AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D vs Intel Core i9-14901E Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher overall average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D records an average benchmark score of 54762, while the Intel Core i9-14901E records 37911. The AMD part also sits at the 91st percentile among all CPUs, compared to the Intel part's 86th percentile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the Cinebench R23 multicore test?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 47737 versus 25753 for the Intel Core i9-14901E, a delta of 85.4% in favor of AMD.

Q: Are there any benchmark tests where the Intel Core i9-14901E wins?

A: No. Across all 17 recorded head-to-head benchmark comparisons, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D wins every single one. The Intel part has zero wins.

Q: What is the closest margin between the two processors in any benchmark?

A: The smallest gap appears in the PassMark single-thread test, where the AMD scores 4646 and the Intel scores 4354, a delta of 6.7%. This is the only head-to-head result under double-digit percentage difference.

Q: What are the closest rival scores for each processor?

A: For the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, the nearest rival is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF with an average score of 55093, a delta of -0.6%. For the Intel Core i9-14901E, the nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with an average score of 37904, a delta of 0%.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and the Intel Core i9-14901E list ECC memory support as true.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D uses the Zen 5 architecture on the Granite Ridge codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core i9-14901E uses the Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-R codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel. These are fundamentally different design approaches. The AMD chip is a 12-core, 24-thread processor with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The Intel chip is an 8-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock of 2.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz.

Cache organization differs substantially. The AMD processor has 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 cache per core, totaling 12 MB of L2 across all cores. Its L3 cache is 128 MB. The Intel processor also has 80 KB of L1 per core but 2 MB of L2 per core, totaling 16 MB of L2 across its 8 cores. Its L3 cache is 36 MB shared. The AMD part carries a massive L3 advantage of 92 MB.

The transistor counts and die sizes reflect the different manufacturing approaches. The AMD processor lists 16,630 million transistors across a die size of 2x 70.6 mm². The Intel processor lists no transistor count but has a die size of 257 mm². The AMD part is built on a much smaller node, which typically allows higher density.

Memory support also differs. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D supports DDR5 memory only, dual-channel, with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Core i9-14901E supports both DDR4 and DDR5, dual-channel, but no bandwidth figure is recorded. PCIe connectivity differs as well: the AMD part provides Gen 5 with 24 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel part provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only).

The integrated graphics differ. AMD includes Radeon Graphics, while Intel includes UHD Graphics 770. The AMD part has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel part is locked. The AMD processor uses AMD Socket AM5, and the Intel processor uses Intel Socket 1700. The AMD part's TDP is 120 watts, while the Intel part's TDP is 65 watts. The AMD processor was released on 2025-01-05 with a launch MSRP of $599. The Intel processor was released on 2024-06-30 with no launch MSRP recorded.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a one-sided set of results. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D wins all 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The Intel Core i9-14901E records zero wins.

The largest margin appears in PassMark extended instructions. The AMD scores 55426 against 17249 for Intel, a delta of 221.3%. This is the only test where the AMD advantage exceeds 200%. The next largest gap is in PassMark find prime numbers, where AMD scores 544 versus 189, a delta of 187.8%. PassMark data compression shows a 137.2% delta, with AMD at 685074 and Intel at 288777.

The Cinebench suite shows consistent deltas around 85.4% to 85.5%. In Cinebench R23 multicore, AMD scores 47737 and Intel scores 25753. In Cinebench R23 singlecore, AMD scores 6739 and Intel scores 3635. The same pattern holds for Cinebench R20 multicore (20049 vs 10816), R20 singlecore (2830 vs 1526), R15 multicore (4811 vs 2595), and R15 singlecore (679 vs 366). Each of these shows a delta of roughly 85%.

PassMark multithread shows AMD at 56154 and Intel at 30298, a delta of 85.3%. PassMark physics shows AMD at 5340 and Intel at 3041, a delta of 75.6%. PassMark random string sorting shows AMD at 71864 and Intel at 39138, a delta of 83.6%. PassMark data encryption shows AMD at 33282 and Intel at 18571, a delta of 79.2%. PassMark floating point math shows AMD at 119622 and Intel at 81089, a delta of 47.5%. PassMark integer math shows AMD at 179727 and Intel at 112736, a delta of 59.4%.

The only close contest is in single-thread performance. PassMark single-thread shows AMD at 4646 and Intel at 4354, a delta of 6.7%. This is the same result for the duplicate passmark_singlethread test. This indicates that in lightly threaded workloads, the Intel part is competitive, though still behind. The AMD advantage in multithreaded and heavily threaded workloads is far more pronounced.

