Intel Core i9-9900KS vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i9-9900KS or Intel Core i9-9900KS – 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 Intel Core i9-9900KS features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 16 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2019 and belongs to the 9 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-9900KS, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1151-2 socket.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 32 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2019 and belongs to the 3 generation of the AMD Ryzen 9 series.
To use the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, you'll need a motherboard with a AM4 (PGA 1331) socket.
Intel Core i 9000 Group AMD Ryzen 3000
9 Generation 3
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-9900KS Name AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Intel Core i9 Family AMD Ryzen 9
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-9900KS has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 16 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-9900KS is 4.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 5.0 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 32 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is 3.5 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.7 GHz.
16 Threads 32
8x Cores 16x
8 CPU Cores 16
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
Yes Overclocking Yes
5.0 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 4.7 GHz
4.0 GHz Frequency 3.5 GHz
4.8 GHz Turbo Frequency (all cores) None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-9900KS has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-9900KS uses the Intel UHD Graphics 630, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X does not have integrated graphics.
192 Shaders --
Q4/2017 Release date --
14 nm Technology --
12 Direct X --
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Max. displays --
24 Execution units --
0.35 GHz GPU frequency --
9.5 Generation --
1.2 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU name
 
 

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.
Decode / Encode VP8 --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
No AV1 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode / Encode AVC --
Decode / Encode h264 --
Decode / Encode VP9 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
 
 

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 42.7 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 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.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-2666 Memory type DDR4-3200
No ECC Yes
128.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
42.7 GB/s Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 127 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 105 W watts.
None TDP (PL2) 142 W
127 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 105 W
100 °C Tjunction max 95 °C
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-9900KS is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 16.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 64.0 MB cache.
Q4/2019 Release date Q3/2019
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2
14 nm Technology 7 nm
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
524 $ Release price 650 $
Coffee Lake S Refresh Architecture Matisse (Zen 2)
16.0 MB L3-Cache 64.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
LGA 1151-2 Socket AM4 (PGA 1331)
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
39079
39079
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
19602
19602

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
24050
24050
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
13305
13305

V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
18875
18875
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
11511
11511

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
14322
14322
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
9471
9471

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
11830
11830
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
8514
8514

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
10761
10761
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
6012
6012

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
9148
9148
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
5226
5226

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
3897
3897
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
2201
2201

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
1697
1697
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
1650
1650

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
1419
1419
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
1408
1408

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
1371
1371
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
1333
1333

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
531
531
Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
518
518

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
222
222
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
217
217

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Intel Core i9-9900KS
8C 16T @ 4.0 GHz
148
148
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
85.4
85.4

Intel Core i9-9900KS and AMD Ryzen 9 3950X in leaderboards