Intel Core i7 13700K vs Ryzen 9 7900X

Stuck between AMD and Intel? We’re analysing every CPU from the new generations and pitting them off head to head, today we’re looking at the 13700K vs 7900X.

Updated: Oct 14, 2022 2:41 pm

Table of Contents
Table of Contents

Intel is about to release its 13th-generation CPUs into the wild. The 13th generation is set to be the best that intel has ever produced. Even going as far as to promise a 6GHz later on in 2023. For now, let’s focus on the here and now, here’s our 13700K vs 7900X article.  

Now Read: Ryzen 9 7900X review

Before we jump into it, we have to get a grasp of each CPUs specifications. 

---

13700K vs 7900X: Specifications

Here we will run through the specifications of each CPU to help us determine which is best based on specs alone. 

i7-13700K

The 13700K is designed to be a little more budget-friendly than the 13900K bringing high performance into the gaming realm, whilst still having the core and thread count to be proficient in multicore workloads. 

The specifications of the Core i7-13700K are as follows: 

Ryzen 9 7900X

The Ryzen 9 7900X is the second-best CPU in AMD’s 700 series CPUs designed to bring power and efficiency to all gamers. The 7900X brings fantastic gaming performance and also has the core and thread counts to perform some heavy workstation tasks. 

The specifications of the Ryzen 9 7900X are as follows. 

---

Things to consider when opting for a 13700K or a 7900X

Here are the things to consider when choosing between these two CPUs. 

Obviously, both of these CPUs have very different sockets, however, the point lies within each of the CPUs separately. 

The Ryzen 9 7900X belongs to socket AM5, this is the first socket change AMD has undergone in over five years. This means you’ll need a brand-new motherboard to support the new 7000 series CPU. But with the Intel CPU, it’s a different story. 

The 13700k belongs to socket LGA 1700, which has been Intel’s socket of choice since Alder lake, this does not require you to update your motherboard if you’re already on socket LGA 1700. 

Updating the motherboard to a newer version comes with its advantages in both cases. Bringing PCIe Gen 5, faster memory speed support, and better connectivity to the table. 

---

13700K vs 7900X: Specification comparison

Here we will compare the specifications of both CPUs, this will give us a better understanding of how CPUs work and all the things to look out for that make a CPU “better”. 

Cores and threads

The 7900X has a higher core count but the same number of threads are present in each CPU. 

CPU cores are what comprises your CPU, the more cores your CPU has the better it can perform. Having a larger number of CPU cores means your CPU will be better at multitasking natively, as it has more cores capable of processing instructions. 

Threads are similar but lesser than CPU cores, to “multithread” a CPU, is to give the CPU core the ability to process two instructions simultaneously as opposed to one. 

This makes threads helpful, however, they have to share resources with the physical CPU cores, and since threads don’t physically exist, they don’t have any sort of priority, and receive resources more slowly, making them slower as a result. 

Core speed

The 7900X has a much faster core boost speed of 5.6GHz. 

Core speed is an important metric when considering a CPU, as it’s the speed at which a CPU core can complete an instruction cycle. 5.6GHz is 5.6 Billion times per second. 

A CPU instruction cycle is comprised of three major actions, these are: fetch, decode, and execute. It’s these three actions that comprise the fundamentals of computing as we know it. The faster a CPU core can complete these cycles, the more cycles it can rack up in one second. This translates directly to more instructions or “actions processed”. 

A higher CPU core speed is beneficial, especially to gaming performance, as games often only rely on one to four cores. 

Cache

The Ryzen 9 7900X has a larger CPU cache. 

A CPU cache is a type of volatile memory that’s constructed close to the CPU cores, this is to improve latency and facilitate high-speed transfers. CPU cache acts as a buffer between system memory and the CPUs. and as the cache is much faster than system memory, it allows the more efficient feeding of CPU cores with instructions. Helping the CPU to process faster. 

TDP

The Ryzen 9 7900X has a lower TDP of 170W / 230W

TDP stands for thermal design power and is the maximum amount of thermal energy a component can produce under normal operating conditions. 

There are two types of TDP, base TDP and boost TDP. These values represent the amount of thermal energy given off by the CPUs running at both the base and boost speeds. As you can see, the Ryzen 9 7900X is more efficient, creating less heat with a lower TDP. 

TDPs have to be “counteracted” by coolers, you need to negate all that thermal energy, by moving it away from the CPU as fast as possible, you’re going to need a beefy cooler to handle both CPUs. 

---

13700K vs 7900X: Performance

Although we won’t have the actual numbers until the 13th gen CPUs release, we do have a snippet of info given at the latest Intel Innovation event by Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. 

Pat stated that the 13th-generation CPU will see increases in single-core performance of up to 15%, and performance increases in multi-core workloads of up to 42% over 12ht generation Ader Lake CPUs. 

---

Final Word

The Ryzen 9 7900X is a better choice for us, with its higher number of CPU cores and its significantly faster core speed making it ideal for those who want an edge in performance. The 7900X is great for both gamers and content creators as AMD Ryzen CPUs are beasts of multi-core workloads. 

We hope you enjoyed this Core i9-13700K vs Ryzen 9 7900X article, and we hope it helps you to make future comparisons when it next comes time to upgrade your CPU.