Ryzen 9 3950X vs i7-5820K

Aggregate performance score

Core i7-5820K
2014
6 cores / 12 threads, 140 Watt
6.43
Ryzen 9 3950X
2019
16 cores / 32 threads, 105 Watt
25.32
+294%

Ryzen 9 3950X outperforms Core i7-5820K by a whopping 294% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-5820K and Ryzen 9 3950X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking1070202
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation1.1517.85
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
Seriesno dataAMD Ryzen 9
Power efficiency4.1921.99
Architecture codenameHaswell-E (2014)Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
Release date1 September 2014 (10 years ago)11 June 2019 (5 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$410$799

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 9 3950X has 1452% better value for money than i7-5820K.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-5820K and Ryzen 9 3950X basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores6 (Hexa-Core)16 (Hexadeca-Core)
Threads1232
Base clock speed3.3 GHz3.5 GHz
Boost clock speed3.6 GHz4.7 GHz
Bus rate0 GT/sno data
L1 cache64 KB (per core)1 MB
L2 cache256 KB (per core)8 MB
L3 cache15 MB (shared)64 MB
Chip lithography22 nm7 nm, 12 nm
Die size356 mm22 x 72 mm + 125 mm (IO-Die) mm2
Maximum core temperature67 °Cno data
Number of transistors2,600 million19,200 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility-+
Unlocked multiplier++

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-5820K and Ryzen 9 3950X compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration11 (Uniprocessor)
SocketFCLGA2011AM4
Power consumption (TDP)140 Watt105 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-5820K and Ryzen 9 3950X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX286x MMX(+), SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, SSE4A,-64, AMD-V, AES, AVX, AVX2, FMA3, SHA, Precision Boost 2
AES-NI++
AVX++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology2.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
TSX+-
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+-
Smart Response+no data
Demand Based Switching-no data
Precision Boost 2no data+

Security technologies

Core i7-5820K and Ryzen 9 3950X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT+no data
EDB+no data
Identity Protection+-

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-5820K and Ryzen 9 3950X are enumerated here.

AMD-V-+
VT-d+no data
VT-x+no data
EPT+no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-5820K and Ryzen 9 3950X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR4DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size64 GB128 GB
Max memory channels4no data
Maximum memory bandwidth68 GB/s51.196 GB/s
ECC memory support-+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-5820K and Ryzen 9 3950X.

PCIe version3.0no data
PCI Express lanes28no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i7-5820K 6.43
Ryzen 9 3950X 25.32
+294%

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i7-5820K 9843
Ryzen 9 3950X 38749
+294%

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

i7-5820K 1176
Ryzen 9 3950X 1735
+47.5%

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

i7-5820K 5476
Ryzen 9 3950X 10822
+97.6%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 6.43 25.32
Recency 1 September 2014 11 June 2019
Physical cores 6 16
Threads 12 32
Chip lithography 22 nm 7 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 140 Watt 105 Watt

Ryzen 9 3950X has a 293.8% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 4 years, 166.7% more physical cores and 166.7% more threads, a 214.3% more advanced lithography process, and 33.3% lower power consumption.

The Ryzen 9 3950X is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-5820K in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-5820K and Ryzen 9 3950X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.


Intel Core i7-5820K
Core i7-5820K
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Ryzen 9 3950X

Similar processor comparisons

We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.

Community ratings

Here you can see how users rate the processors, as well as rate them yourself.


3.7 380 votes

Rate Core i7-5820K on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
4.5 711 votes

Rate Ryzen 9 3950X on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about Core i7-5820K or Ryzen 9 3950X, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.