Intel Core i9-9990XE vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i9-9990XE vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Furmark, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, Gears 5, SuperPi, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, Prime95, PassMark, RealBench, Handbrake, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 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 9 5900X

61%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5900X is 3% better than Core i9-9990XE. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9990XE

59%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.6	102.7
Valorant	118.9	116.7
Cyberpunk 2077	66.6	65.3
Apex Legends	111.7	109.7
Call of Duty Warzone	89.1	87.5
Overwatch	96.3	94.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.0	80.5
DOOM Eternal	59.4	58.3
Warzone	92.7	91.0
Assassin's Creed	99.8	98.0
Valheim	98.6	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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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 i9-9990XE

16%

Ryzen 9 5900X

51%

To make a final 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 Ryzen 9 5900X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9990XE since it has less power consumption: 260W vs. 105W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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 9 5900X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	199	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3215	3684
Cinbench 20 Single-core	455	637
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7457	8468
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1115	1622
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22765	21878

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

	Intel Core i9-9990XE	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Single-Core	3072	3470
Multi-Core	31845	39428

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

	Intel Core i9-9990XE	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Single-Core	1308	1612
Multi-Core	16263	14387

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 i9-9990XE	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	November 05, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA2066	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Vermeer
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	9	4
Turbo Frequency	5.2 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	4.2 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	14	12
Threads	28	24
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	9400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	260 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	32 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 Core i9-9990XE is 11% better than Ryzen 9 5900X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9990XE has 2 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 i9-9990XE is better: 21
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is better: 15
Although it should be understood that all the data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-9990XE and AMD Ryzen 9 5900X before making a decision which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-9990XE specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900X specs and review.