Intel Core i9-9980XE vs AMD Ryzen 7 5800X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-9980XE vs AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and understand which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, programming, rendering, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like RealBench, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, 3DMark, AIDA64, Blender, PCMark 10, 7zip, MATLAB, Gears 5, SuperPi, PassMark, VeraCrypt, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel Core i9-9980XE.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9980XE

59%

Ryzen 7 5800X

58%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-9980XE is 1% better than Ryzen 7 5800X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9980XE

60%

Ryzen 7 5800X

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 play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro Exodus, Monster Hunter World, NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, Hitman 3, DOTA 2A, Ghostrunner, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Control.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.2	99.7
Valorant	120.7	113.3
Cyberpunk 2077	67.6	63.5
Apex Legends	113.5	106.5
Call of Duty Warzone	90.5	85.0
Overwatch	97.8	91.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.3	78.2
DOOM Eternal	60.3	56.7
Warzone	94.1	88.4
Assassin's Creed	101.4	95.2
Valheim	100.2	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: 2K, 4K or FullHD. So 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9980XE

23%

Ryzen 7 5800X

57%

To make a finishing choice 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 7 5800X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9980XE as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 105W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has. 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. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, 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 i9-9980XE	AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	201	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3240	2611
Cinbench 20 Single-core	459	628
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7516	5724
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1124	1594
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22944	15245

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

	Intel Core i9-9980XE	AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Single-Core	2551	3479
Multi-Core	32096	28799

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

	Intel Core i9-9980XE	AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Single-Core	1178	1823
Multi-Core	17856	11496

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 later the processor is released, 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-9980XE	AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Announcement date	October 01, 2018	November 05, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Vermeer
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	9	5
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	18	8
Threads	36	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	6200 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		4MB
L3 cache	24.75 MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000063 100-100000063WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 7 5800X is 21% better than Core i9-9980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9980XE has 10 more core than Ryzen 7 5800X. 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 i9-9980XE is better: 23
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is better: 13
However, it should be understood that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-9980XE and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-9980XE specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 7 5800X specs and review.