Intel Core i9-9990XE vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

Last updated: 2024-04-16

CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i9-9990XE		AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
CPU comparison Intel Core i9-9990XE or AMD Ryzen 9 3950X - 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 i9-9990XE has 14 cores with 28 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 5.10 GHz. Up to 128 GB of memory is supported in 4 memory channels. The Intel Core i9-9990XE was released in Q2/2019. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 cores with 32 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.70 GHz. The CPU supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X was released in Q3/2019.

Intel Core i9 (78)	Family	AMD Ryzen 9 (35)
Intel Core i 9000X (8)	CPU group	AMD Ryzen 3000 (15)
9	Generation	3
Skylake X Refresh	Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2)
Desktop / Server	Segment	Desktop / Server
--	Predecessor	--
--	Successor	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X

CPU Cores and Base Frequency The Intel Core i9-9990XE is a 14 core processor with a clock frequency of 4.00 GHz (5.10 GHz). The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 CPU cores with a clock frequency of 3.50 GHz (4.70 GHz).
Intel Core i9-9990XE	Characteristic	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
14	Cores	16
28	Threads	32
normal	Core architecture	normal
Yes	Hyperthreading	Yes
Yes	Overclocking ?	Yes
4.00 GHz	Frequency	3.50 GHz
5.10 GHz	Turbo Frequency (1 Core)	4.70 GHz
--	Turbo Frequency (All Cores)	4.00 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 i9-9990XE	Characteristic	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
--	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	no iGPU
	GPU frequency	--
--	GPU (Turbo)	--
--	GPU Generation	--
	Technology
	Max. displays
--	Compute units	--
--	Shader	--
No	Hardware Raytracing	No
No	Frame Generation	No
--	Max. GPU Memory	--
--	DirectX Version	--

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	no iGPU
No	Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit)	No
No	Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit)	No
No	Codec h264	No
No	Codec VP9	No
No	Codec VP8	No
No	Codec AV1	No
No	Codec AVC	No
No	Codec VC-1	No
No	Codec JPEG	No

Memory & PCIe The Intel Core i9-9990XE supports a maximum of 128 GB of memory in 4 memory channels. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X can connect up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels.
Intel Core i9-9990XE	Characteristic	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
DDR4-2666	Memory	DDR4-3200
128 GB	Max. Memory	128 GB
4 (Quad Channel)	Memory channels	2 (Dual Channel)
85.4 GB/s	Max. Bandwidth	51.2 GB/s
No	ECC	Yes
--	L2 Cache	--
19.25 MB	L3 Cache	64.00 MB
3.0	PCIe version	4.0
44	PCIe lanes	20
43.3 GB/s	PCIe Bandwidth	39.4 GB/s
Thermal Management The TDP (Thermal Design Power) of a processor specifies the required cooling solution. The Intel Core i9-9990XE has a TDP of 255 W, that of the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is 105 W.
Intel Core i9-9990XE	Characteristic	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
255 W	TDP (PL1 / PBP)	105 W
--	TDP (PL2)	142 W
--	TDP up	--
--	TDP down	--
84 °C	Tjunction max.	95 °C
Technical details The Intel Core i9-9990XE has a 19.25 MB cache, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X cache has a total of 64.00 MB.
Intel Core i9-9990XE	Characteristic	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
14 nm	Technology	7 nm
Monolithic	Chip design	Chiplet
x86-64 (64 bit)	Instruction set (ISA)	x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512	ISA extensions	SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, FMA3
LGA 2066	Socket	AM4 (PGA 1331)
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d	Virtualization	AMD-V, SVM
Yes	AES-NI	Yes
Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux	Operating systems	Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q2/2019	Release date	Q3/2019
2999 $	Release price	650 $

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Intel Core i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz (5.10 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save! AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 3.50 GHz (4.70 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save!

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Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 1 CPU benchmarks

Intel Core i9-9990XE (99%)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X (100%)

⌀ Multi core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks

Intel Core i9-9990XE (88%)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X (94%)

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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 5.10 GHz	1392 (99%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	1408 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz	16199 (100%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	14322 (88%)

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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz	29744 (76%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	39079 (100%)

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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 5.10 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	74 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 5.10 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	1325 (100%)

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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 5.10 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	1371 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	24050 (100%)

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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 5.10 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	1697 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	11830 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 5.10 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	531 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	9148 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	384 (100%)

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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	85.4 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	523 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 3.50 GHz	10761 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 5.10 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	217 (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 i9-9990XE 14C 28T @ 4.00 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	3897 (100%)

Devices using this processor
Intel Core i9-9990XE	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Unknown	Memory PC High End Gaming PC AMD Ryzen 9 3950X Kiebel Gamer-PC Loki [184903]

News and articles for the Intel Core i9-9990XE and the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

The evolution of AMD Ryzen processors

Posted by Stefan on 2022-09-06

The AMD Ryzen processors are designed for the mid to high-end range and are grouped into the Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 classes. AMD follows the market leader Intel, which groups its Core i series (Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and Core i9) identically.

The AMD Ryzen processors were first introduced by AMD in Q1 2017. They are the successor to the not particularly successful AMD Bulldozer processors. The latter were manufactured using an outdated manufacturing process and could not keep up with the competing products from Intel. AMD lost a large portion of its desktop processor market share during this period.

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