CPU Comparison

The Intel Core i9-10920X and the Intel Atom x7405C occupy opposite ends of Intel’s product spectrum. The former is a 12-core desktop part built for heavy parallel workloads, while the latter is a 4-core mobile chip aimed at efficiency. The benchmark data confirms a complete sweep: the i9-10920X wins all six head-to-head tests, with deltas ranging from 392.9% to 401.6%. The most decisive victory occurs in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the i9-10920X scores 311 against the Atom’s 62, a 401.6% advantage. Multi-core gaps are similarly lopsided; in Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i9-10920X posts 21861 versus 4435, a 392.9% lead. Even the closest relative margin, Cinebench R20 multi-core at 393.1%, still represents a roughly five-fold performance difference.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data reveals a uniform pattern: the Intel Core i9-10920X outperforms the Intel Atom x7405C by a factor of roughly five in every Cinebench workload. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i9-10920X scores 2203, while the Atom manages only 446, a 393.9% delta. The single-core R15 test shows an even larger spread: 311 versus 62, a 401.6% difference. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core result is 9181 against 1862 (393.1%), and single-core is 1296 versus 262 (394.7%). Cinebench R23 continues the trend with multi-core scores of 21861 and 4435 (392.9%) and single-core scores of 3086 and 626 (393%). No benchmark in the set shows the Atom closing the gap; every delta percentage falls between 392.9% and 401.6%, indicating consistent scaling across rendering workloads.

The i9-10920X’s dominance is not merely a matter of core count. While it does have three times the cores (12 vs 4) and six times the threads (24 vs 4), the single-core advantage of roughly 400% suggests architectural and clock-speed differences compound the core-count disparity. The i9-10920X’s boost clock of 4.80 GHz versus the Atom’s 3.40 GHz explains part of this, but the 14 nm Cascade Lake architecture clearly delivers far higher instructions-per-clock than the 10 nm Amston Lake design. Notably, the Atom x7405C’s average benchmark score of 6568 actually exceeds the i9-10920X’s 6347, but this is because the Atom’s benchmark set includes PassMark tests (data compression, encryption, integer math) that are not present in the i9-10920X’s list. In the shared Cinebench suite, the i9-10920X wins every single test.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher multi-core performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i9-10920X scores 21861 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, compared to the Intel Atom x7405C’s 4435, a 392.9% advantage for the i9-10920X.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the Atom x7405C beats the i9-10920X?

A: No. In the six head-to-head benchmarks provided, the i9-10920X wins all of them, with the Atom’s closest result being 392.9% behind in Cinebench R20 multi-core.

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

A: The i9-10920X leads by roughly 400% in every single-core test. For example, in Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 3086 versus the Atom’s 626, a 393% delta.

Q: What is the TDP difference between these two processors?

A: The i9-10920X has a TDP of 165 watts, while the Atom x7405C has a TDP of only 12 watts, a 153-watt gap.

Q: Do both CPUs support ECC memory?

A: No. Both the i9-10920X and the Atom x7405C list ECC memory support as false.

Q: Which CPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Atom x7405C has an average benchmark score of 6568, which is higher than the i9-10920X’s 6347. However, this is because the Atom’s benchmark list includes PassMark tests not run on the i9-10920X; the shared Cinebench results heavily favor the i9-10920X.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectural philosophies. The Intel Core i9-10920X uses the Cascade Lake architecture (codename Cascade Lake-X), fabricated on Intel’s 14 nm process node. It features 12 cores and 24 threads from Hyper-Threading, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The cache hierarchy is per-core for L1 (64 KB per core) and L2 (1 MB per core), with a shared 19.25 MB L3 cache. This design targets high-end desktop workloads where multi-threaded scaling is critical.

