Intel Core i9-9990XE vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-9990XE vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, streaming, rendering, machine learning. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications such as AIDA64, MATLAB, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, SuperPi, WPrime, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, 3DMark, VeraCrypt, Gears 5, RealBench, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, Furmark, 7zip, PassMark, Handbrake, UserBenchmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i9-9990XE.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9990XE

59%

Ryzen 5 2600X

54%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-9990XE is 8% better than Ryzen 5 2600X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9990XE

59%

Ryzen 5 2600X

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.6	94.6
Valorant	118.9	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	66.6	60.2
Apex Legends	111.7	101.1
Call of Duty Warzone	89.1	80.6
Overwatch	96.3	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.0	74.2
DOOM Eternal	59.4	53.8
Warzone	92.7	83.9
Assassin's Creed	99.8	90.3
Valheim	98.6	89.3

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 comparisons not only were the equipped with 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9990XE

16%

Ryzen 5 2600X

39%

To make a final decision 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 Ryzen 5 2600X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9990XE since it has less power consumption: 260W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on 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 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 i9-9990XE	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	199	176
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3215	1380
Cinbench 20 Single-core	455	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7457	3048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1115	1074
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22765	7514

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

	Intel Core i9-9990XE	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	3072	2438
Multi-Core	31845	14033

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

	Intel Core i9-9990XE	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	1308	1127
Multi-Core	16263	6497

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful 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 benefits from the presence of overclocking. When 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 i9-9990XE	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	April 19, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA2066	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen
Generation	9	2
Turbo Frequency	5.2 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	4.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	14	6
Threads	28	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	260 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache		576KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	32 MB	16MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD260XBCM6IAF YD260XBCAFBOX YD260XBCAFMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-9990XE is 14% better than Ryzen 5 2600X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9990XE has 8 more core than Ryzen 5 2600X. 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 i9-9990XE is better: 32
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is better: 5
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-9990XE and AMD Ryzen 5 2600X before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-9990XE specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.