Intel Core i9-9900X vs Intel Core i9-10850K

Processor comparisons   23-03-2021
   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-9900X vs Intel Core i9-10850K tests and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming. Here you can find useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, VeraCrypt, 7zip, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, 3DMark, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, PCMark 10, Furmark, RealBench, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), SuperPi, Gears 5, Blender, Prime95.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10850K or Intel Core i9-9900X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9900X

56%

Core i9-10850K

57%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10850K is 1% better than Core i9-9900X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9900X

56%

Core i9-10850K

56%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that 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 little game result, just 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: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL), Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.3	99.8
Valorant	114.0	113.4
Cyberpunk 2077	63.8	63.5
Apex Legends	107.2	106.6
Call of Duty Warzone	85.5	85.1
Overwatch	92.3	91.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.7	78.3
DOOM Eternal	57.0	56.7
Warzone	88.9	88.5
Assassin's Creed	95.8	95.3
Valheim	94.6	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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9900X

25%

Core i9-10850K

36%

To make a finishing resolution 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 Core i9-10850K is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9900X since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on 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 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 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 i9-9900X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	197	229
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2114	2616
Cinbench 20 Single-core	455	536
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4855	6318
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1092	1367
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	13662	16820

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

	Intel Core i9-9900X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	2633	3074
Multi-Core	21769	23350

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

	Intel Core i9-9900X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	1281	1383
Multi-Core	12077	11578

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. 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 in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-9900X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Announcement date	October 01, 2018	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA1200
Core name	Skylake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	10
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	5.1 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	10	10
Threads	20	20
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	19.25 MB	20 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 i9-10850K is 2% better than Core i9-9900X in terms of CPU frequency. 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 i9-9900X is better: 13
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10850K is better: 16
However, it should be realized that all the number in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-9900X and Intel Core i9-10850K before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i9-9900X - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i9-9900X specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10850K specs and review.