Comparing Intel Arrow Lake and AMD Ryzen 9000: Which CPU is more powerful and worth buying?

Intel has just brought out its latest Arrow Lake Desktop CPU series to compare directly with AMD's Ryzen 9000 series, with the goal of convincing gamers to choose its chip.

 

Intel gives many reasons to upgrade to Arrow Lake, but is it more attractive than Ryzen 9000?

Intel and AMD have been constantly updating partners and users about new technologies and products. The marketing materials from both sides don't always have the desired effect, but they show how each company positions its products against the competition.

This time, Intel puts the Core Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake-S Desktop) next to the Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5". In the comparison table, Intel offers up to 12 CPU models while AMD only has 9 models.

1. Core Ultra 9 (285K, 285) vs Ryzen 9 (9950X3D, 9950X, 9900X3D, 9900X).

2. Core Ultra 7 (265K, 265KF, 265F, 265) vs Ryzen 7 (9800X3D, 9700X).

3. Core Ultra 5 (245K, 245KF, 245, 235, 225F, 225) vs Ryzen 5 (9600X, 9600).

 

Core Ultra 9 285K vs Ryzen 9 9950X3D/9950X/9900X

At the high-end, Intel claims the Core Ultra 9 285K is on par with the Ryzen 9 9950X3D in gaming performance, falling just 9% behind in select titles, while outperforming it in content creation. Compared to the Ryzen 9 9950X, the 285K is said to be on par at 1080p in five games, including Starfield. And when pitted against the Ryzen 9 9900X, Intel claims the 285K is even 14% better in some games like STALKER 2 .

 

Core Ultra 7 265K vs Ryzen 7 9700X/9800X3D vs Ryzen 9 9900X

Next up is the Core Ultra 7 265K, which is compared to the Ryzen 7 9700X and offers roughly equivalent gaming performance at 1080p. Intel has made a big point of highlighting value per dollar (perf/$) : the 265K is listed at $299 (after rebate), cheaper than the 9700X at $359, offering 15% better performance/price.

However, the 9700X can actually be had for $279–299 at Amazon or Newegg, making Intel's comparison somewhat less convincing.

For the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the most powerful gaming CPU available at $450–$480, Intel claims the 265K offers up to 25% better performance/price. However, in independent tests, the 9800X3D still clearly outperforms in gaming performance.

Intel also compared the 265K to the Ryzen 9 9900X, but the results differed from many independent reviews, suggesting caution when viewing self-published numbers.

Core Ultra 5 245K vs Ryzen 5 9600X

In the mainstream segment, Intel launched the Core Ultra 5 245K against the Ryzen 5 9600X. The results announced by the company are quite balanced: more than 9% in some games and less than 9% in others. However, thanks to its 14 cores compared to only 6 cores of the 9600X, the 245K excels in content creation and multitasking tasks.

 

Additionally, Intel also brings the Core Ultra 5 225 up against the previous generation i5-14400, claiming up to a 43% improvement in gaming performance and an average of 20% improvement overall.

Reality is still different from advertising?

Intel didn't provide any details on the benchmark settings or whether APO (Application Optimization) was enabled. However, one thing is clear: despite Intel's arguments, Arrow Lake-S Desktop was still considered a disappointing launch, which helped AMD Ryzen 9000 further solidify its position in the PC DIY market.

Intel itself admitted that Arrow Lake has not met expectations and hopes for the next generation - Nova Lake - to close the gap with AMD.