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 i9-10980XE

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +58.2% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $820 less on MSRP ($979 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Delivers 85.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 32.9 vs 17.8 PassMark/$ ($979 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Draws 165W instead of 250W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (24,309 vs 33,213).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

2018

Why buy it

✅+36.6% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+158.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 48.
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 48) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10980XE across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.8 vs 32.9 PassMark/$ ($1,799 MSRP vs $979 MSRP).
❌51.5% higher power demand at 250W vs 165W.

Core i9-10980XE

2019

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +58.2% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $820 less on MSRP ($979 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Delivers 85.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 32.9 vs 17.8 PassMark/$ ($979 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Draws 165W instead of 250W, a 85W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+36.6% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+158.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 48.
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 48) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (24,309 vs 33,213).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10980XE across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.8 vs 32.9 PassMark/$ ($1,799 MSRP vs $979 MSRP).
❌51.5% higher power demand at 250W vs 165W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-10980XE better than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i9-10980XE is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is the better fit. You are getting 36.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 158.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 25 MB).

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

Core i9-10980XE is the smarter buy today. Core i9-10980XE is $820 cheaper on MSRP at $979 MSRP versus $1,799 MSRP, and it gives you a 58.2% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 36.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 85.2% better value on MSRP (32.9 vs 17.8 PassMark/$), 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?

Core i9-10980XE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2018) and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 i9-10980XE Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	280 FPS	198 FPS
medium	249 FPS	177 FPS
high	206 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	174 FPS	115 FPS
1440p
low	234 FPS	160 FPS
medium	189 FPS	134 FPS
high	154 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	85 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	73 FPS
medium	134 FPS	64 FPS
high	106 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	41 FPS

Open Core i9-10980XE Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	550 FPS	536 FPS
medium	457 FPS	483 FPS
high	382 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	345 FPS	354 FPS
1440p
low	456 FPS	473 FPS
medium	394 FPS	424 FPS
high	336 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	285 FPS	295 FPS
medium	247 FPS	265 FPS
high	229 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	213 FPS

Open Core i9-10980XE Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	805 FPS	768 FPS
medium	805 FPS	640 FPS
high	805 FPS	577 FPS
ultra	805 FPS	504 FPS
1440p
low	805 FPS	640 FPS
medium	805 FPS	533 FPS
high	768 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	408 FPS
4K
low	596 FPS	469 FPS
medium	501 FPS	377 FPS
high	444 FPS	336 FPS
ultra	374 FPS	280 FPS

Open Core i9-10980XE Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	805 FPS	799 FPS
medium	805 FPS	799 FPS
high	787 FPS	704 FPS
ultra	704 FPS	616 FPS
1440p
low	805 FPS	728 FPS
medium	722 FPS	644 FPS
high	630 FPS	549 FPS
ultra	552 FPS	474 FPS
4K
low	574 FPS	522 FPS
medium	510 FPS	473 FPS
high	457 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	402 FPS	362 FPS

Open Core i9-10980XE Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10980XE and Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Core i9-10980XE

The Core i9-10980XE 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 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 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. Passmark benchmark score: 32,187 points. Launch price was $979.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 August 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 250 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 31,945 points. Launch price was $1,799.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-10980XE packs 18 cores / 36 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-10980XE versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980XE (base: 3 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i9-10980XE uses the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10980XE scores 32,187 against the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX's 31,945 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i9-10980XE. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 24,309 vs 33,213 (31% advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,242 vs 1,206, a 2.9% lead for the Core i9-10980XE that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 16,275 vs 7,612 (72.5% advantage for the Core i9-10980XE). L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980XE vs 64 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX.

Feature	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Cores / Threads	18 / 36	32 / 64+78%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+14%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz	3 GHz
L3 Cache	24.75 MB (total)	64 MB+159%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Cascade Lake-X (2019)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	32,187	31,945
Cinebench R23 Multi	24,309	33,213+37%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,242+3%	1,206
Geekbench 6 Multi	16,275+114%	7,612

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10980XE uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX supports up to 2048 GB of RAM compared to 256 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 4-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 48 (Core i9-10980XE) vs 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX) — the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-10980XE) and X399 (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX).

Feature	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Socket	LGA2066	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	2048 GB+700%
RAM Channels	4	4
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	48	64+33%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i9-10980XE supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: Yes (Core i9-10980XE) vs AMD-V (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX). Primary use case: Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX targets Extreme Content Creation. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX rivals Core i9-9980XE.

Feature	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	Yes	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Extreme Content Creation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-10980XE launched at $979 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX debuted at $1799. On MSRP ($979 vs $1799), the Core i9-10980XE is $820 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10980XE delivers 32.9 pts/$ vs 17.8 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX — making the Core i9-10980XE the 59.7% better value option.