AMD Ryzen 9 3900 vs Intel Core i9-10900K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the AMD Ryzen 9 3900 vs Intel Core i9-10900K tests and see which is better for games or simple use for streaming, machine learning, video editing, programming, rendering. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like Dolphin Emulator, PCMark 10, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, AIDA64, RealBench, WPrime, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, Blender, Blender, Furmark, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PassMark, MATLAB, 7zip.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

Grand Theft Auto V
DOOM: Eternal
Overwatch
Fallout 76
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Borderlands 3
Halo Infinite
Valheim
Rainbow Six Siege
Cyberpunk 2077
Death Stranding
Fortnite
Apex Legends
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Valorant
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Last Man Standing
Red Dead Redemption 2
Watch Dogs Legion

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10900K or AMD Ryzen 9 3900.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Ryzen 9 3900

59%

Core i9-10900K

57%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 3900 is 3% better than Core i9-10900K. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 9 3900

57%

Core i9-10900K

58%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Battlefield V, Monster Hunter World, Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), Control, Hitman 3, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.6	102.7
Valorant	115.5	116.7
Cyberpunk 2077	64.7	65.3
Apex Legends	108.6	109.7
Call of Duty Warzone	86.6	87.5
Overwatch	93.5	94.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.7	80.5
DOOM Eternal	57.7	58.3
Warzone	90.1	91.0
Assassin's Creed	97.0	98.0
Valheim	95.9	96.8

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 9 3900

67%

Core i9-10900K

43%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 9 3900 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10900K as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, programming, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	Intel Core i9-10900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	196	234
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2922	2677
Cinbench 20 Single-core	485	539
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6789	6399
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1149	1418
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16943	17325

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	Intel Core i9-10900K
Single-Core	2627	3141
Multi-Core	30807	24010

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	Intel Core i9-10900K
Single-Core	1324	1617
Multi-Core	13362	14374

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	Intel Core i9-10900K
Announcement date	September 30, 2019	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	FCLGA1200
Core name	Matisse	Comet Lake
Architecture	Zen 2	x86
Generation	2	10
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	5.3 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	12	10
Threads	24	20
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth		45.8 GB/s
L1 cache	768KB
L2 cache	6MB
L3 cache	64MB	20 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000072

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-10900K is 16% better than Ryzen 9 3900 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 3900 has 2 more core than Core i9-10900K. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 3900 is better: 11
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10900K is better: 26
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of AMD Ryzen 9 3900 and Intel Core i9-10900K before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3900 specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10900K specs and review.