Intel Core i9-10920X vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-10920X vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X and decide which is better for games or simple use for video editing, programming, rendering, machine learning, streaming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, WPrime, Furmark, Handbrake, RealBench, Blender, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, Prime95, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, 7zip, PCMark 10, Gears 5.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 3950X or Intel Core i9-10920X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-10920X

58%

Ryzen 9 3950X

61%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 3950X is 4% better than Core i9-10920X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-10920X

58%

Ryzen 9 3950X

58%

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 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, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Forza Horizon 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Hitman 3, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	102.4	103.7
Valorant	116.3	117.9
Cyberpunk 2077	65.1	66.0
Apex Legends	109.3	110.8
Call of Duty Warzone	87.2	88.4
Overwatch	94.2	95.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	80.3	81.3
DOOM Eternal	58.2	58.9
Warzone	90.7	91.9
Assassin's Creed	97.7	99.0
Valheim	96.5	97.8

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 computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. Therefore, 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

Core i9-10920X

25%

Ryzen 9 3950X

40%

To make a final choice 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 3950X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10920X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 105W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, programming, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out 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 run, 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

	Intel Core i9-10920X	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	185	217
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2798	3897
Cinbench 20 Single-core	596	531
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5367	9148
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1550	1371
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	15445	24050

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

	Intel Core i9-10920X	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Single-Core	2780	2718
Multi-Core	26405	39170

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

	Intel Core i9-10920X	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Single-Core	1246	1286
Multi-Core	14074	15407

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-10920X	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Announcement date	October 01, 2019	October 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Cascade Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	10	3
Turbo Frequency	4.8 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.5 MHz
Cores	12	16
Threads	24	32
Bus rate	8 GT/s DMI3
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	9200 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4
Max. Memory	256 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	94 GB/s
L1 cache		1MB
L2 cache		8MB
L3 cache	19.25 MB	64MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000051 100-100000051WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 3950X has 4 more core than Core i9-10920X. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10920X is better: 9
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is better: 27
However, it should be realized that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-10920X and AMD Ryzen 9 3950X before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-10920X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3950X specs and review.