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Intel has not been having the best of times as of late and with the launch of the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X plus the two new AMD Threadripper processors, things are getting worse in the latest benchmark leaks.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is a mainstream chip using the AM4 socket one X570/X470 motherboard, with a price of $750 is not exactly cheap but the chip will likely be used as an alternative to the more expensive Threadripper platform. This CPU has a base frequency of 3.5 GHz and boosts to an incredibly fast 4.7 GHz which makes this the highest frequency AMD’s Ryzen 3000 series processor. The chip will feature 72 MB of total cache and just like the other Ryzen 9 parts, feature a TDP of 105W. The TDP is based on the base frequency numbers so it will actually be higher when the chip boosts or is manually overclocked by users. The Ryzen range has fewer PCIe lanes than HEDT based chips with 40 across all the processors in this range, they are however PCIe4.0 offering double the bandwidth compared to PCIe3.0
The Intel Core i9-10980XE, on the other hand, is a HEDT offering from intel using the X299 platform. It has 18 cores and 36 threads clocked at 3.0 GHz base and a maximum boost clock of 4.6 GHz (one core TB 2.0), 4.8 GHz (one core TB 3.0) and 3.8 GHz all-core boost. The chip will feature 24.75 MB of L3 cache, up to 72 platform PCIe lanes, a TDP of 165W and a price of $979 US.
Intel is still relying on the ageing 14nm process but they have optimised it a lot and it is now called the 14nm++ process node (Cascade Lake-X). The quad-channel memory allows it to support 256 GB DDR4-2933 memory and has 72 PCIe Gen 3.0 platform lanes, 2.5G Intel Ethernet Controller, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (Gig+) support & an unlocked design for overclocking enthusiasts.
Geekbench 4 Benchmarks
While Geekbench is not the be-all and end-all of the benchmarks and it certainly doesn’t represent real-world usage in all scenarios, the following results don’t paint a pretty picture for Intel.
Both chips have been benchmarked in pre-build systems from Dell including using the Alienware Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition and the Dell Inc. Precision 5820 Tower X-Series.
In single-core performance, the Ryzen 9 3950X scores 5570 points versus 5453 points of the Intel Core i9-10980XE. Giving the Ryzen a 2.1% lead.
While the single-core performance is forgivable for Intel, worryingly it also falls short in the multi-core tests, even though it has 2 more CPU cores. The Intel manages a score of 51180 points versus AMD’s 52098 points from the Ryzen 9 3950X. This gives the Ryzen a 1.8% advantage.
While this isn’t a huge difference in results the Intel chip is 30% more expensive.
With the introduction of PCIe4.0, the X570 motherboards are very expensive this year but UK prices start from £153.19 with many decent mid-range boards being £250 and this puts them around the same price as the X299 options.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
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