CPU Comparison

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X and Intel Core i9-9900X are effectively tied in aggregate performance, with the AMD part holding a razor-thin 0.1% lead in average benchmark score (5306 vs 5301). However, the data reveals a stark split in workload behavior: the Threadripper 1920X dominates every Cinebench test by a consistent margin, while the Core i9-9900X delivers a decisive counterpunch in Geekbench. The overall scoreboard reads 6 wins for AMD and 2 for Intel, yet the magnitude of Intel’s Geekbench victories suggests the two processors are optimized for fundamentally different types of tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite tells a remarkably uniform story. Across all six Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests, both single-core and multi-core, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X wins by nearly identical margins. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Threadripper scores 1979 against Intel’s 1851, a 6.9% advantage. The single-core R15 result follows the same pattern: 279 for AMD versus 261 for Intel, again a 6.9% lead. This consistency extends to Cinebench R20, where the Threadripper posts 8248 multi-core and 1164 single-core, beating the Core i9-9900X’s 7713 and 1088 by 6.9% and 7%, respectively. The newest Cinebench R23 test confirms the trend: AMD scores 19640 multi-core and 2772 single-core, while Intel manages 18365 and 2592, with the same 6.9% gap in both. The data shows a processor that is uniformly faster in rendering and CPU-bound creative workloads, regardless of thread count.

The Geekbench results invert the picture entirely. In Geekbench multi-core, the Intel Core i9-9900X scores 9109 against AMD’s 7178, a massive 21.2% advantage. The single-core Geekbench test shows a similar swing: Intel scores 1429 versus AMD’s 1185, a 17.1% lead. These are not marginal differences; they represent a completely different performance profile. The deltaPct values in the nearestRivals data confirm the overall tie, the two parts sit within 0.1% of each other in average score, but the head-to-head deltas show that the average masks a dramatic workload-dependent divergence. In short, AMD wins the Cinebench family outright, while Intel wins the Geekbench family by a wider margin than AMD’s Cinebench advantage.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural lineages. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X uses the Zen microarchitecture, released in the 1000 series, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The chip is physically large, with a die size of 2x 213 mm² and 9,600 million transistors. Its cache layout is unusual: 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. The Threadripper runs on AMD Socket SP3r2 and offers 60 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only).

The Intel Core i9-9900X, by contrast, uses the Skylake-X architecture, part of the Core i9 X-Series 9th Gen family, also on a 14 nm process but fabricated by Intel. It has fewer cores, 10 cores and 20 threads, with the same 3.50 GHz base clock but a higher 4.50 GHz boost clock. The cache hierarchy differs significantly: 64 KB of L1 per core, a larger 1 MB of L2 per core, and 19.25 MB of shared L3. Intel uses Socket 2066 and provides fewer PCIe lanes at 44 Gen 3 lanes (CPU only). Both processors support DDR4 memory in quad-channel configuration with identical 85.3 GB/s memory bandwidth, and neither has ECC memory support nor integrated graphics. Both have unlocked multipliers, but the Threadripper’s production status is Active while the Core i9-9900X is End-of-life.

The Verdict

The benchmark data supports a clear, if split, verdict. For workloads that resemble Cinebench, multi-threaded rendering, 3D modeling, video encoding, and other heavily threaded compute tasks, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X is the superior choice. Its six Cinebench wins, all at a 6.9% to 7% margin, demonstrate a consistent advantage that scales from single-core to multi-core. The extra two cores (12 vs 10) and four threads (24 vs 20) provide a structural edge that the lower boost clock (4.00 vs 4.50 GHz) does not erase.

For workloads that resemble Geekbench, which often stresses memory latency, branch prediction, and per-core efficiency, the Intel Core i9-9900X is the clear winner. The 21.2% multi-core and 17.1% single-core Geekbench leads are substantial, indicating that Skylake-X’s higher boost clock and larger L2 cache (1 MB per core vs 512 KB) translate into superior performance in latency-sensitive applications. The Core i9-9900X also holds a practical advantage: it was released later (2018-10-18 vs 2017-08-09) and has a higher launch MSRP of $989 versus $799, though price is not part of this analysis. The data shows no overall champion, it shows two specialists. The Threadripper is for throughput; the Core i9 is for responsiveness.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core i9-9900X has 10 cores and 20 threads.

Q: How do the processors compare in single-core performance?

A: In Cinebench tests, the Threadripper wins all single-core tests by 6.9% to 7% (e.g., R23 single-core: 2772 vs 2592). In Geekbench single-core, the Core i9-9900X wins by 17.1% (1429 vs 1185).

Q: What is the memory configuration for each CPU?

A: Both support DDR4 memory in quad-channel configuration, with identical memory bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s. Neither supports ECC memory.

Q: Which CPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900X has a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, compared to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X’s 4.00 GHz. Both have the same base clock of 3.50 GHz.

Q: Are these processors still in production?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X has an Active production status, while the Intel Core i9-9900X is marked as End-of-life.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Threadripper 1920X has an average benchmark score of 5306, and the Core i9-9900X has 5301, a difference of just 0.1%.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X wins in every Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 test. This includes both multi-core and single-core variants, which points to an architectural advantage that is not dependent on thread scaling. The consistent 6.9% to 7% margin across all six tests suggests that Zen’s per-core efficiency in this specific rendering workload is uniformly higher. With 12 cores and 24 threads, the Threadripper is the logical pick for content creation pipelines that use Cinebench-like rendering engines, where the extra parallel resources translate directly into shorter render times. Its 32 MB of L3 cache and 60 PCIe Gen 3 lanes also provide ample headroom for heavy I/O configurations, though those features are not directly benchmarked here.

The Intel Core i9-9900X wins decisively in Geekbench, both multi-core and single-core. The 21.2% multi-core lead is particularly striking because the Intel chip has fewer cores (10 vs 12) yet still outperforms AMD by a wide margin. This indicates that Skylake-X’s higher boost clock (4.50 GHz) and larger per-core L2 cache (1 MB vs 512 KB) deliver superior per-thread performance in Geekbench’s workload mix. The Core i9-9900X is the better option for applications that are latency-bound, lightly threaded, or dependent on fast single-thread response, such as legacy software, certain scientific simulations, or interactive workloads where burst performance matters more than sustained throughput. The data shows that the Core i9’s 44 PCIe lanes are fewer than AMD’s 60, but that does not affect the benchmark results.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every fundamental specification except base clock, memory support, and TDP class. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core i9-9900X has 10 cores and 20 threads. Both run at a 3.50 GHz base clock, but Intel boosts to 4.50 GHz versus AMD’s 4.00 GHz. The Threadripper has a TDP of 180, compared to Intel’s 165. AMD uses Socket SP3r2, while Intel uses Socket 2066. The architectures are Zen (Whitehaven) for AMD and Skylake-X for Intel, both on 14 nm but from different foundries: GlobalFoundries for AMD, Intel for itself. The Threadripper’s die is 2x 213 mm² with 9,600 million transistors; Intel does not list die size or transistor count. Cache layouts differ: AMD has 96 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core with 32 MB shared L3, while Intel has 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core with 19.25 MB shared L3. PCIe connectivity differs, with AMD offering 60 Gen 3 lanes and Intel offering 44. Release dates are 2017-08-09 for AMD and 2018-10-18 for Intel. The Threadripper’s launch MSRP was $799, while the Core i9-9900X launched at $989. Both have unlocked multipliers, no integrated graphics, and no ECC support.