Intel Core i9-9990XE vs AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i9-9990XE or Intel Core i9-9990XE – 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 i9-9990XE features 14 processor cores and has the capability to manage 28 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2019 and belongs to the 9 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-9990XE, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2066 socket.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X features 12 processor cores and has the capability to manage 24 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 3900X, you'll need a motherboard with a AM4 (PGA 1331) socket.
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-9990XE Name AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
Intel Core i9 Family AMD Ryzen 9
9 Generation 3
Intel Core i 9000X Group AMD Ryzen 3000
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-9990XE has 14 CPU cores and can calculate 28 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-9990XE is 4.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 5.1 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is 3.8 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.6 GHz.
5.1 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 4.6 GHz
Yes Overclocking Yes
normal Core architecture normal
4.0 GHz Frequency 3.8 GHz
28 Threads 24
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
14 CPU Cores 12
14x Cores 12x
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-9990XE does not have integrated graphics.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 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 4 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.
4 Memory channels 2
128.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC Yes
42.7 GB/s Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
DDR4-2666 Memory type DDR4-3200
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 255 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.
84 °C Tjunction max 95 °C
None TDP (PL2) 142 W
255 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 105 W
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-9990XE 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 19.2 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 64.0 MB cache.
Q2/2019 Release date Q3/2019
-- Part Number --
0 bytes L2-Cache 6.0 MB
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512 ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
Skylake X Refresh Architecture Matisse (Zen 2)
14 nm Technology 7 nm
LGA 2066 Socket AM4 (PGA 1331)
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
2999 $ Release price 485 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
19.2 MB L3-Cache 64.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
12C 24T @ 3.8 GHz
32755
32755
Intel Core i9-9990XE
14C 28T @ 4.0 GHz
29744
29744

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-9990XE
14C 28T @ 4.0 GHz
16199
16199
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
12C 24T @ 3.8 GHz
12454
12454

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-9990XE
14C 28T @ 4.0 GHz
1392
1392
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
12C 24T @ 3.8 GHz
1300
1300

Intel Core i9-9990XE and AMD Ryzen 9 3900X in leaderboards