Intel Core i9-9960X vs Intel Core i9-9990XE Comparison

The Intel Core i9-9990XE and the Intel Core i9-9960X are two Skylake-X desktop processors from the same 9th generation family, both end-of-life products that share a socket and a 14 nm process node. On paper, the i9-9960X looks like the more substantial part with 16 cores and 32 threads versus the 14 cores and 28 threads of the i9-9990XE. Yet the recorded benchmark data tells a different story: across every single test in the database, the i9-9990XE comes out ahead, even though it is missing two cores. This counterintuitive result is driven entirely by clock speed, and the numbers show just how much raw frequency can offset a core deficit.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records six direct comparisons between these two CPUs, and the i9-9990XE wins all six. The margins are consistent, never exceeding a 2.1% lead but also never dropping below 2%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i9-9990XE scores 2584 against 2532 for the i9-9960X, a 2.1% advantage. The single-core run in the same test shows 364 versus 357, a 2% edge. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core result is 10767 for the i9-9990XE and 10550 for the i9-9960X, again a 2.1% gap, while single-core is 1519 against 1489, a 2% difference. The newest rendering test, Cinebench R23, repeats the pattern: multi-core is 25637 versus 25120, a 2.1% lead, and single-core is 3619 versus 3546, also a 2.1% lead.

What is striking is how uniform these margins are. The i9-9990XE does not just win by a larger margin in single-threaded tests, where its higher boost clock should matter most; it wins by nearly the same percentage in multi-threaded workloads despite having fewer physical cores. The i9-9960X has 16 cores to the i9-9990XE's 14, which is 14.3% more cores in theory, yet it loses multi-core rendering tests by 2.1%. The database also lists an average benchmark score for each processor. The i9-9990XE sits at 7415, while the i9-9960X is at 6938. That is a difference of roughly 6.9% in average score, a larger gap than any single head-to-head test because the i9-9960X's average includes Geekbench results that the i9-9990XE does not have recorded. The i9-9960X posts a Geekbench multi-core score of 10512 and a single-core score of 1396, but no comparable Geekbench numbers exist for the i9-9990XE in the database, so those scores pull the i9-9960X's average down relative to its Cinebench performance.

Both processors land in the 63rd percentile of all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy the same overall performance tier despite the i9-9990XE's consistent head-to-head wins. The nearest rivals for the i9-9990XE include the Intel Core i9-9980XE, which has an average score of 7398, a 0.2% difference from the i9-9990XE's 7415. The i9-9960X's nearest rivals are lower-tier parts like the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G at 6931 and the Intel Pentium Gold G6400 at 6969, both within 0.4% of its 6938 average. This suggests that while the two processors trade blows at the very top of the Cinebench charts, the i9-9960X's broader benchmark profile is closer to much cheaper mainstream parts, whereas the i9-9990XE sits alongside other high-core-count HEDT chips.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's 14 nm process node and share the Skylake-X codename and Skylake architecture. They use the same Intel Socket 2066 and belong to the Core i9 Extreme X-Series 9th Gen family. The core counts differ, with the i9-9960X shipping 16 cores and 32 threads while the i9-9990XE has 14 cores and 28 threads. That is the most obvious architectural split. The cache hierarchy follows the core count: each core has 64 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 on both chips, but the shared L3 cache is larger on the i9-9960X at 22 MB versus 19.25 MB on the i9-9990XE. The extra 2.75 MB of L3 cache on the i9-9960X aligns with its two additional cores, since Skylake-X allocates L3 in slices per core.

The clock speeds are where the two parts diverge most sharply. The i9-9990XE has a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The i9-9960X has a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. That is a 0.9 GHz difference at base and a 0.6 GHz difference at boost, favoring the i9-9990XE. The power envelope reflects this: the i9-9990XE has a 255 W TDP while the i9-9960X is rated at 165 W. The i9-9990XE is essentially a high-frequency, high-power variant of the same silicon, whereas the i9-9960X is configured for more cores at lower clocks. Both chips have unlocked multipliers, so either can be overclocked, but the stock configurations favor the i9-9990XE in every recorded benchmark.

Other features are identical. Both support DDR4 memory in a quad-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s, and neither supports ECC memory. Both expose PCIe Gen 3 with 44 lanes from the CPU. Neither has integrated graphics. The part numbers differ, SREZA for the i9-9990XE and SREZ4 for the i9-9960X, but that is just a manufacturing identifier. Both were released on the same date, October 18, 2018, and both are marked as end-of-life in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The i9-9990XE wins every recorded benchmark, so the use-case split is straightforward: it is the better choice for any workload represented in the database. In Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, both multi-core and single-core, the i9-9990XE leads by 2% to 2.1%. That means rendering tasks, whether they are single-threaded or fully parallel, favor the i9-9990XE. The consistency of the margin across single-threaded and multi-threaded tests is notable. A workload that scales perfectly across all cores would normally favor the 16-core i9-9960X, but the 0.6 GHz boost clock advantage of the i9-9990XE is enough to overcome the two-core deficit in these specific rendering benchmarks.

