Ryzen 7900/7900X ECO or Intel 13700k/13600k for new build? Real world power consumption?

Posted by RomWatt@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 3 comments

I want to build a new PC. I've been running on the i7-920 for over 11 years, and I think it's time to upgrade.

I use my PC for gaming, but I don't really play the most recent AAA titles, and I also do video editing and image creation. I will not do overclocking, I'm not a frequent upgrader and I want to keep my next build for as long as possible, so my choice comes down to the 13700k, the 13600k, the Ryzen 7900 or the 7900X, for the CPUs I can afford.

I already have a NH-D15 to cool my future CPU, it's the best air cooler in the market, I don't really want to go with an AIO, because they're less affordable and practical in my opinion.

The 13700k seems to be the best when it comes to both gaming and workload performance, but as someone concerned with energy prices, the power consumption I've seen in benchmarks puts me off, the more affordable 13600k seems slightly more manageable, but isn't as good with workloads.

That's why I'm very tempted by the 7900 thanks to its advertised low power consumption, or the 7900x in Eco mode, both these CPUs are priced similarly in my country, and I could upgrade to something better once the last AM5 CPUs will be released, but it will be more money I'll have to spend down the line, and in the meantime, I will not have the best performance I can have.

I've also read that the AMD CPUs actually consume more at idle, and I can't find many reviews that tested these CPU's actual power consumption, so knowing how much power I would realistically use with each CPU would greatly help me decide.