Intel Core i9-10920X vs Intel Core i9-9980XE

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-10920X vs Intel Core i9-9980XE and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, rendering, video editing, streaming, programming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A careful review 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 software tests like 7zip, Furmark, WPrime, PCMark 10, Handbrake, 3DMark, Blender, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, PassMark, AIDA64, RealBench, Gears 5, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9980XE 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%

Core i9-9980XE

59%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-9980XE is 1% better than Core i9-10920X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-10920X

58%

Core i9-9980XE

60%

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 run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Forza Horizon 4, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20, Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Control, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	102.4	106.2
Valorant	116.3	120.7
Cyberpunk 2077	65.1	67.6
Apex Legends	109.3	113.5
Call of Duty Warzone	87.2	90.5
Overwatch	94.2	97.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	80.3	83.3
DOOM Eternal	58.2	60.3
Warzone	90.7	94.1
Assassin's Creed	97.7	101.4
Valheim	96.5	100.2

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: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-10920X

25%

Core i9-9980XE

23%

To make a finishing choice 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 i9-10920X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9980XE since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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 programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that 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	Intel Core i9-9980XE
Cinbench 15 Single-core	185	201
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2798	3240
Cinbench 20 Single-core	596	459
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5367	7516
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1550	1124
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	15445	22944

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

	Intel Core i9-10920X	Intel Core i9-9980XE
Single-Core	2780	2551
Multi-Core	26405	32096

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

	Intel Core i9-10920X	Intel Core i9-9980XE
Single-Core	1246	1178
Multi-Core	14074	17856

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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 benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-10920X	Intel Core i9-9980XE
Announcement date	October 01, 2019	October 01, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA2066
Core name	Cascade Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	9
Turbo Frequency	4.8 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	12	18
Threads	24	36
Bus rate	8 GT/s DMI3	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9200 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	256 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	94 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	19.25 MB	24.75 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-10920X is 14% better than Core i9-9980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9980XE has 6 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: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9980XE is better: 21
However, it should be understood that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-10920X and Intel Core i9-9980XE before making a choice which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-10920X specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-9980XE specs and review.