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 i9-10940X

2019

Why buy it

✅+2.7% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅71.4% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 35.3 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($784 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌37.5% higher power demand at 165W vs 120W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $335 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $784 MSRP).
✅Delivers 116.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 35.3 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $784 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 165W, a 45W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (18,500 vs 19,000).

Core i9-10940X

2019

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅+2.7% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅71.4% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $335 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $784 MSRP).
✅Delivers 116.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 35.3 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $784 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 165W, a 45W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 35.3 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($784 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌37.5% higher power demand at 165W vs 120W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (18,500 vs 19,000).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 7800X3D better than Core i9-10940X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 7800X3D is ahead with a 21.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-10940X pulls ahead with 2.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Ryzen 7 7800X3D 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, Core i9-10940X is the better fit. You are getting 2.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 14 cores and 28 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 7800X3D is $335 cheaper on MSRP at $449 MSRP versus $784 MSRP, and it gives you a 21.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i9-10940X is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 2.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 116.3% better value on MSRP (76.4 vs 35.3 PassMark/$), 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 7800X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066, and 3D V-Cache and a much larger 96 MB L3 cache instead of 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 i9-10940X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10940X	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	279 FPS	266 FPS
medium	249 FPS	247 FPS
high	206 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	174 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	233 FPS	258 FPS
medium	189 FPS	215 FPS
high	154 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	164 FPS	179 FPS
medium	134 FPS	149 FPS
high	105 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core i9-10940X Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10940X	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	550 FPS	857 FPS
medium	457 FPS	735 FPS
high	379 FPS	579 FPS
ultra	342 FPS	491 FPS
1440p
low	456 FPS	715 FPS
medium	394 FPS	607 FPS
high	332 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	396 FPS
4K
low	283 FPS	393 FPS
medium	246 FPS	337 FPS
high	226 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	271 FPS

Open Core i9-10940X Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10940X	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	692 FPS	857 FPS
medium	692 FPS	857 FPS
high	692 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	692 FPS	857 FPS
1440p
low	692 FPS	857 FPS
medium	692 FPS	851 FPS
high	692 FPS	786 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	595 FPS	558 FPS
medium	500 FPS	479 FPS
high	444 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	362 FPS

Open Core i9-10940X Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10940X	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	692 FPS	857 FPS
medium	692 FPS	857 FPS
high	692 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	692 FPS	782 FPS
1440p
low	692 FPS	857 FPS
medium	692 FPS	760 FPS
high	639 FPS	669 FPS
ultra	560 FPS	576 FPS
4K
low	580 FPS	618 FPS
medium	516 FPS	556 FPS
high	464 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	428 FPS

Open Core i9-10940X Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10940X and Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Core i9-10940X

The Core i9-10940X 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 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 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: 27,684 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 34,293 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-10940X packs 14 cores / 28 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-10940X has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-10940X versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — a 4.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D (base: 3.3 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The Core i9-10940X uses the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10940X scores 27,684 against the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 34,293 — a 21.3% lead for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 19,000 vs 18,500 (2.7% advantage for the Core i9-10940X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,450 vs 2,700, a 60.2% lead for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,000 vs 15,000 (30.8% advantage for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D). L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-10940X vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Feature	Core i9-10940X	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cores / Threads	14 / 28+75%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.3 GHz	4.4 GHz+33%
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 (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	27,684	34,293+24%
Cinebench R23 Multi	19,000+3%	18,500
Geekbench 6 Single	1,450	2,700+86%
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,000	15,000+36%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10940X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2933 on the Core i9-10940X versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i9-10940X supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Core i9-10940X) vs 2 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). PCIe lanes: 48 (Core i9-10940X) vs 28 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D) — the Core i9-10940X offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-10940X) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D).

Feature	Core i9-10940X	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
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	48+71%	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 (Core i9-10940X) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). The Ryzen 7 7800X3D includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Core i9-10940X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-10940X targets High-End Desktop, Ryzen 7 7800X3D targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 7800X3D rivals Intel Core i7-14700K.

Feature	Core i9-10940X	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	None	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	High-End Desktop	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-10940X launched at $784 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D debuted at $449. On MSRP ($784 vs $449), the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is $335 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10940X delivers 35.3 pts/$ vs 76.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — making the Ryzen 7 7800X3D the 73.5% better value option.