Core i9-10900X vs Ryzen 7 3700X

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 i9-10900X

2019

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,377 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.9 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($590 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $261 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $590 MSRP).
✅Delivers 79.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.2 vs 37.9 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $590 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i9-10900X

2019

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $261 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $590 MSRP).
✅Delivers 79.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.2 vs 37.9 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $590 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,377 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.9 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($590 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Core i9-10900X?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.2% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 3700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 3700X is $261 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $590 MSRP, and it gives you a 6.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 79.8% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 37.9 PassMark/$), 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 7 3700X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 10/20. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i9-10900X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	186 FPS	200 FPS
medium	147 FPS	163 FPS
high	121 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	155 FPS	156 FPS
medium	120 FPS	121 FPS
high	98 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	84 FPS
medium	71 FPS	71 FPS
high	57 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i9-10900X Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	539 FPS	561 FPS
medium	447 FPS	525 FPS
high	371 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	335 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	467 FPS	545 FPS
medium	399 FPS	471 FPS
high	334 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	290 FPS	350 FPS
medium	249 FPS	304 FPS
high	228 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core i9-10900X Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	559 FPS	561 FPS
medium	559 FPS	561 FPS
high	559 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	529 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	559 FPS	561 FPS
medium	559 FPS	561 FPS
high	514 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	438 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	499 FPS
medium	437 FPS	394 FPS
high	390 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	275 FPS

Open Core i9-10900X Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	559 FPS	561 FPS
medium	559 FPS	561 FPS
high	559 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	559 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	559 FPS	561 FPS
medium	559 FPS	561 FPS
high	559 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	559 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	559 FPS	561 FPS
medium	545 FPS	501 FPS
high	489 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	396 FPS

Open Core i9-10900X Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10900X and Ryzen 7 3700X

Core i9-10900X

The Core i9-10900X 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 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 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: 22,377 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 3700X

The Ryzen 7 3700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 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 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,430 points. Launch price was $329.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-10900X packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-10900X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Core i9-10900X versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 6.6% clock advantage for the Core i9-10900X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i9-10900X uses the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10900X scores 22,377 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 0.2% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-10900X vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	10 / 20+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz+7%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+3%	3.6 GHz
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)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	22,377	22,430

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10900X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket	LGA2066	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 i9-10900X launched at $590 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3700X debuted at $329. On MSRP ($590 vs $329), the Ryzen 7 3700X is $261 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10900X delivers 37.9 pts/$ vs 68.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3700X — making the Ryzen 7 3700X the 57% better value option.