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: +4.0% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅57.1% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 28) 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 94.7 PassMark/$ ($689 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌57.1% higher power demand at 165W vs 105W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅+66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $390 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $689 MSRP).
✅Delivers 152.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 37.6 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $689 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 165W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10920X across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,300 vs 15,458).

Core i9-10920X

2019

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅57.1% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 28) 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 $689 MSRP).
✅Delivers 152.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 37.6 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $689 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 165W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.6 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($689 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌57.1% higher power demand at 165W vs 105W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10920X across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,300 vs 15,458).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-10920X better than Ryzen 5 7600X?

Yes. Core i9-10920X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 4.0% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 4.0% more average FPS across 45 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 1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 7600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-10920X is 130.4% more expensive on MSRP at $689 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 7600X is also 152.3% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 37.6 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM5 + DDR5 setup, Ryzen 5 7600X 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 7600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066, and 66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB). That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	274 FPS	266 FPS
medium	240 FPS	246 FPS
high	202 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	174 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	236 FPS	226 FPS
medium	187 FPS	189 FPS
high	153 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	163 FPS	157 FPS
medium	131 FPS	131 FPS
high	101 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	560 FPS	649 FPS
medium	459 FPS	524 FPS
high	381 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	345 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	464 FPS	544 FPS
medium	396 FPS	455 FPS
high	334 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	289 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	288 FPS	341 FPS
medium	247 FPS	290 FPS
high	228 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	647 FPS	708 FPS
medium	647 FPS	652 FPS
high	616 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	647 FPS	708 FPS
medium	588 FPS	554 FPS
high	506 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	430 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	522 FPS	463 FPS
medium	431 FPS	392 FPS
high	385 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	281 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	647 FPS	708 FPS
medium	647 FPS	708 FPS
high	647 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	647 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	647 FPS	708 FPS
medium	647 FPS	708 FPS
high	647 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	587 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	609 FPS	560 FPS
medium	543 FPS	502 FPS
high	487 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	391 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10920X and Ryzen 5 7600X

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 7600X

The Ryzen 5 7600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 28,325 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-10920X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X 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 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 9.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 3.5 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i9-10920X uses the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10920X scores 25,875 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 9% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 15,458 vs 15,300 (1% advantage for the Core i9-10920X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,250 vs 2,900, a 79.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 12,000 vs 13,800 (14% advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X). L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-10920X vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5.3 GHz+10%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	4.7 GHz+34%
L3 Cache	19.25 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+66%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	6 MB+500%
Process	14 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-64%
Architecture	Cascade Lake-X (2019)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	25,875	28,325+9%
Cinebench R23 Multi	15,458+1%	15,300
Geekbench 6 Single	1,250	2,900+132%
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,000	13,800+15%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10920X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2933 on the Core i9-10920X versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 5 7600X — the Ryzen 5 7600X supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. 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 7600X). PCIe lanes: 44 (Core i9-10920X) vs 28 (Ryzen 5 7600X) — the Core i9-10920X offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-10920X) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 5 7600X).

Feature	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	LGA2066	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB+100%	128 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	44+57%	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i9-10920X) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). The Ryzen 5 7600X includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Core i9-10920X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-10920X targets HEDT/Workstation, Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	HEDT/Workstation	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-10920X launched at $689 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($689 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 7600X is $390 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10920X delivers 37.6 pts/$ vs 94.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7600X — making the Ryzen 5 7600X the 86.4% better value option.