Core i9-9820X vs Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U

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 i9-9820X

2018

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,456 vs 20,593).
❌Launch MSRP is still $889 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1000% higher power demand at 165W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 165W, a 150W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

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

Core i9-9820X

2018

Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U

2022

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 165W, a 150W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,456 vs 20,593).
❌Launch MSRP is still $889 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1000% higher power demand at 165W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U better than Core i9-9820X?

Yes. Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 0.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.7% 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 PRO 6850U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 0.8% 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 PRO 6850U is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $889 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i9-9820X only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (23.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA2066.

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

Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2018), a healthier platform with FP7 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 10/20. 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 i9-9820X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9820X	Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U
1080p
low	176 FPS	166 FPS
medium	140 FPS	147 FPS
high	114 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	142 FPS
medium	114 FPS	121 FPS
high	91 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	79 FPS
medium	56 FPS	72 FPS
high	44 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i9-9820X Open Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9820X	Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U
1080p
low	327 FPS	428 FPS
medium	281 FPS	362 FPS
high	249 FPS	316 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	281 FPS
1440p
low	296 FPS	368 FPS
medium	259 FPS	321 FPS
high	228 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	198 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	217 FPS	253 FPS
medium	194 FPS	227 FPS
high	179 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	185 FPS

Open Core i9-9820X Open Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9820X	Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U
1080p
low	511 FPS	515 FPS
medium	511 FPS	515 FPS
high	511 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	471 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	511 FPS	515 FPS
medium	482 FPS	510 FPS
high	423 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	355 FPS
4K
low	433 FPS	432 FPS
medium	340 FPS	368 FPS
high	298 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	239 FPS	262 FPS

Open Core i9-9820X Open Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9820X	Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U
1080p
low	511 FPS	515 FPS
medium	511 FPS	515 FPS
high	511 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	511 FPS	515 FPS
1440p
low	511 FPS	515 FPS
medium	511 FPS	515 FPS
high	511 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	502 FPS	504 FPS
4K
low	511 FPS	515 FPS
medium	480 FPS	483 FPS
high	426 FPS	431 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	372 FPS

Open Core i9-9820X Open Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9820X and Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U

Core i9-9820X

The Core i9-9820X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 20,456 points. Launch price was $898.

Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U

The Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Rembrandt-U PRO (Zen 3+) (2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 20,593 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-9820X packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-9820X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i9-9820X versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U — a 11.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U (base: 3.3 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i9-9820X uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U uses Rembrandt-U PRO (Zen 3+) (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9820X scores 20,456 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U's 20,593 — a 0.7% lead for the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total) on the Core i9-9820X vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U.

Feature	Core i9-9820X	Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U
Cores / Threads	10 / 20+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.7 GHz+12%
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+22%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	16.5 MB (total)+3%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	6 nm-57%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Rembrandt-U PRO (Zen 3+) (2022)
PassMark	20,456	20,593
Geekbench 6 Single	1,394	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,361	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9820X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-9820X	Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U
Socket	LGA2066	FP7
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4 2666 MHz	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	4	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	44	—