The Intel Atom x7405C, by contrast, uses the Amston Lake architecture (codename Amston Lake), built on a 10 nm process with Gracemont cores. It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with no hyper-threading. The base clock is 1.70 GHz and boost reaches 3.40 GHz. Its cache layout differs notably: L1 is 96 KB per core, L2 is 2 MB shared, and L3 is 6 MB shared. The Atom’s memory controller is single-channel, supporting both DDR4 and DDR5 with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the i9-10920X uses quad-channel DDR4. The i9-10920X has an unlocked multiplier, whereas the Atom’s multiplier is locked. The Atom also includes an integrated graphics option listed as "N/A," while the i9-10920X has no integrated graphics. PCIe support is Gen 3 for both, but the Atom specifies 9 lanes (CPU only), while the i9-10920X does not list a lane count.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets highlight the chasm between these two products. The i9-10920X has 12 cores and 24 threads; the Atom x7405C has 4 cores and 4 threads. Base clocks are 3.50 GHz versus 1.70 GHz, and boost clocks are 4.80 GHz versus 3.40 GHz. The TDP difference is stark: 165 watts versus 12 watts. The i9-10920X uses Intel Socket 2066, while the Atom uses Intel BGA 1264, making the former a socketed desktop part and the latter a soldered mobile chip.

Memory support diverges: the i9-10920X supports DDR4 only with a quad-channel bus, while the Atom supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with a single-channel bus. The Atom additionally lists a memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, a figure absent for the i9-10920X. Cache configurations differ in both size and layout: the i9-10920X has 64 KB L1 per core and 1 MB L2 per core, with 19.25 MB shared L3; the Atom has 96 KB L1 per core, 2 MB shared L2, and 6 MB shared L3. The process node is 14 nm for the i9-10920X and 10 nm for the Atom. The i9-10920X is marked as market segment "Desktop," while the Atom is "Mobile." The release dates are 2019-10-18 for the i9-10920X and 2024-04-07 for the Atom. The i9-10920X has an unlocked multiplier; the Atom does not. The Atom lists a part number (SRNEM) and a launch MSRP of $57, while the i9-10920X has neither.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i9-10920X wins in every category measured by the shared benchmarks. For multi-threaded rendering, it is the clear choice: Cinebench R23 multi-core shows a 392.9% lead, meaning the i9-10920X completes the workload in roughly one-fifth the time. Single-core tasks also favor the i9-10920X, with a 401.6% advantage in Cinebench R15 single-core. This makes it suitable for both heavily parallel workloads (video rendering, 3D modeling) and lightly threaded tasks (legacy applications, some productivity software). The 12-core/24-thread configuration and 4.80 GHz boost clock provide headroom for sustained high-performance computing.

The Intel Atom x7405C’s wins are not found in raw performance but in efficiency and integration. Its TDP of 12 watts is less than 10% of the i9-10920X’s 165 watts, making it suitable for fanless or battery-powered mobile designs. The BGA 1264 socket and mobile market segment indicate a soldered, low-power application. Its support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory offers flexibility in system design, and the integrated graphics (listed as "N/A" but present in the spec) eliminates the need for a discrete GPU in basic systems. The Atom’s average benchmark score of 6568, boosted by PassMark integer math (14669) and floating-point math (9063) tests, suggests it handles lightweight computational tasks reasonably well, though these tests are not run on the i9-10920X for comparison.

The Verdict

The data provides an unambiguous answer for performance-centric buyers: the Intel Core i9-10920X is the superior processor in every benchmark shared between the two. Its 392.9% to 401.6% margins across Cinebench tests reflect a processor designed for high-throughput computing, with 12 cores, 24 threads, and a 4.80 GHz boost clock. The i9-10920X’s percentile rank of 62 places it in the upper half of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7551 (0.7% lower average score) and the Intel Core i7-12800HE (1.9% lower). This CPU is appropriate for users who need maximum multi-threaded and single-threaded performance in a desktop socket.

The Intel Atom x7405C serves a completely different purpose. Its 12-watt TDP and BGA packaging make it a low-power embedded or mobile solution, not a desktop competitor. Its percentile rank of 62 matches the i9-10920X, but this is misleading due to the different benchmark suites. The Atom’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13500E (0.3% higher average score) and the Intel Core i9-10940X (0.6% higher), indicating that its average score is competitive in its own right, but that score comes from PassMark tests that emphasize integer and floating-point math rather than rendering. For applications where power consumption and physical footprint are primary constraints, the Atom x7405C is the logical choice; for any workload where performance matters, the i9-10920X wins outright. The data does not support any scenario where the Atom outperforms the i9-10920X in the tested Cinebench suite.