Intel Core i9-9900 vs AMD Athlon II X4 638

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i9-9900 or Intel Core i9-9900 – 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 i9-9900 features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 16 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2019 and belongs to the 9 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-9900, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1151-2 socket.
The AMD Athlon II X4 638 features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2012 and belongs to the 2 generation of the AMD Athlon II series.
To use the AMD Athlon II X4 638, you'll need a motherboard with a FM1 socket.
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-9900 Name AMD Athlon II X4 638
Intel Core i9 Family AMD Athlon II
9 Generation 2
Intel Core i 9000 Group AMD Athlon II X4 (Llano)
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-9900 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 16 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-9900 is 3.1 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 5.0 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The AMD Athlon II X4 638 has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Athlon II X4 638 is 2.7 GHz
5.0 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) None
No Overclocking No
normal Core architecture normal
3.1 GHz Frequency 2.7 GHz
16 Threads 4
4.0 GHz Turbo Frequency (all cores) None
Yes Hyperthreading No
8 CPU Cores 4
8x Cores 4x
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-9900 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-9900 uses the Intel UHD Graphics 630, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The AMD Athlon II X4 638 does not have integrated graphics.
0.35 GHz GPU frequency --
Q4/2017 Release date --
12 Direct X --
Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU name
14 nm Technology --
-- Max. displays --
192 Shaders --
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
24 Execution units --
9.5 Generation --
1.2 GHz 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.
Decode / Encode AVC --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode VP9 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
Decode / Encode h264 --
Decode / Encode VP8 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
No AV1 --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 42.7 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 16.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 21.3 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
2 Memory channels 2
128.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI No
No ECC No
42.7 GB/s Bandwidth 21.3 GB/s
DDR4-2666 Memory type DDR3-1333
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 65 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.
100 °C Tjunction max --
65 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 65 W
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-9900 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 16.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The AMD Athlon II X4 638 is manufactured using a 32 nm process.
Q2/2019 Release date Q1/2012
-- Part Number AD638XOJGXBOX
0 bytes L2-Cache 4.0 MB
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization AMD-V
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE3, SSE4a, MMX, 3DNow!
Monolithic Chip design --
Coffee Lake S Refresh Architecture Llano
14 nm Technology 32 nm
LGA 1151-2 Socket FM1
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
550 $ Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
16.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes