench R15 single-core, where Intel wins 557 to 326, a 70.9% delta. Even PassMark's single-thread test, which is less extreme, shows Intel ahead at 4573 versus 4146, a 10.3% edge. For any workload that depends on one or two fast threads, the Intel part is the clear choice.

The multi-core picture is more nuanced. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, Intel actually wins 39190 to 36291, an 8% margin, despite having 12 cores and 24 threads versus AMD's 16 cores and 32 threads. This suggests Intel's core efficiency and high boost clock of 5.90 GHz overcome the core-count deficit in this particular render test. However, the older Cinebench R15 multi-core test tells the opposite story: AMD wins 5974 to 3950, a 33.9% delta. The discrepancy between R15 and R23 results indicates that the two chips scale very differently depending on the workload characteristics.

AMD's dominance shows up across PassMark's synthetic suite. In data compression, AMD scores 784993 versus Intel's 585752, a 25.4% lead. Data encryption goes to AMD 47100 to 29636, a 37.1% margin. Extended instructions favor AMD 58515 to 38743, a 33.8% gap. The largest percentage loss for Intel is in find prime numbers, where AMD scores 495 versus Intel's 198—a 60% deficit. Even in floating-point math, a category where Intel typically competes well, AMD edges ahead 130403 to 125546, a 3.7% margin. PassMark multi-thread shows AMD ahead 62383 to 46107, a 26.1% lead, and physics tests go to AMD 5053 to 2754, a 45.5% gap. Random string sorting is another AMD win, 92784 to 53167, a 42.7% delta.

The Verdict

The data points to a simple conclusion: choose the Intel Core 9 273PQE if your primary workloads are single-threaded or lightly threaded, where it delivers leads of 70.9% to 169.5% over the AMD part. Choose the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D for almost everything else, especially multi-threaded production tasks, compression, encryption, and physics simulation, where it holds advantages ranging from 23.1% to 60%.

The average benchmark scores are nearly identical, but that hides the fact that these chips are not interchangeable. The Intel part wins by overwhelming margins in single-core tests but loses by similarly large margins in many multi-threaded tests. The AMD chip is the more consistent all-rounder, winning 10 of 15 head-to-head comparisons. However, if you specifically need the fastest possible single-thread performance—for example, in legacy software that only uses one core—the Intel part's 169.5% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core is decisive.

Neither chip is a bad buy. Both sit at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, and their overall scores are within 0.3% of each other. The decision hinges entirely on your workload mix, not on which chip is "better" in an absolute sense.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Core 9 273PQE uses the Bartlett Lake architecture on a 10 nm process from Intel's own foundry. It has 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.90 GHz. Its cache layout is generous per core: 80 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 per core, plus 36 MB of shared L3. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, dual-channel, with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. It includes Intel's UHD Graphics 770 integrated GPU and uses Socket 1700.

The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses the Zen 4 architecture on a 5 nm process from TSMC. It has 16 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. Its L1 is 64 KB per core and L2 is 1 MB per core, but the L3 cache is the headline feature: 128 MB shared, including a 1x 64 MB 3D V-Cache slice. This massive L3 is the likely reason for its dominance in data compression and encryption. It supports only DDR5 memory, dual-channel, with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth. It includes Radeon Graphics integrated, uses Socket AM5, and has 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes versus Intel's 16.

The transistor counts differ enormously: AMD lists 17,840 million transistors across a 2x 71 mm² die, while Intel does not list transistor count or die size. AMD's process node is smaller (5 nm vs 10 nm), which helps explain how it packs more cores and cache into a similar TDP envelope of 120 W versus Intel's 125 W. The AMD chip also has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel chip is locked.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has higher single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PQE wins all three single-core benchmarks. It leads by 70.9% in Cinebench R15 single-core, 169.5% in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 10.3% in PassMark single-thread.

Q: Which CPU is better for multi-threaded workloads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D wins most multi-threaded tests, with a 33.9% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 26.1% in PassMark multi-thread, and 45.5% in PassMark physics. However, Intel wins Cinebench R23 multi-core by 8%.

Q: How do their overall benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PQE has an average benchmark score of 66099, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D scores 65914. The difference is 0.3% in Intel's favor.

Q: What is the cache size difference?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D has 128 MB of shared L3 cache, including a 64 MB 3D V-Cache slice, while the Intel Core 9 273PQE has 36 MB of shared L3 cache. AMD also has smaller per-core L1 and L2 (64 KB and 1 MB) compared to Intel's 80 KB and 2 MB.

Q: Do both CPUs support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core 9 273PQE and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D support ECC memory.

Q: Which CPU has more PCIe lanes?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D has 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, while the Intel Core 9 273PQE has 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core 9 273PQE wins in any scenario that is bottlenecked by single-thread speed. Its 169.5% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core makes it the obvious pick for applications that don't scale across cores, such as older games, certain legacy business software, or lightly threaded productivity tools. The 70.9% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core reinforces this. Its 8% win in Cinebench R23 multi-core, despite having 4 fewer cores and 8 fewer threads, also suggests it handles modern render engines efficiently. It also wins in PassMark single-thread by 10.3%.

The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D wins everywhere else. Its 25.4% lead in data compression and 37.1% lead in data encryption point to workloads that benefit from the large 128 MB L3 cache. The 60% lead in prime number finding and 45.5% lead in physics indicate strong integer and simulation performance. The 26.1% lead in PassMark multi-thread and 42.7% lead in random string sorting make it better for general multi-threaded production, database operations, and content creation that uses many threads. Its 23.1% lead in integer math and 3.7% lead in floating-point math show it is broadly faster in compute-heavy tasks.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in nearly every major specification. The Intel Core 9 273PQE has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D has 16 cores and 32 threads. Intel's base clock is 3.40 GHz versus AMD's 4.20 GHz, but Intel's boost clock is higher at 5.90 GHz versus 5.70 GHz. TDP is close: 125 W for Intel, 120 W for AMD. The sockets are incompatible: Intel uses Socket 1700, AMD uses Socket AM5. The process nodes differ: Intel is 10 nm from Intel, AMD is 5 nm from TSMC. AMD lists 17,840 million transistors and a 2x 71 mm² die size; Intel lists neither. Cache differs: Intel has 80 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 per core with 36 MB shared L3; AMD has 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core with 128 MB shared L3 including a 64 MB 3D V-Cache slice. Memory support differs: Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth; AMD supports only DDR5 with 83.2 GB/s. PCIe lanes differ: Intel has 16 Gen 5 lanes, AMD has 24 Gen 5 lanes. Integrated graphics differ: Intel has UHD Graphics 770, AMD has Radeon Graphics. Intel's multiplier is locked, AMD's is unlocked. Intel launched with an MSRP of $589, AMD with $699. Release dates differ: Intel on 2026-03-08, AMD on 2023-01-03.