When comparing against the nearest rivals in the database, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D sits close to the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, which has an average score of 55093 and a delta of -0.6%. The Intel Core i9-14901E sits close to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, with a delta of 0%. This shows that the Intel part's average performance is essentially tied with a mobile-class AMD processor, while the AMD desktop part is competitive with Intel's mainstream desktop offerings.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance hierarchy. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D holds an average benchmark score of 54762, which places it 44.4% above the Intel Core i9-14901E's average of 37911. The AMD part wins every recorded head-to-head comparison, with the smallest margin being 6.7% in single-thread performance and the largest being 221.3% in extended instructions.

The Intel Core i9-14901E does offer a lower TDP of 65 watts versus 120 watts for the AMD part, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, which could matter for platform flexibility. The Intel part also has a higher boost clock of 5.60 GHz versus 5.50 GHz for AMD. However, the boost clock advantage does not translate into a single benchmark win, not even in the single-thread tests.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the processor to pick when maximum multithreaded throughput is the goal. Its 12 cores and 24 threads, combined with 128 MB of L3 cache, deliver dominant results across Cinebench and PassMark multithread tests. The Intel Core i9-14901E is the processor to pick when lower power draw and memory flexibility are priorities, since it supports DDR4 and DDR5 and has a 65 watt TDP.

Neither processor should be chosen based on single-thread performance alone, though the AMD part still leads there. The database shows the AMD part at the 91st percentile versus the Intel part at the 86th percentile. For users who prioritize raw compute performance across a wide range of workloads, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the stronger choice based on the recorded measurements.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every core specification. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core i9-14901E has 8 cores and 16 threads. The AMD base clock is 4.40 GHz versus 2.80 GHz for Intel. The AMD boost clock is 5.50 GHz versus 5.60 GHz for Intel. The AMD TDP is 120 watts versus 65 watts for Intel.

The AMD part uses AMD Socket AM5, while the Intel part uses Intel Socket 1700. The AMD architecture is Zen 5 with the Granite Ridge codename. The Intel architecture is Raptor Lake with the Raptor Lake-R codename. The AMD process node is 4 nm at TSMC, while the Intel process node is 10 nm at Intel. The AMD die size is 2x 70.6 mm², while the Intel die size is 257 mm². The AMD transistor count is 16,630 million, while no transistor count is recorded for Intel.

Cache configurations differ. The AMD L1 cache is 80 KB per core, same as Intel. The AMD L2 cache is 1 MB per core, while Intel has 2 MB per core. The AMD L3 cache is 128 MB, while Intel has 36 MB shared. Memory support differs: AMD supports DDR5 only, Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5. Both are dual-channel. AMD lists memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, Intel lists none. Both support ECC memory.

PCIe connectivity differs: AMD provides Gen 5 with 24 lanes (CPU only), Intel provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics differ: AMD has Radeon Graphics, Intel has UHD Graphics 770. The AMD multiplier is unlocked, the Intel multiplier is locked. The AMD part number is 100-000001368, the Intel part number is Q49ESRNJH. The AMD release date is 2025-01-05, the Intel release date is 2024-06-30. The AMD launch MSRP is $599, the Intel launch MSRP is not recorded.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D wins across every category of recorded benchmark. In multithreaded compute, the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 versus 25753 gives a 85.4% advantage. The PassMark multithread score of 56154 versus 30298 gives an 85.3% advantage. The 12-core, 24-thread configuration with 128 MB of L3 cache appears to be the primary driver of this dominance.

In specialized workloads, the AMD part shows even larger gaps. Extended instructions show a 221.3% delta, which suggests the Zen 5 architecture handles complex instruction sets far more efficiently. Prime number finding shows a 187.8% delta. Data compression shows a 137.2% delta. These results indicate that the AMD processor is particularly strong in compute-heavy, instruction-dense tasks.

In floating point math, the AMD part leads by 47.5%, scoring 119622 versus 81089. In integer math, the AMD part leads by 59.4%, scoring 179727 versus 112736. In physics calculations, the AMD part leads by 75.6%, scoring 5340 versus 3041. In random string sorting, the AMD part leads by 83.6%. In data encryption, the AMD part leads by 79.2%.

The Intel Core i9-14901E has no recorded benchmark wins. Its closest result is in single-thread performance, where the delta is 6.7%. This is the only category where the Intel part comes within single-digit percentage points of the AMD part. The Intel processor's strengths lie outside the benchmark data: a 65 watt TDP, DDR4 and DDR5 memory support, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz that is slightly higher than the AMD part's 5.50 GHz.

For workloads that depend on single-thread speed, the Intel part is not far behind. For workloads that depend on multithreaded throughput, memory bandwidth, or large cache capacity, the AMD part is decisively ahead. The database shows that users building for heavily threaded applications, content creation, or data processing should choose the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D. Users constrained by power limits or requiring DDR4 compatibility would find the Intel Core i9-14901E more suitable, based on its recorded specifications.