Intel Core i9-9900K vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X. Specifications, performance, tests

Comprehensive background on the processors being compared, detailing their series, generation, and targeted market segment.

• Segment
  Desktop / Server Desktop / Server
• Family
  Intel Core i9 AMD Ryzen
• Generation
  9 3
• CPU group
  Intel Core i 9000 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3000
• Successor
  Intel Core i9-10900K --

Essential parameters including the number of cores, threads, base and turbo frequencies, and cache size. These metrics provide insight into the processor’s speed—higher values generally indicate better performance.

• Frequency
  3.60 GHz 2.90 GHz
• CPU Cores
  8 64
• Turbo (1 Core)
  5.00 GHz 4.30 GHz
• CPU Threads
  16 128
• Hyperthreading
  Yes Yes
• Overclocking
  Yes Yes
• Core architecture
  normal normal

The integrated graphics (iGPU) do not influence the CPU performance significantly; they serve as a substitute for a dedicated graphics card in the absence of one or are utilized in mobile devices.

• GPU name
  Intel UHD Graphics 630 no iGPU
• GPU frequency
  0.35 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  1.20 GHz No turbo
• Execution units
  24
• Shader
  192
• Max. GPU Memory
  64 GB --
• Max. displays
  3
• Generation
  9.5
• DirectX Version
  12
• Technology
  14 nm
• Release date
  Q4/2017

This section details the built-in codecs used for encoding and decoding media content, which significantly enhance processing speed and efficiency.

• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  Decode / Encode No
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  Decode / Encode No
• h264
  Decode / Encode No
• VP9
  Decode / Encode No
• VP8
  Decode / Encode No
• AV1
  No No
• AVC
  Decode / Encode No
• VC-1
  Decode No
• JPEG
  Decode / Encode No

Overview of the types and quantities of RAM supported by AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Intel Core i9-9900K. The supported memory frequencies may vary depending on the motherboard configuration.

• Memory type
  DDR4-2666 DDR4-3200
• Max. Memory
  128 GB 2048 GB
• ECC
  No Yes
• Memory channels
  2 4
• PCIe version
  3.0 4.0
• PCIe lanes
  16 72

• AES-NI
  Yes Yes

Analyze the TDP (Thermal Design Power) requirements of Intel Core i9-9900K and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X to make an informed decision on the appropriate cooling system. Remember that TDP refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  95 W 280 W
• TDP (PL2)
  119 W / 28 s --
• Tjunction max.
  100 °C 95 °C

Information on architecture, interfaces, and additional instructions supported by Intel Core i9-9900K and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, including virtual machine technologies and fabrication processes.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• Virtualization
  VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d AMD-V, SVM
• ISA extensions
  SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, FMA3
• L3-Cache
  16.00 MB 256.00 MB
• Architecture
  Coffee Lake S Refresh Castle Peak (Zen 2)
• Technology
  14 nm 7 nm
• Socket
  LGA 1151-2 TRX4 (sTRX4)
• Release date
  Q4/2018 Q1/2020