Ryzen 9 3900X vs i7-990X

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Aggregate performance score

Core i7-990X
2011
6 cores / 12 threads, 130 Watt
4.50
Ryzen 9 3900X
2019
12 cores / 24 threads, 125 Watt
20.53
+356%

Ryzen 9 3900X outperforms Core i7-990X by a whopping 356% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3900X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking1320275
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation0.2321.73
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
Seriesno dataAMD Ryzen 9
Power efficiency3.2715.53
Architecture codenameGulftown (2010−2011)Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
Release date24 February 2011 (13 years ago)7 July 2019 (5 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$1,104$499

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 9 3900X has 9348% better value for money than i7-990X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3900X 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)12 (Dodeca-Core)
Threads1224
Base clock speed3.46 GHz3.8 GHz
Boost clock speed3.73 GHz4.6 GHz
Bus rate6.4 GT/sno data
L1 cache64 KB (per core)96K (per core)
L2 cache256 KB (per core)512K (per core)
L3 cache12 MB (shared)64 MB
Chip lithography32 nm7 nm, 12 nm
Die size239 mm2no data
Maximum core temperature68 °C95 °C
Number of transistors1,170 million19,200 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility-+
Unlocked multiplier++

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3900X 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)
SocketFCLGA1366,LGA1366AM4
Power consumption (TDP)130 Watt125 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3900X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.2no data
AES-NI++
AVX-+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology1.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
Idle States+no data
Demand Based Switching-no data
PAE36 Bitno data
Precision Boost 2no data+

Security technologies

Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3900X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT-no data
EDB+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3900X are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3900X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size24 GB128 GB
Max memory channels32
Maximum memory bandwidth25.6 GB/s51.196 GB/s

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3900X.

PCIe version2.0no 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.

i7-990X 4.50
Ryzen 9 3900X 20.53
+356%

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.

i7-990X 7153
Ryzen 9 3900X 32612
+356%

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.

i7-990X 557
Ryzen 9 3900X 1710
+207%

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.

i7-990X 2606
Ryzen 9 3900X 9939
+281%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 4.50 20.53
Recency 24 February 2011 7 July 2019
Physical cores 6 12
Threads 12 24
Chip lithography 32 nm 7 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 130 Watt 125 Watt

Ryzen 9 3900X has a 356.2% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 8 years, 100% more physical cores and 100% more threads, a 357.1% more advanced lithography process, and 4% lower power consumption.

The Ryzen 9 3900X is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-990X in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3900X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i7-990X
Core i7-990X
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
Ryzen 9 3900X

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Community ratings

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


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Questions & comments

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