AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X vs Intel Core i9-10850K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X vs Intel Core i9-10850K tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, video editing, programming, rendering, streaming. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, Blender, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Prime95, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, Gears 5, Blender, Furmark, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, MATLAB, 3DMark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10850K or AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

58%

Core i9-10850K

57%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen Threadripper 2990X is 1% better than Core i9-10850K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

60%

Core i9-10850K

56%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs 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 final table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, League of Legends (LOL), Monster Hunter World, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, NBA 2K20, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	99.8
Valorant	120.5	113.4
Cyberpunk 2077	67.5	63.5
Apex Legends	113.3	106.6
Call of Duty Warzone	90.4	85.1
Overwatch	97.6	91.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	78.3
DOOM Eternal	60.2	56.7
Warzone	94.0	88.5
Assassin's Creed	101.2	95.3
Valheim	100.0	94.1

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 computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

15%

Core i9-10850K

36%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i9-10850K is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper 2990X since it has less power consumption: 250W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor includes all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software 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 Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	168	229
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2982	2616
Cinbench 20 Single-core	410	536
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6721	6318
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1033	1367
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	18752	16820

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	2262	3074
Multi-Core	26548	23350

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	1125	1383
Multi-Core	17679	11578

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even 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 Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Announcement date	August 13, 2018	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	TR4	FCLGA1200
Core name	Colfax	Comet Lake
Architecture	Zen+	x86
Generation	2	10
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	5.1 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	32	10
Threads	64	20
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	12 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	18800 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	250 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	2933
Memory bandwidth		45.8 GB/s
L1 cache	3MB
L2 cache	16MB
L3 cache	64MB	20 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	YD299XAZUIHAF YD299XAZAFWOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-10850K is 5% better than Ryzen Threadripper 2990X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen Threadripper 2990X has 22 more core than Core i9-10850K. 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 Threadripper 2990X is better: 24
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10850K is better: 13
All the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X and Intel Core i9-10850K before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10850K specs and review.