AMD recently announced the launch date and price for its new Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU, alongside a half-dozen new processors. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a top-end chip, which according to AMD, is now the "world's best gaming processor". In this article, we're going to take a look at the Intel Core i7-12700K vs Ryzen 7 5800X3D comparison, to find out which one's better to buy for your new gaming PC build.

Navigate this article:

• Specifications
• Performance Difference
• No overclocking support for 5800X3D
• Pricing & Availability
• Which one should you buy?

Specifications

Before we begin the comparison, here's a quick look at the specifications table to see what each CPU brings to the table:

Performance Difference

Both the Ryzen 7 5800X3D and the Intel Core i7-12700K are relatively new CPUs. They both are fully kitted and are perfect options to consider for a high-end gaming rig. And as you can see, both the processors are a lot similar in terms of the specifications too. The Intel Core i7-12700K features a hybrid core architecture and has eight performance cores (P-cores) and four efficiency cores (E-cores). The Ryzen 7 5800X3D, on the other hand, has eight cores and 16 threads. There's no denying that both CPUs will offer impressive performance in both gaming as well as content creation workloads. These are two high-end CPUs going head-to-head against each other with a solid set of specs.

The Core i7-s performance cores have a base frequency of 3.60GHz, whereas the Ryzen 7's standard octa-core configuration offers 3.8GHz as the base frequency. When boosted, the Core i7's 12700K's P-cores can hit a max turbo frequency of 4.7GHz, while the Ryzen 7 5800X3D can boost up to 4.5GHz. The core frequencies are slightly slower on the new Ryzen chips, likely because of the thermal concerns. We talked about this in our Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Intel Core i7-12700 comparison, so be sure to check it out too.

One of the main advantages of the new Ryzen chip is the additional 3D V-cache memory. As you can see, the Intel Core i7-12700K only has 25MB of L3 cache but the new Ryzen chip fires back with as many as 96MB. This is going to allow the Ryzen 7 5800X3D to perform significantly better in gaming and other similarly threaded tasks. According to AMD's internal testing, it looks like the new Ryzen 7 5800X3D delivers the same level of performance as the Intel Core i9-12900K. We haven't had a chance to test the new Ryzen chip yet, but here's a quick look at some performance comparison figures shared by AMD:

No overclocking support for 5800X3D

It's official! The Ryzen 7 5800X3D doesn't support overclocking. This is a bummer, especially considering the fact that the 5800X3D is a high-performance chip. According to AMD, they're still figuring out how to fine-tune the packaging for its V-cache CPUs. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D being the first one of its kind, they decided to voltage lock it at 1.35V. Fabric and memory overclocking are still enabled though, which means enthusiasts will still be able to tweak some settings. We hope this won't be the fate of future V-cache CPUs, and AMD manages to figure out a way to tune these new chips. We'll have more to talk about this when the new Ryzen 7000 series processor enters the market.

The Intel Core i7-12700K, on the other hand, supports overclocking. Both chips, however, aren't bundled with a CPU cooler, which means you'll have to buy a third-party cooler. You might want to check out our collection of the best CPU coolers in case you are looking for some cooler options on the market.

Pricing & Availability

AMD's Ryzen 7 5800X3D is now official and it goes on sale starting April 20 for $449. That's great pricing since AMD is positioning the 5800X3D as its top gaming CPU right now. In fact, it's the same price at which the AMD debuted the Ryzen 7 5800X. The Intel Core i7-12700K, on the other hand, is available for just $384 right now. Alternatively, you can also buy the Intel Core i7-12700KF without integrated graphics for around $370.

Intel Core i7-12700K vs AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D: Which one should you buy?

The Intel Core i7-12700K may not have the same amount of L3 cache as the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, but it can handle gaming very well and it also supports overclocking. We think it offers a great set of features overall including DDR5 and PCIe 5.0. However, you will have to buy a new motherboard for it. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D will drop in the existing set of AM4 motherboards that are readily available on the market, that too at relatively affordable prices. We suggest you take a look at our best AMD motherboards collection to find some good options.

If you don't mind waiting for a few more months before building your new PC, then we highly suggest you wait for AMD to launch its Ryzen 7000 series desktop chips. We expect the company to announce some powerful chips that'll go head-to-head with Intel's Alder Lake chips to compete for the top spot in our best CPUs collection. And if you don't mind buying a laptop instead, then be sure to take a look at AMD's Ryzen 6000 series mobile processors too.