Intel Core i9-9920X vs Intel Core i9-10850K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-9920X vs Intel Core i9-10850K tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, programming, video editing, rendering, streaming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. 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 comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, WPrime, RealBench, Blender, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, 3DMark, SuperPi, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, Blender, AIDA64, Prime95, MATLAB, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10850K or Intel Core i9-9920X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9920X

57%

Core i9-10850K

57%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9920X

58%

Core i9-10850K

56%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that 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 little 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: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Half-Life: Alyx, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield V, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghostrunner, Control, Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Hitman 3, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	102.9	99.8
Valorant	116.9	113.4
Cyberpunk 2077	65.5	63.5
Apex Legends	109.9	106.6
Call of Duty Warzone	87.7	85.1
Overwatch	94.7	91.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	80.6	78.3
DOOM Eternal	58.4	56.7
Warzone	91.2	88.5
Assassin's Creed	98.2	95.3
Valheim	97.0	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 that were in the comparisons 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. 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9920X

25%

Core i9-10850K

36%

To make a final decision 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 i9-10850K is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9920X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is 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 i9-9920X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	197	229
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2245	2616
Cinbench 20 Single-core	455	536
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5179	6318
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1484	1367
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14791	16820

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

	Intel Core i9-9920X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	2650	3074
Multi-Core	25286	23350

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

	Intel Core i9-9920X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	1282	1383
Multi-Core	14563	11578

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 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-9920X	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	9	10
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	5.1 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	12	10
Threads	24	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	Yes	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 i9-9920X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9920X has 2 more core than Core i9-10850K. 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 i9-9920X is better: 17
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10850K is better: 14
However, it should be realized that all the data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-9920X and Intel Core i9-10850K before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-9920X specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10850K specs and review.