Core i9-9900T vs Ryzen 5 3500X

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i9-9900T

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 31.2 vs 84.9 PassMark/$ ($423 MSRP vs $155 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 3500X

2019

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $268 less on MSRP ($155 MSRP vs $423 MSRP).
✅Delivers 172.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 84.9 vs 31.2 PassMark/$ ($155 MSRP vs $423 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,165 vs 13,208).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Core i9-9900T

2019

Ryzen 5 3500X

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $268 less on MSRP ($155 MSRP vs $423 MSRP).
✅Delivers 172.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 84.9 vs 31.2 PassMark/$ ($155 MSRP vs $423 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 31.2 vs 84.9 PassMark/$ ($423 MSRP vs $155 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,165 vs 13,208).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9900T better than Ryzen 5 3500X?

Yes. Core i9-9900T is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 0.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.3% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-9900T is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 0.3% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9900T is the better fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i9-9900T is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3500X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-9900T is 172.9% more expensive on MSRP at $423 MSRP versus $155 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3500X is also 172.0% better value on MSRP (84.9 vs 31.2 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 3500X can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 3500X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i9-9900T Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3500X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9900T	Ryzen 5 3500X
1080p
low	173 FPS	197 FPS
medium	150 FPS	159 FPS
high	121 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	103 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	154 FPS
medium	125 FPS	119 FPS
high	100 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	70 FPS
medium	76 FPS	58 FPS
high	60 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i9-9900T Open Ryzen 5 3500X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9900T	Ryzen 5 3500X
1080p
low	207 FPS	329 FPS
medium	176 FPS	329 FPS
high	161 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	144 FPS	294 FPS
1440p
low	185 FPS	329 FPS
medium	163 FPS	329 FPS
high	148 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	134 FPS	286 FPS
medium	120 FPS	249 FPS
high	115 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	198 FPS

Open Core i9-9900T Open Ryzen 5 3500X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9900T	Ryzen 5 3500X
1080p
low	330 FPS	329 FPS
medium	330 FPS	329 FPS
high	330 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	330 FPS	329 FPS
medium	330 FPS	329 FPS
high	330 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	301 FPS
4K
low	330 FPS	309 FPS
medium	327 FPS	243 FPS
high	286 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	160 FPS

Open Core i9-9900T Open Ryzen 5 3500X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9900T	Ryzen 5 3500X
1080p
low	330 FPS	329 FPS
medium	330 FPS	329 FPS
high	330 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	330 FPS	329 FPS
medium	330 FPS	329 FPS
high	330 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	330 FPS	329 FPS
medium	330 FPS	329 FPS
high	330 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	329 FPS

Open Core i9-9900T Open Ryzen 5 3500X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9900T and Ryzen 5 3500X

Core i9-9900T

The Core i9-9900T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,208 points. Launch price was $439.

Ryzen 5 3500X

The Ryzen 5 3500X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 September 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 13,165 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-9900T packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3500X offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Core i9-9900T has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i9-9900T versus 4.1 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3500X — a 7.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-9900T (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i9-9900T uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3500X uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9900T scores 13,208 against the Ryzen 5 3500X's 13,165 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i9-9900T. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900T vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3500X.

Feature	Core i9-9900T	Ryzen 5 3500X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 6
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+7%	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.6 GHz+71%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	13,208	13,165

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9900T uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 3500X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-9900T	Ryzen 5 3500X
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

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Value Analysis

The Core i9-9900T launched at $423 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 3500X debuted at $155. On MSRP ($423 vs $155), the Ryzen 5 3500X is $268 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-9900T delivers 31.2 pts/$ vs 84.9 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 3500X — making the Ryzen 5 3500X the 92.5% better value option.