Intel Core i9-10980XE vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-10980XE vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X and understand which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing, rendering. Here is all information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, Prime95, RealBench, MATLAB, 3DMark, Handbrake, Blender, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, 7zip, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, Blender, SuperPi.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Intel Core i9-10980XE.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-10980XE

60%

Ryzen 5 3600X

55%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10980XE is 8% better than Ryzen 5 3600X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-10980XE

61%

Ryzen 5 3600X

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.7	96.0
Valorant	123.5	109.1
Cyberpunk 2077	69.2	61.1
Apex Legends	116.1	102.6
Call of Duty Warzone	92.6	81.9
Overwatch	100.0	88.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.2	75.3
DOOM Eternal	61.8	54.6
Warzone	96.3	85.1
Assassin's Creed	103.7	91.7
Valheim	102.5	90.6

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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. 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

Core i9-10980XE

28%

Ryzen 5 3600X

47%

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 Ryzen 5 3600X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10980XE as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 95W. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports 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 i9-10980XE	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	211	204
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3800	1647
Cinbench 20 Single-core	480	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	8848	3751
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1191	1286
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	24309	9588

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

	Intel Core i9-10980XE	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	2626	2651
Multi-Core	34005	18377

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

	Intel Core i9-10980XE	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	1417	1341
Multi-Core	20280	7891

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-10980XE	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Announcement date	October 01, 2019	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Cascade Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	10	3
Turbo Frequency	4.8 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	18	6
Threads	36	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s DMI3
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	9200 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4
Max. Memory	256 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	94 GB/s
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	24.75 MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000022 100-100000022BOX 100-100000022MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600X is 21% better than Core i9-10980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10980XE has 12 more core than Ryzen 5 3600X. 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 i9-10980XE is better: 27
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600X is better: 10
Although it should be understood that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-10980XE and AMD Ryzen 5 3600X before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-10980XE specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600X specs and review.