Intel Core i9-10980XE vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i9-10980XE vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, rendering, machine learning, video editing, streaming. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications such as AIDA64, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, PCMark 10, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, Blender, Blender, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, SuperPi, WPrime, VeraCrypt, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, Gears 5, Handbrake, 7zip, GeekBench 6, 5.2.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 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 9 5900X

61%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5900X is 1% better than Core i9-10980XE. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-10980XE

61%

Ryzen 9 5900X

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.7	102.7
Valorant	123.5	116.7
Cyberpunk 2077	69.2	65.3
Apex Legends	116.1	109.7
Call of Duty Warzone	92.6	87.5
Overwatch	100.0	94.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.2	80.5
DOOM Eternal	61.8	58.3
Warzone	96.3	91.0
Assassin's Creed	103.7	98.0
Valheim	102.5	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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 9 5900X

51%

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 9 5900X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10980XE as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 105W. 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 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 uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. 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. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

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

	Intel Core i9-10980XE	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	211	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3800	3684
Cinbench 20 Single-core	480	637
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	8848	8468
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1191	1622
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	24309	21878

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

	Intel Core i9-10980XE	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Single-Core	2626	3470
Multi-Core	34005	39428

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

	Intel Core i9-10980XE	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Single-Core	1417	1612
Multi-Core	20280	14387

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. 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 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 savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-10980XE	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Announcement date	October 01, 2019	November 05, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Cascade Lake	Vermeer
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	10	4
Turbo Frequency	4.8 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	18	12
Threads	36	24
Bus rate	8 GT/s DMI3
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	9200 millions	9400 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
L2 cache		6MB
L3 cache	24.75 MB	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000061 100-100000061WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 9 5900X is 18% better than Core i9-10980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10980XE has 6 more core than Ryzen 9 5900X. 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: 21
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is better: 14
All the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-10980XE and AMD Ryzen 9 5900X before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-10980XE specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900X specs and review.