Ryzen 9 7950X vs Core i9-13900K
The Core i9-13900K is about 8% faster than the Ryzen 9 7950X in games where the processor sets the frame rate, in our estimates. Below: FPS in popular games, the specs side by side, and the graphics cards that suit each.
Updated · By Muhammad Muzammil
The short answer
In a typical one of 8 popular games at 1080p High with an RTX 5090, the Ryzen 9 7950X gets about 160 FPS and the Core i9-13900K about 173 FPS. With a slower graphics card, or at 1440p and 4K, the card sets the FPS more often and the gap gets smaller.
The Ryzen 9 7950X uses the AM5 socket and the Core i9-13900K uses LGA1700, so they need different motherboards. The Ryzen 9 7950X takes DDR5 memory and the Core i9-13900K takes DDR4/DDR5. Cores and threads: 16 / 32 on the Ryzen 9 7950X, 24 / 32 on the Core i9-13900K. Neither comes with a cooler, so budget for one.
Ryzen 9 7950X vs Core i9-13900K: FPS in popular games
Estimated FPS at 1080p High with 32 GB RAM (Ryzen 9 7950X / Core i9-13900K in each column). With an RTX 5090, the processor sets the frame rate wherever it can. Values above 500 show as 500+. See FPS for your own PC.
| Game | RTX 5090 | RTX 5060 |
|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 366 / 396 | 305 / 305 |
| Valorant | 403 / 436 | 403 / 436 |
| Fortnite | 176 / 190 | 164 / 164 |
| Apex Legends | 161 / 174 | 161 / 174 |
| Marvel Rivals | 124 / 135 | 89 / 89 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 | 160 / 173 | 110 / 110 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 129 / 139 | 104 / 104 |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | 130 / 141 | 130 / 141 |
With a mid-range graphics card such as an RTX 5060, the card sets the frame rate in more games, so the difference between the two processors is smaller.
Estimated FPS. Numbers come from the FPSVibe model, not measured benchmarks. How we estimate
Specs side by side
| Spec | Ryzen 9 7950X | Core i9-13900K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / threads | 16 / 32 | 24 / 32 |
| Boost clock | up to 5.7 GHz | up to 5.8 GHz |
| L3 cache | 64 MB | 36 MB |
| Socket | AM5 | LGA1700 |
| Memory | DDR5-5200 | DDR5-5600 / DDR4-3200 |
| Integrated graphics | Radeon Graphics (2 CU) | Intel UHD 770 |
| Cooler in the box | Not included | Not included |
| Power (TDP) | 170 W | 125 W |
| Launch year | 2022 | 2022 |
| Gaming index (est.) | 73.2 | 79.2 |
Gaming index: estimated CPU-bound gaming performance at 1080p, Ryzen 7 9800X3D = 100. Memory and box cooler as listed on AMD and Intel product pages; where we couldn't confirm a value there, check the manufacturer's page.
Graphics cards that pair well with the Ryzen 9 7950X
Graphics cards that pair well with the Core i9-13900K
Check a build in the bottleneck calculator
Ryzen 9 7950X vs Core i9-13900K FAQs
Is the Ryzen 9 7950X better than the Core i9-13900K for gaming?
The Core i9-13900K is about 8% faster than the Ryzen 9 7950X in games where the processor sets the frame rate, in our estimates. In a typical one of 8 popular games at 1080p High with an RTX 5090, the Ryzen 9 7950X gets about 160 FPS and the Core i9-13900K about 173 FPS.
Ryzen 9 7950X or Core i9-13900K: which gets more FPS in Counter-Strike 2?
With an RTX 5090 at 1080p High, the Ryzen 9 7950X gets about 366 FPS and the Core i9-13900K about 396 FPS in our estimates.
Do the Ryzen 9 7950X and Core i9-13900K use the same motherboard?
No. The Ryzen 9 7950X uses the AM5 socket and the Core i9-13900K uses LGA1700, so you need a different motherboard to switch. They also take different memory: DDR5 vs DDR4/DDR5.
Do the Ryzen 9 7950X and Core i9-13900K come with a cooler?
No. Neither comes with a cooler in the box, so you need to buy one.
Do the Ryzen 9 7950X and Core i9-13900K have integrated graphics?
Yes. The Ryzen 9 7950X has Radeon Graphics (2 CU) and the Core i9-13900K has Intel UHD 770: enough for a display and light games, not for new games at good settings.
What graphics card should I pair with the Ryzen 9 7950X or the Core i9-13900K?
Balanced picks in our estimates: for the Ryzen 9 7950X, RX 9070, RTX 5070, RX 9070 GRE, RTX 5060 Ti 16GB; for the Core i9-13900K, RTX 5070 Ti, RX 9070 XT, RX 9070, RTX 5070.