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: +3.4% 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

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (12,000 vs 14,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 96 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.6 vs 86.0 PassMark/$ ($689 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 7600X3D

2024

Why buy it

✅+16.7% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅+398.7% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $390 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $689 MSRP).
✅Delivers 129.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 86.0 vs 37.6 PassMark/$ ($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.

Core i9-10920X

2019

Ryzen 5 7600X3D

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.4% 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

✅+16.7% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅+398.7% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $390 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $689 MSRP).
✅Delivers 129.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 86.0 vs 37.6 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $689 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (12,000 vs 14,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 96 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.6 vs 86.0 PassMark/$ ($689 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10920X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X3D better than Core i9-10920X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-10920X is ahead with a 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 7600X3D pulls ahead with 16.7% better Geekbench multi-core. Ryzen 5 7600X3D also has the bigger cache pool with 398.7% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 19 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 7600X3D is the better fit. You are getting 16.7% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 398.7% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 19 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 7600X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7600X3D is $390 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $689 MSRP, and it gives you 16.7% better Geekbench multi-core. The trade-off is that Core i9-10920X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 129.1% better value on MSRP (86.0 vs 37.6 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 7600X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066, 398.7% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 19 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 12/24. 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 7600X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X3D
1080p
low	274 FPS	158 FPS
medium	240 FPS	133 FPS
high	202 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	174 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	236 FPS	148 FPS
medium	187 FPS	122 FPS
high	153 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	163 FPS	82 FPS
medium	131 FPS	73 FPS
high	101 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 7600X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X3D
1080p
low	560 FPS	540 FPS
medium	459 FPS	462 FPS
high	381 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	345 FPS	316 FPS
1440p
low	464 FPS	443 FPS
medium	396 FPS	384 FPS
high	334 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	289 FPS	265 FPS
4K
low	288 FPS	276 FPS
medium	247 FPS	241 FPS
high	228 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	190 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 7600X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X3D
1080p
low	647 FPS	643 FPS
medium	647 FPS	643 FPS
high	616 FPS	643 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	643 FPS
1440p
low	647 FPS	643 FPS
medium	588 FPS	643 FPS
high	506 FPS	643 FPS
ultra	430 FPS	643 FPS
4K
low	522 FPS	538 FPS
medium	431 FPS	471 FPS
high	385 FPS	407 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	339 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 7600X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X3D
1080p
low	647 FPS	643 FPS
medium	647 FPS	643 FPS
high	647 FPS	643 FPS
ultra	647 FPS	643 FPS
1440p
low	647 FPS	643 FPS
medium	647 FPS	643 FPS
high	647 FPS	643 FPS
ultra	587 FPS	643 FPS
4K
low	609 FPS	643 FPS
medium	543 FPS	643 FPS
high	487 FPS	574 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i9-10920X Open Ryzen 5 7600X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10920X and Ryzen 5 7600X3D

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 7600X3D

The Ryzen 5 7600X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 30 August 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 25,723 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-10920X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X3D 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 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X3D — a 2.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-10920X (base: 3.5 GHz vs 4.1 GHz). The Core i9-10920X uses the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X3D uses Raphael (2023−2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10920X scores 25,875 against the Ryzen 5 7600X3D's 25,723 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i9-10920X. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,250 vs 2,800, a 76.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X3D that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 12,000 vs 14,000 (15.4% advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X3D). L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-10920X vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X3D.

Feature	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X3D
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+2%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	4.1 GHz+17%
L3 Cache	19.25 MB (total)	96 MB (total)+399%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Cascade Lake-X (2019)	Raphael (2023−2025)
PassMark	25,875	25,723
Cinebench R23 Multi	15,458	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,250	2,800+124%
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,000	14,000+17%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10920X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X3D 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 7600X3D — the Ryzen 5 7600X3D 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 192 GB — 28.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Core i9-10920X) vs 2 (Ryzen 5 7600X3D). PCIe lanes: 44 (Core i9-10920X) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 7600X3D) — the Core i9-10920X offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-10920X) and B650,X670,B650E,X670E (Ryzen 5 7600X3D).

Feature	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X3D
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+33%	192 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	44+83%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i9-10920X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. 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 7600X3D). The Ryzen 5 7600X3D includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2 Cores)), while the Core i9-10920X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-10920X targets HEDT/Workstation, Ryzen 5 7600X3D targets Gaming.

Feature	Core i9-10920X	Ryzen 5 7600X3D
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics (2 Cores)
Unlocked	Yes	No
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 7600X3D debuted at $299. On MSRP ($689 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 7600X3D is $390 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10920X delivers 37.6 pts/$ vs 86.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7600X3D — making the Ryzen 5 7600X3D the 78.4% better value option.