Ryzen 9 3950X vs i7-990X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3950X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1320	210
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.23	18.75
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	no data	AMD Ryzen 9
Power efficiency	3.27	21.95
Architecture codename	Gulftown (2010−2011)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
Release date	24 February 2011 (13 years ago)	14 November 2019 (5 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,104	$799

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 9 3950X has 8052% better value for money than i7-990X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-990X 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 cores	6 (Hexa-Core)	16 (Hexadeca-Core)
Threads	12	32
Base clock speed	3.46 GHz	3.5 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.73 GHz	4.7 GHz
Bus rate	6.4 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	96K (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	512K (per core)
L3 cache	12 MB (shared)	64 MB
Chip lithography	32 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Die size	239 mm2	2 x 72 mm + 125 mm (IO-Die) mm2
Maximum core temperature	68 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,170 million	19,200 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	+	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-990X 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 configuration	1	1 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	FCLGA1366,LGA1366	AM4
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	105 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3950X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2	86x 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 Technology	1.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
PAE	36 Bit	no data
Precision Boost 2	no data	+

Security technologies

Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3950X 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 3950X 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 3950X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size	24 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	3	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	51.196 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3950X.

PCIe version

2.0

no 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.

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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.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	4.50	24.37
Recency	24 February 2011	14 November 2019
Physical cores	6	16
Threads	12	32
Chip lithography	32 nm	7 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	105 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-990X and Ryzen 9 3950X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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