Intel Core i9-10920X vs Intel Core i9-9900K

Last updated: 2023-09-08

CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i9-10920X		Intel Core i9-9900K
CPU comparison Intel Core i9-10920X or Intel Core i9-9900K - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results. The Intel Core i9-10920X has 12 cores with 24 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.80 GHz. Up to 256 GB of memory is supported in 4 memory channels. The Intel Core i9-10920X was released in Q4/2019. The Intel Core i9-9900K has 8 cores with 16 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 5.00 GHz. The CPU supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Intel Core i9-9900K was released in Q4/2018.

Intel Core i9 (78)	Family	Intel Core i9 (78)
Intel Core i 10000X (4)	CPU group	Intel Core i 9000 (34)
10	Generation	9
Cascade Lake	Architecture	Coffee Lake S Refresh
Desktop / Server	Segment	Desktop / Server
--	Predecessor	--
--	Successor	Intel Core i9-10900K

CPU Cores and Base Frequency The Intel Core i9-10920X is a 12 core processor with a clock frequency of 3.50 GHz (4.80 GHz). The Intel Core i9-9900K has 8 CPU cores with a clock frequency of 3.60 GHz (5.00 GHz).
Intel Core i9-10920X	Characteristic	Intel Core i9-9900K
12	Cores	8
24	Threads	16
normal	Core architecture	normal
Yes	Hyperthreading	Yes
Yes	Overclocking ?	Yes
3.50 GHz	Frequency	3.60 GHz
4.80 GHz	Turbo Frequency (1 Core)	5.00 GHz
4.40 GHz	Turbo Frequency (All Cores)	4.70 GHz

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.
Intel Core i9-10920X	Characteristic	Intel Core i9-9900K
--	AI hardware	--
--	AI specifications	--

Internal Graphics The integrated graphics unit of a processor is not only responsible for the pure image output on the system, but can also significantly increase the efficiency of the system with the support of modern video codecs.
no iGPU	GPU	Intel UHD Graphics 630
	GPU frequency	0.35 GHz
--	GPU (Turbo)	1.20 GHz
--	GPU Generation	9.5
	Technology	14 nm
	Max. displays	3
--	Compute units	24
--	Shader	192
No	Hardware Raytracing	No
No	Frame Generation	No
--	Max. GPU Memory	64 GB
--	DirectX Version	12

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.
no iGPU	GPU	Intel UHD Graphics 630
No	Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit)	Decode / Encode
No	Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit)	Decode / Encode
No	Codec h264	Decode / Encode
No	Codec VP9	Decode / Encode
No	Codec VP8	Decode / Encode
No	Codec AV1	No
No	Codec AVC	Decode / Encode
No	Codec VC-1	Decode
No	Codec JPEG	Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe The Intel Core i9-10920X supports a maximum of 256 GB of memory in 4 memory channels. The Intel Core i9-9900K can connect up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels.
Intel Core i9-10920X	Characteristic	Intel Core i9-9900K
DDR4-2933	Memory	DDR4-2666
256 GB	Max. Memory	128 GB
4 (Quad Channel)	Memory channels	2 (Dual Channel)
93.8 GB/s	Max. Bandwidth	42.7 GB/s
No	ECC	No
--	L2 Cache	--
19.00 MB	L3 Cache	16.00 MB
3.0	PCIe version	3.0
48	PCIe lanes	16
47.3 GB/s	PCIe Bandwidth	15.8 GB/s
Thermal Management The TDP (Thermal Design Power) of a processor specifies the required cooling solution. The Intel Core i9-10920X has a TDP of 165 W, that of the Intel Core i9-9900K is 95 W.
Intel Core i9-10920X	Characteristic	Intel Core i9-9900K
165 W	TDP (PL1 / PBP)	95 W
--	TDP (PL2)	119 W @ 28 s
--	TDP up	--
--	TDP down	--
94 °C	Tjunction max.	100 °C
Technical details The Intel Core i9-10920X has a 19.00 MB cache, while the Intel Core i9-9900K cache has a total of 16.00 MB.
Intel Core i9-10920X	Characteristic	Intel Core i9-9900K
14 nm	Technology	14 nm
Monolithic	Chip design	Monolithic
x86-64 (64 bit)	Instruction set (ISA)	x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512	ISA extensions	SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
LGA 2066	Socket	LGA 1151-2
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d	Virtualization	VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
Yes	AES-NI	Yes
Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux	Operating systems	Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q4/2019	Release date	Q4/2018
689 $	Release price	650 $

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Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 3.50 GHz (4.80 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save! Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 3.60 GHz (5.00 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save!

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Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks

Intel Core i9-10920X (91%)

Intel Core i9-9900K (100%)

⌀ Multi core performance in 6 CPU benchmarks

Intel Core i9-10920X (95%)

Intel Core i9-9900K (77%)

Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)

The Cinebench 2024 benchmark is based on the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxon's 3D program Cinema 4D. The benchmark runs are each 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz	70 (91%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 5.00 GHz	77 (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)

The Multi-Core test of the Cinebench 2024 benchmark uses all cpu cores to render using the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxons Cinema 4D. The benchmark run is 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz	922 (100%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 5.00 GHz	640 (69%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz	1179 (88%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 5.00 GHz	1342 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.40 GHz	12703 (100%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 4.70 GHz	8779 (69%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz	1568 (95%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 5.00 GHz	1650 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.40 GHz	10960 (100%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 4.70 GHz	8182 (75%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.40 GHz	26361 (100%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 4.70 GHz	18702 (71%)

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Blender is a free 3D graphics software for rendering (creating) 3D bodies, which can also be textured and animated in the software. The Blender benchmark creates predefined scenes and measures the time (s) required for the entire scene. The shorter the time required, the better. We selected bmw27 as the benchmark scene.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.40 GHz	115.3 (70%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 4.70 GHz	163.8 (100%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 3.50 GHz	7076 (100%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 3.60 GHz	5502 (78%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz	0 (0%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 5.00 GHz	1294 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 4.70 GHz	12812 (100%)

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz	0 (0%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 5.00 GHz	518 (100%)

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 4.70 GHz	4995 (100%)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.


	Intel Core i9-10920X @ 0.00 GHz	0 (0%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K Intel UHD Graphics 630 @ 1.20 GHz	461 (100%)

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

In the Blender Benchmark 3.1, the scenes "monster", "junkshop" and "classroom" are rendered and the time required by the system is measured. In our benchmark we test the CPU and not the graphics card. Blender 3.1 was presented as a standalone version in March 2022.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 4.70 GHz	171 (100%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Single-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 4.70 GHz	545 (100%)

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz	0 (0%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 5.00 GHz	219 (100%)

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.


	Intel Core i9-10920X 12C 24T @ 4.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	Intel Core i9-9900K 8C 16T @ 4.70 GHz	2245 (100%)

Devices using this processor
Intel Core i9-10920X	Intel Core i9-9900K
Unknown	Memory PC Intel i9-9900K Multimedia Office PC Intel Core i9 9900K Corsair ONE i160 Kompakter Gaming-PC Intel Core i9-9900K

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