Intel Core i9-9960X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i9-9960X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and decide which is better for games or simple use for streaming, programming, video editing, machine learning, rendering. Here is all information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as UserBenchmark, AIDA64, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Handbrake, 3DMark, Prime95, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, 7zip, VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, PassMark, Blender, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, SuperPi.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 5900X or Intel Core i9-9960X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9960X

59%

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 3% better than Core i9-9960X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9960X

60%

Ryzen 9 5900X

58%

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 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 small 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 CPU comparisons were performed: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Ghostrunner, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, NBA 2K20, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield V, Metro Exodus, Monster Hunter World, DOTA 2A, Control, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.4	102.7
Valorant	120.9	116.7
Cyberpunk 2077	67.7	65.3
Apex Legends	113.6	109.7
Call of Duty Warzone	90.7	87.5
Overwatch	97.9	94.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.4	80.5
DOOM Eternal	60.5	58.3
Warzone	94.3	91.0
Assassin's Creed	101.6	98.0
Valheim	100.3	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 computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9960X

24%

Ryzen 9 5900X

51%

To make a finishing 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 Ryzen 9 5900X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9960X since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 105W. 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 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 programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. 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 program 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 i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	200	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2872	3684
Cinbench 20 Single-core	457	637
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6671	8468
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1086	1622
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22943	21878

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

	Intel Core i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Single-Core	2684	3470
Multi-Core	30816	39428

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

	Intel Core i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Single-Core	1230	1612
Multi-Core	18032	14387

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 newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. 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 even in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Announcement date	January 01, 2019	November 05, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Vermeer
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	9	4
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	16	12
Threads	32	24
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	9400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		6MB
L3 cache	22 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 16% better than Core i9-9960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9960X has 4 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 i9-9960X is better: 19
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is better: 17
All the number in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-9960X and AMD Ryzen 9 5900X before making a choice which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-9960X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900X specs and review.