I'm trying to figure out if the Intel Ultra 7 265K is the best CPU for around $300, as I found it for about $290. I'm not a heavy gamer—mostly just play CS2—and I don't do demanding tasks like video editing, but I need a reliable CPU for multitasking and I want to future-proof my setup for roughly four years. I know AMD enthusiasts will likely shout against Intel, but I'm curious if there's a decent AMD alternative at the same price point. If the AMD option is better for gaming, how much better are we talking? I've heard that AMD chips are more efficient, but if the boost in FPS is minor, I'd prefer to stick with Intel. Also, I'm currently using an i9-9900K with 8 cores, so I'm hoping for a significant performance upgrade. I'm planning to game in 1440p or possibly 4K with a mid-range GPU like the RTX 5070. Last thing, should I consider the i7 14700K instead?
2 Answers
The Ryzen 7 9700X definitely outperforms the Ultra 7 265K in almost every scenario—just a minor drop for video editing tasks. Plus, the AM5 platform seems more future-proof compared to Intel's.
Honestly, the latest Intel generation has been pretty underwhelming—not even beating the 12th gen for gaming. The Ultra's extra cores don't help much with its scheduling problems and latency. Plus, that socket won't support future Intel CPUs, making it a bad long-term investment.
Watch out! The Intel fans are going to jump in and argue about productivity gains!