A dead CPU can lead to a bricked computer and makes it unusable. Thankfully, a CPU is one of the easiest things to replace on your computer. Two hot CPUs that are great replacement options are the AMD Ryzen 7 3700x and the Intel Core i7-9700k.

But which do you choose? Team Blue (Intel) or Team Red (AMD)?

Here are our pros and cons to each.

Pros of AMD Ryzen 7 3700x

The biggest pro to the AMD Ryzen 7 is that it is cheaper in price compared to the i7-9700k. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700x 3.6 GHz 8 core processor is normally only $329.99, compared to the i7-9700k, which normally runs for $369.99.

The other biggest pro is that AMD Ryzen is hyperthreaded, meaning that those 8 cores have 2 threads each. This makes it better in multicore performance such as video editing and other creative programs.

Cons of AMD Ryzen 7 3700x

The con of the 3700x is that the base clock and a boost clock of the processing power are underperforming compared to the i7-9700k. This means it will more than likely be outperformed in games, all be it by a small margin.

AMD also uses a pin-based CPU, which can easily be broken if not careful. Always handle this processor with care.

Pros of Intel Core i7-9700k

The biggest pro of the Intel Core i7 9700k 3.6 GHz 8 core processor is that even though it has fewer threads, it does outperform Team Read in gaming.

Its single-threaded performance is marginally beating AMD in terms of frames per second at almost all resolutions. This is because many games only utilize the fastest core and the Intel Core i7 9700k has a bigger node that can handle those games at higher boost clock speeds.

Cons of Intel Core i7-9700k

The con of the i7-9700k is the price to performance everywhere else. While it does do good when it comes to gaming, it lacks severely when it comes to content creation and workloads.

This means if you need to video edit, create 3D models for animation, or someone that deals with large data sets, Intel will fall significantly behind AMD. Not to mention the 9700k can get extremely hot compared to the 3700x.

The 9700k gets hotter because it requires more power for those boost speeds. The 9700k requires 95 watts of power, compared to the 3700x which only needs 35 watts. AMD comes with a cooler that can handle these temperatures, whereas Intel almost always requires an aftermarket cooler to handle that bad boy.

Which Is Better? Depends on What You Are Using Your Computer For

At the end of the day, whether you are going for the AMD Ryzen 7 3700x or the Intel Core i7-9700k, you are going to get a great CPU. They both perform well for their areas and can be considered the top of the line in both classes from previous generations.

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