How do the scores compare?

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X scores 55.3/100 overall; Intel Core i9-10850K scores 46.8/100. AMD Ryzen 9 3900X wins 14 individual spec rows, Intel Core i9-10850K wins 5.

What are the main differences between the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X and the Intel Core i9-10850K?

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X advantages: Stronger multi-core score: 54 vs 47; 220% higher L3 cache: 64 MB vs 20 MB; 140% higher L2 cache: 6 MB vs 3 MB; 50% lower process: 7 nm vs 14 nm; 50% higher CPU PCIe lanes: 24 vs 16. Intel Core i9-10850K advantages: Stronger single-core score: 41 vs 38; 76% higher Max turbo power: 250 W vs 142 W; 13% higher Boost clock: 5.2 GHz vs 4.6 GHz; 10% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 1,700 vs 1,540.

Which is cheaper: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X or Intel Core i9-10850K?

Intel Core i9-10850K launched cheaper at $453, versus $499 for the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X.

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X vs Intel Core i9-10850K

WINNER

AMD

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

$499

Intel

Intel Core i9-10850K

$453

37.6Single-core40.7

54.2Multi-core47

78.3Gamingspec-based54

14 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 9 3900X5 spec wins — Intel Core i9-10850K

InnoReviews verdict

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X wins this desktop processor face-off, 55.3 to 46.8, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+7). Intel Core i9-10850K still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

Stronger multi-core score: 54 vs 47
220% higher L3 cache: 64 MB vs 20 MB
140% higher L2 cache: 6 MB vs 3 MB
50% lower process: 7 nm vs 14 nm
50% higher CPU PCIe lanes: 24 vs 16

Reasons to pick the Intel Core i9-10850K

Stronger single-core score: 41 vs 38
76% higher Max turbo power: 250 W vs 142 W
13% higher Boost clock: 5.2 GHz vs 4.6 GHz
10% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 1,700 vs 1,540

General

General comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X versus Intel Core i9-10850K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Announced	2019	2020
Socket	AM4	LGA1200
Process	7 nm+50%	14 nm
Base TDP	105 W+16%	125 W
Max turbo power	142 W	250 W+76%
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	Yes
Cooler included	Yes	No

Cores & Clocks

Cores & Clocks comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X versus Intel Core i9-10850K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Cores	12+20%	10
Performance cores	12+20%	10
Efficiency cores	0	0
Threads	24+20%	20
Base clock	3.8 GHz+6%	3.6 GHz
Boost clock	4.6 GHz	5.2 GHz+13%
L2 cache	6 MB+140%	3 MB
L3 cache	64 MB+220%	20 MB

Integrated GPU

Integrated GPU comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X versus Intel Core i9-10850K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X	Intel Core i9-10850K
iGPU	—	Intel UHD Graphics 630
iGPU clock	—	1,200 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X versus Intel Core i9-10850K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Memory support	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2933
Max memory	128 GB	128 GB
Memory channels	2	2

Platform

Platform comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X versus Intel Core i9-10850K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X	Intel Core i9-10850K
PCIe version	4+33%	3
CPU PCIe lanes	24+50%	16

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X versus Intel Core i9-10850K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Geekbench 6 (single)	1,540Bottom 32%	1,700+10%Bottom 40%
Geekbench 6 (multi)	11,000+9%Top 47%	10,100Bottom 51%
Cinebench R23 (single)	1,300Bottom 33%	1,310+1%Bottom 34%
Cinebench R23 (multi)	18,300+17%Top 32%	15,700Top 43%
PassMark	32,600+44%Top 37%	22,700Bottom 41%

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