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 i9-10920X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅83.3% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.6 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($689 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅+66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $390 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $689 MSRP).
✅Delivers 94.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 37.6 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $689 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10920X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 25,875).

Core i9-10920X

2019

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅83.3% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $390 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $689 MSRP).
✅Delivers 94.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 37.6 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $689 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.6 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($689 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10920X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 25,875).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-10920X better than Ryzen 5 5600X?

Yes. Core i9-10920X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 18.4% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-10920X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-10920X is the better fit. You are getting 18.4% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

Core i9-10920X is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-10920X is 130.4% more expensive on MSRP at $689 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600X is also 94.5% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 37.6 PassMark/$), 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 5600X 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 5600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019) and 66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 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 i9-10920X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	274 FPS	203 FPS
medium	240 FPS	174 FPS
high	202 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	174 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	236 FPS	169 FPS
medium	187 FPS	141 FPS
high	153 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	163 FPS	85 FPS
medium	131 FPS	76 FPS
high	101 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	560 FPS	464 FPS
medium	459 FPS	387 FPS
high	381 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	345 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	464 FPS	397 FPS
medium	396 FPS	334 FPS
high	334 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	289 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	288 FPS	263 FPS
medium	247 FPS	226 FPS
high	228 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	647 FPS	546 FPS
medium	647 FPS	473 FPS
high	616 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	647 FPS	508 FPS
medium	588 FPS	413 FPS
high	506 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	430 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	522 FPS	348 FPS
medium	431 FPS	292 FPS
high	385 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	647 FPS	546 FPS
medium	647 FPS	546 FPS
high	647 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	647 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	647 FPS	546 FPS
medium	647 FPS	546 FPS
high	647 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	587 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	609 FPS	529 FPS
medium	543 FPS	484 FPS
high	487 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10920X and Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i9-10920X

The Core i9-10920X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 25,875 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-10920X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-10920X has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-10920X versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-10920X (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i9-10920X uses the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10920X scores 25,875 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 16.9% lead for the Core i9-10920X. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-10920X vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+4%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	19.25 MB (total)	32 MB+66%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Cascade Lake-X (2019)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	25,875+18%	21,845
Cinebench R23 Multi	15,458	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,250	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10920X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Core i9-10920X supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Core i9-10920X) vs 2 (Ryzen 5 5600X). PCIe lanes: 44 (Core i9-10920X) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 5600X) — the Core i9-10920X offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-10920X) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 5 5600X).

Feature	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket	LGA2066	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB+100%	128 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	44+83%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-10920X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i9-10920X) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). Primary use case: Core i9-10920X targets HEDT/Workstation, Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	HEDT/Workstation	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-10920X launched at $689 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($689 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $390 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10920X delivers 37.6 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 64.2% better value option.