AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs Intel Core i7-990X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X or AMD Ryzen 9 5950X – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 32 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2020 and belongs to the 4 generation of the AMD Ryzen 9 series.
To use the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, you'll need a motherboard with a AM4 (PGA 1331) socket.
The Intel Core i7-990X features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2011 and belongs to the 1 generation of the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition series.
To use the Intel Core i7-990X, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1366 socket.
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Name Intel Core i7-990X
AMD Ryzen 9 Family Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition
4 Generation 1
AMD Ryzen 5000 Group Intel Core i7 900
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 32 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is 3.4 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.9 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Core i7-990X has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-990X is 3.46 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.73 GHz.
4.9 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 3.73 GHz
Yes Overclocking Yes
normal Core architecture normal
3.4 GHz Frequency 3.46 GHz
32 Threads 12
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
16 CPU Cores 6
16x Cores 6x
 
 

Internal Graphics

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X does not have integrated graphics.
The Intel Core i7-990X does not have integrated graphics.
-- GPU frequency --
-- Release date --
-- Direct X --
GPU name
-- Technology --
-- Max. displays --
-- Shaders --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Execution units --
-- Generation --
-- GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- AVC --
-- VC-1 --
-- VP9 --
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
-- h264 --
-- VP8 --
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
-- JPEG --
-- AV1 --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 24.0 GB distributed across 3 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
2 Memory channels 3
128.0 GB Max. Memory 24.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI No
Yes ECC No
51.2 GB/s Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
DDR4-3200 Memory type DDR3-1066
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 105 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 130 W watts.
95 °C Tjunction max --
142 W TDP (PL2) None
105 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 130 W
 
 

Technical details

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 64.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i7-990X is manufactured using a 32 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 12.0 MB cache.
Q4/2020 Release date Q1/2011
-- Part Number --
8.0 MB L2-Cache 1.5 MB
AMD-V, SVM Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT
SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
Vermeer (Zen 3) Architecture Gulftown
7 nm Technology 32 nm
AM4 (PGA 1331) Socket LGA 1366
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
799 $ Release price 1059 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
64.0 MB L3-Cache 12.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.4 GHz
45910
45910
Intel Core i7-990X
6C 12T @ 3.46 GHz
6975
6975

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.4 GHz
16606
16606
Intel Core i7-990X
6C 12T @ 3.46 GHz
3765
3765

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.4 GHz
13214
13214
Intel Core i7-990X
6C 12T @ 3.46 GHz
3247
3247

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.4 GHz
12265
12265
Intel Core i7-990X
6C 12T @ 3.46 GHz
2460
2460

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.4 GHz
2215
2215
Intel Core i7-990X
6C 12T @ 3.46 GHz
660
660

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.4 GHz
1759
1759
Intel Core i7-990X
6C 12T @ 3.46 GHz
639
639