The i9-9960X does not win any category in the head-to-head data, but it is not without a niche. The database shows it has a 22 MB L3 cache versus 19.25 MB on the i9-9990XE, which could matter for workloads with large working sets that benefit from more cache. It also has a lower TDP of 165 W compared to 255 W, so in systems where power delivery or cooling is constrained, the i9-9960X is the more manageable part. The i9-9960X also has Geekbench scores recorded in the database, 10512 multi-core and 1396 single-core, which provide a point of comparison for that test suite, though the i9-9990XE has no Geekbench entry to compare against. For users specifically targeting Geekbench, the i9-9960X at least has a known data point, while the i9-9990XE's performance there is unmeasured.

The percentile ranking puts both at 63, meaning neither is an outlier in the broader CPU landscape. The i9-9990XE's nearest rival by average score is the Intel Core i9-9980XE, which trails by 0.2%, suggesting that the i9-9990XE performs essentially on par with an 18-core part in the database's aggregate metric. The i9-9960X's nearest rivals are much lower in the hierarchy, with the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G at a 0.1% difference and the Intel Pentium Gold G6400 at a 0.4% difference, which is a reminder that average benchmark scores can be skewed by the mix of tests recorded for each processor.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two processors in the database. Core count: the i9-9990XE has 14 cores, the i9-9960X has 16. Thread count: 28 versus 32. Base clock: 4.00 GHz versus 3.10 GHz. Boost clock: 5.10 GHz versus 4.50 GHz. TDP: 255 W versus 165 W. L3 cache: 19.25 MB shared versus 22 MB shared. Die size: the i9-9990XE has no die size listed, while the i9-9960X has a 484 mm² die. Launch MSRP: the i9-9990XE was listed at $2800, the i9-9960X at $1684. Part number: SREZA versus SREZ4. The i9-9990XE has six recorded benchmark scores, all from Cinebench, while the i9-9960X has eight recorded scores, adding two Geekbench tests. Average benchmark score: 7415 versus 6938. Everything else, including socket, architecture, process node, memory support, memory bus, memory bandwidth, ECC support, PCIe lanes, integrated graphics, market segment, production status, release date, and unlocked multiplier, is identical.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core i9-9960X has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel Core i9-9990XE has 14 cores and 28 threads.

Q: Why does the i9-9990XE win multi-core benchmarks despite having fewer cores?

A: The i9-9990XE has a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, compared to 3.10 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost on the i9-9960X. The higher clock speeds offset the two-core deficit in the recorded Cinebench tests.

Q: Do the two processors use the same socket?

A: Yes, both use Intel Socket 2066, and both are built on the Skylake-X codename with a 14 nm process node.

Q: What is the difference in average benchmark score?

A: The i9-9990XE has an average benchmark score of 7415, while the i9-9960X has an average of 6938. The i9-9990XE is ahead by roughly 6.9%.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory configuration?

A: Yes, both support DDR4 in a quad-channel configuration with 85.3 GB/s bandwidth, and neither supports ECC memory.

Q: Are these processors still in production?

A: No, both are marked as end-of-life in the database, and both were released on October 18, 2018.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for raw performance: the Intel Core i9-9990XE. It wins all six head-to-head benchmarks, and its lead is consistent at 2% to 2.1% across both single-core and multi-core tests. The average benchmark score reinforces this, with the i9-9990XE at 7415 versus 6938 for the i9-9960X. Anyone selecting a processor for Cinebench workloads, whether single-threaded or multi-threaded, should choose the i9-9990XE based on the recorded results.

The i9-9960X is not without a case, but it is a case built on specifications rather than benchmark wins. It has two more cores, 32 threads versus 28, and a larger 22 MB L3 cache. Its 165 W TDP is substantially lower than the 255 W of the i9-9990XE, which could simplify cooling and power delivery in a compact system. The launch MSRP also differed, with the i9-9990XE at $2800 and the i9-9960X at $1684, though both are now end-of-life products. For a workload that depends heavily on cache capacity or for a build with strict thermal limits, the i9-9960X has theoretical advantages that the database does not directly measure.

The percentile ranking of 63 for both processors suggests they occupy the same overall tier, but the head-to-head results are unambiguous. The i9-9990XE is the faster part in every test the database records, and the margin is not a fluke of a single benchmark; it is a uniform 2% or better across six separate tests. The i9-9960X's two extra cores do not translate into a performance win in any recorded workload, because the i9-9990XE's 0.9 GHz base clock advantage and 0.6 GHz boost clock advantage are decisive. The verdict from the data is that the i9-9990XE is the stronger processor for benchmark performance, while the i9-9960X remains a viable alternative for those who value lower power consumption and a larger cache over the highest possible scores.