AMD Ryzen 9 9950X vs Intel Core 9 273PQE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data spans 15 benchmark comparisons, and the results split decisively: the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X wins 13 of them, while the Intel Core 9 273PQE takes only 2. The margins, however, tell a more nuanced story than the win count alone.

The largest single victory for AMD comes in passmark extended instructions, where the 9950X scores 71,564 against 38,743 for the Intel part, a delta of 84.7%. This is a workload category that rewards wide SIMD execution and high sustained throughput, and the AMD processor delivers more than 1.8 times the result. Random string sorting shows a similar pattern: 94,368 versus 53,167, a 77.5% advantage. Prime number finding follows at 74.2% ahead (345 versus 198). These three tests are heavily parallel integer and instruction-level workloads, and the AMD chip dominates them all.

The gap narrows considerably in Cinebench R23 multicore. The 9950X posts 40,924 against 39,190 for the Intel Core 9 273PQE, a modest 4.4% lead. This is a far tighter race than the raw core count difference would suggest, and it indicates that the Intel part scales efficiently across its available threads despite having fewer cores. The older Cinebench R15 multicore test is a different story: AMD scores 6,335 versus 3,950, a 60.4% margin. The R15 workload appears to reward the AMD design much more strongly than the newer R23 version.

PassMark multithread gives AMD a 43.2% lead (66,030 versus 46,107), while integer math sits at 47.1% ahead (242,097 versus 164,629). Data compression shows a 53.1% advantage (896,544 versus 585,752), and data encryption lands at 49.7% (44,366 versus 29,636). Floating point math is closer at 26.7% (159,063 versus 125,546), and physics simulation shows a 19.1% edge (3,279 versus 2,754). These results paint a consistent picture: the AMD processor holds a substantial lead across most multithreaded and math-heavy tasks, with the smallest multicore margin appearing in the modern Cinebench R23 test.

The Intel Core 9 273PQE claims both of its wins in single-core Cinebench tests, and the margins are striking. In Cinebench R23 single-core, Intel scores 5,532 against AMD's 2,202, a 60.2% advantage. In Cinebench R15 single-core, Intel posts 557 versus 344, a 38.2% lead. These are the largest single-test deltas in either direction, and they suggest a fundamental difference in how the two processors handle lightly threaded workloads. The PassMark single-thread test, however, shows AMD ahead by a slim 3.6% (4,737 versus 4,573), which complicates the picture. The Cinebench single-core results are heavily in Intel's favor, but the PassMark single-thread measurement does not reproduce that gap, indicating that the two benchmarks are not measuring identical characteristics.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split by workload type. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is the stronger processor for multithreaded compute, math-heavy tasks, data compression, encryption, and physics simulation. Its wins span margins from 4.4% up to 84.7%, and it holds the higher average benchmark score at 74,640 against 66,099 for the Intel part. The Intel Core 9 273PQE counters with a dominant showing in Cinebench single-core workloads, where it leads by 60.2% in R23 and 38.2% in R15. For applications that depend heavily on single-thread Cinebench performance, the Intel processor is clearly ahead. For nearly everything else in the recorded data, the AMD processor is the safer choice.

The percentile ranks place both processors in the same tier: the AMD chip sits at the 94th percentile of all CPUs in the database, while the Intel part sits at the 93rd. The average score difference of 8,541 points, roughly 12.9%, is meaningful but not overwhelming. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X wins 13 of 15 head-to-head tests, but the Intel Core 9 273PQE wins the two tests where it leads by the largest margins of the entire comparison. A system builder prioritizing Cinebench single-core results would favor Intel; a builder prioritizing multithreaded throughput or math performance would favor AMD.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design lineages. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X uses the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core 9 273PQE uses the Bartlett Lake codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel. AMD lists 16,630 million transistors across a die size of 2x 70.6 mm², while the Intel part has no transistor count or die size recorded in the database.

Cache layouts differ substantially. Both processors use 80 KB of L1 cache per core. The L2 cache is 1 MB per core on the AMD chip and 2 MB per core on the Intel chip. The L3 cache is 64 MB on the AMD part, while the Intel part has 36 MB shared. Neither processor lists a 3D V-Cache variant in the recorded data.

Memory support diverges as well. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X supports DDR5 only, while the Intel Core 9 273PQE supports both DDR4 and DDR5. Both use a dual-channel memory bus, and both record the same memory bandwidth figure of 89.6 GB/s. Both support ECC memory. The PCIe configuration differs: AMD lists Gen 5 with 24 lanes (CPU only), while Intel lists Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The AMD chip includes Radeon Graphics as integrated graphics, while the Intel chip includes UHD Graphics 770.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts are a major differentiator. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has 16 cores and 32 threads. The Intel Core 9 273PQE has 12 cores and 24 threads. Base clocks are 4.30 GHz for AMD and 3.40 GHz for Intel. Boost clocks are 5.70 GHz for AMD and 5.90 GHz for Intel, giving the Intel part the higher peak frequency despite the lower base. TDP is 170 watts for AMD and 125 watts for Intel.

The sockets are incompatible: AMD uses Socket AM5, while Intel uses Socket 1700. The AMD processor has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel processor does not. The release dates differ, with AMD listed as 2024-08-14 and Intel as 2026-03-08. The launch MSRP for the AMD part is $649, and for the Intel part it is $589. Both are listed as Active production status and both target the Desktop market segment. The part numbers are 100-000001277 for AMD and SA4Q9 for Intel.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has 16 cores and 32 threads. The Intel Core 9 273PQE has 12 cores and 24 threads.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X wins with a score of 40,924 against 39,190 for the Intel Core 9 273PQE, a 4.4% margin.

Q: How large is the Intel lead in Cinebench R23 single-core?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PQE scores 5,532 against 2,202 for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, a 60.2% advantage.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and the Intel Core 9 273PQE list ECC memory support as true.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X supports DDR5 only. The Intel Core 9 273PQE supports both DDR4 and DDR5.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PQE has a boost clock of 5.90 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has a boost clock of 5.70 GHz.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X wins in multithreaded and math-heavy workloads. The data shows a 60.4% lead in Cinebench R15 multicore, a 43.2% lead in PassMark multithread, a 47.1% lead in integer math, a 26.7% lead in floating point math, a 53.1% lead in data compression, a 49.7% lead in data encryption, an 84.7% lead in extended instructions, a 74.2% lead in prime number finding, a 77.5% lead in random string sorting, and a 19.1% lead in physics. The Cinebench R23 multicore win is narrower at 4.4%, but it is still a win. The PassMark single-thread test also favors AMD, though by only 3.6%.

The Intel Core 9 273PQE wins in Cinebench single-core workloads. The R23 single-core score of 5,532 is 60.2% higher than the AMD result, and the R15 single-core score of 557 is 38.2% higher. These are the only two tests in the head-to-head set that the Intel processor wins, but both are decisive victories. The Intel part also records a higher boost clock at 5.90 GHz versus 5.70 GHz, a lower TDP at 125 watts versus 170 watts, and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, which gives it broader memory compatibility.

The use-case split follows directly from the benchmark data. Applications that rely on Cinebench-style single-thread performance, such as certain legacy or lightly threaded workloads, will favor the Intel Core 9 273PQE. Applications that scale across many threads, including rendering, compression, encryption, simulation, and math processing, will favor the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X. The AMD processor also holds the higher average benchmark score at 74,640 and the higher percentile rank at 94, versus 93 for the Intel part. The Intel processor offers a lower TDP and memory flexibility, but the recorded benchmark data shows the AMD chip ahead in the majority of measured tasks.