i7-990X vs Ryzen 9 5900

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Aggregate performance score

Ryzen 9 5900
2021
12 cores / 24 threads, 65 Watt
21.63
+381%
Core i7-990X
2011
6 cores / 12 threads, 130 Watt
4.50

Ryzen 9 5900 outperforms Core i7-990X by a whopping 381% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-990X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking2461320
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluationno data0.23
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
SeriesAMD Ryzen 9no data
Power efficiency31.473.27
Architecture codenameVermeer (2020−2024)Gulftown (2010−2011)
Release date12 January 2021 (3 years ago)24 February 2011 (13 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)no data$1,104

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-990X 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 cores12 (Dodeca-Core)6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads2412
Base clock speed3 GHz3.46 GHz
Boost clock speed4.7 GHz3.73 GHz
Bus rateno data6.4 GT/s
Multiplier30no data
L1 cache64K (per core)64 KB (per core)
L2 cache512K (per core)256 KB (per core)
L3 cache64 MB12 MB (shared)
Chip lithography7 nm, 12 nm32 nm
Die size81 mm2239 mm2
Maximum core temperatureno data68 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)95 °Cno data
Number of transistors4,150 million1,170 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility+-
Unlocked multiplier++

Compatibility

Information on Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-990X 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
SocketAM4FCLGA1366,LGA1366
Power consumption (TDP)65 Watt130 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-990X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsno dataIntel® SSE4.2
AES-NI++
AVX+-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)no data+
Turbo Boost Technologyno data1.0
Hyper-Threading Technologyno data+
Idle Statesno data+
Demand Based Switchingno data-
PAEno data36 Bit

Security technologies

Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-990X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXTno data-
EDBno data+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-990X are enumerated here.

AMD-V+-
VT-xno data+
EPTno data+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-990X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR4-3200DDR3
Maximum memory size128 GB24 GB
Max memory channelsno data3
Maximum memory bandwidth51.196 GB/s25.6 GB/s

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-990X.

PCIe version4.02.0

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.

Ryzen 9 5900 21.63
+381%
i7-990X 4.50

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.

Ryzen 9 5900 34361
+380%
i7-990X 7153

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.

Ryzen 9 5900 2142
+285%
i7-990X 557

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.

Ryzen 9 5900 11070
+325%
i7-990X 2606

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 21.63 4.50
Recency 12 January 2021 24 February 2011
Physical cores 12 6
Threads 24 12
Chip lithography 7 nm 32 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 65 Watt 130 Watt

Ryzen 9 5900 has a 380.7% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 9 years, 100% more physical cores and 100% more threads, a 357.1% more advanced lithography process, and 100% lower power consumption.

The Ryzen 9 5900 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-990X in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-990X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Ryzen 9 5900
Intel Core i7-990X
Core i7-990X

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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