Intel Core i9-10980XE vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i9-10980XE or Intel Core i9-10980XE – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Core i9-10980XE features 18 processor cores and has the capability to manage 36 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2019 and belongs to the 10 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-10980XE, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2066 socket.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 32 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2019 and belongs to the 3 generation of the AMD Ryzen 9 series.
To use the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, you'll need a motherboard with a AM4 (PGA 1331) socket.
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-10980XE Name AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Intel Core i9 Family AMD Ryzen 9
10 Generation 3
Intel Core i 10000X Group AMD Ryzen 3000
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-10980XE has 18 CPU cores and can calculate 36 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-10980XE is 3.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.8 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 32 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is 3.5 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.7 GHz.
4.8 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 4.7 GHz
Yes Overclocking Yes
normal Core architecture normal
3.0 GHz Frequency 3.5 GHz
36 Threads 32
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
18 CPU Cores 16
18x Cores 16x
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-10980XE does not have integrated graphics.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X does not have integrated graphics.
-- GPU frequency --
-- Release date --
-- Direct X --
GPU name
-- Technology --
-- Max. displays --
-- Shaders --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Execution units --
-- Generation --
-- GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- AVC --
-- VC-1 --
-- VP9 --
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
-- h264 --
-- VP8 --
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
-- JPEG --
-- AV1 --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 256.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 93.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
4 Memory channels 2
256.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC Yes
93.8 GB/s Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
DDR4-2933 Memory type DDR4-3200
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 165 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 105 W watts.
86 °C Tjunction max 95 °C
None TDP (PL2) 142 W
165 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 105 W
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-10980XE is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 24.8 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 64.0 MB cache.
Q4/2019 Release date Q3/2019
-- Part Number --
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512 ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
Cascade Lake Architecture Matisse (Zen 2)
14 nm Technology 7 nm
LGA 2066 Socket AM4 (PGA 1331)
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
979 $ Release price 650 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
24.8 MB L3-Cache 64.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
39079
39079
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
33095
33095

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
24309
24309
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
24050
24050

V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark

Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
22566
22566
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
18875
18875

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
15841
15841
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
14322
14322

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
11836
11836
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
11830
11830

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
10761
10761
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
9733
9733

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
9148
9148
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
8848
8848

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
3897
3897
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
3800
3800

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
1697
1697
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
1573
1573

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
1408
1408
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
1174
1174

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
1371
1371
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
1191
1191

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
531
531
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
480
480

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
217
217
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
211
211

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
85.4
85.4
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
74.9
74.9

Intel Core i9-10980XE and AMD Ryzen 9 3950X in leaderboards