Digit Zero1 Awards and Best Buy Awards 2023: Best Performing Desktop Processor

As the desktop processor segment continues to evolve, several key trends have emerged, some more exciting than others. While the desktop segment will be largely unaffected by the entry of Qualcomm into the PC space, it’s nevertheless, very impactful to the overall ecosystem. Let’s see what all went down this year.

Also read: Digit Zero1 Awards and Best Buy Awards 2023: Best Performing Gaming Laptop (Over ₹250K+)

Intel’s strategic decision to retain the 700 series chipsets for their 14th Generation launch represented a consumer-centric approach, making it easier for users to upgrade. This generation, though primarily a refresh, sets the stage for more dramatic changes expected in subsequent generations. Arrow Lake is next with a shift to Intel’s 20A process and some new instructions. Intel’s roadmap also includes augmenting cache memory and a significant overhaul of the Intel Thread Director, enhancing compute efficiency and processor performance.

AMD is not far behind in the innovation race. Their Zen 5 microarchitecture, codenamed Nirvana, targets a substantial 10% improvement in IPC, indicating a leap in processing efficiency. The possible use of 4 nm or 3 nm process nodes in these CPUs points towards a future of smaller, more efficient, and powerful processors. Furthermore, AMD’s Zen 6 is poised to revolutionise processor design with extensive die-stacking technologies. Both giants, Intel and AMD, are keen on integrating AI capabilities across their product lines, a move that could redefine processor functionality and application. And now, onto the winners this year.

Digit Zero1 Award Winner: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (Buy now)

Price: ₹65,699

In a close contest, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D emerged as the winner. Its performance closely rivals that of the Intel Core i9-14900K, with AMD edging out Intel in several key workloads. While Intel maintains a slight lead in some single-threaded applications, AMD has made significant strides, overtaking Intel in areas where they traditionally dominated. This shift is particularly evident in gaming benchmarks, where the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D shows a clear lead, and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D pushed even further ahead. One of the decisive factors for AMD’s triumph is its processors’ power efficiency. While Intel’s processors have become more power-hungry to compete for the performance crown, AMD has managed to maintain, and even improve, efficiency. This balance of power and performance is what ultimately crowned AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D as the top performer.

Runner-Up: Intel Core i9-14900K (Buy now)

Price: ₹55,840

The Intel Core i9-14900K stands as the runner-up in this competitive landscape. The 14th Generation Intel processors, aptly named Raptor Lake Refresh represent a modest upgrade, focusing on minor but notable performance enhancements in specific workloads. In our tests Intel was ahead in productivity benchmarks and a lot of content creation benchmarks as well but it took a beating in gaming and power efficiency.

Also read: Digit Zero1 Awards and Best Buy Awards 2023: Best 4K HDR TV 2023

Among this generation, the Intel Core i7-14700K emerged as a particularly impressive model, balancing configuration and performance effectively. However, the Intel Core i9-14900K, despite its advancements, is marked by its high-power consumption. In our tests, this is one aspect where the competition raced ahead and lost Intel the crown this year. So, it goes without saying that power-efficiency is what Intel should be focused on for the next generation of desktop processors.

Digit Best Buy Award Winner: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (Buy now)

Price: ₹37,500

When it comes to value for money, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D stands out as the best buy. Excelling in gaming, it even surpasses the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D in certain titles, a testament to its optimisation for high-performance gaming that doesn’t simply rely on a high core count. The incorporation of 3D V-Cache which we first saw on the Ryzen 7 5800X3D has proven to be a game-changer for this processor and its siblings, providing a significant boost in gaming performance.

Also read: Digit Zero1 Awards and Best Buy Awards 2023: Best Performing Display Smartphone

This technology will, hopefully, be more prevalent in the next generation so that all price points can benefit from silicon stacking. Beyond gaming, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is also great at content creation and daily productivity tasks, making it an all-rounder. Its pricing and performance synergy make it an undeniable choice for consumers seeking the best bang for their buck.

For more information on Digit Zero1 Award winners across various categories of products, please visit: https://www.digit.in/zero1-awards

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Mithun Mohandas

Mithun Mohandas is an Indian technology journalist with 10 years of experience covering consumer technology. He is currently employed at Digit in the capacity of a Managing Editor. Mithun has a background in Computer Engineering and was an active member of the IEEE during his college days. He has a penchant for digging deep into unravelling what makes a device tick. If there's a transistor in it, Mithun's probably going to rip it apart till he finds it. At Digit, he covers processors, graphics cards, storage media, displays and networking devices aside from anything developer related. As an avid PC gamer, he prefers RTS and FPS titles, and can be quite competitive in a race to the finish line. He only gets consoles for the exclusives. He can be seen playing Valorant, World of Tanks, HITMAN and the occasional Age of Empires or being the voice behind hundreds of Digit videos. View Full Profile