Intel Core i9-9990XE

The Intel Core i9-9990XE is a 14-core, 28-thread desktop processor from Intel, built on the 14 nm Skylake-X architecture and using the Intel Socket 2066 platform. It has a 4.00 GHz base clock, a 5.10 GHz boost clock, a 255 W TDP, and a launch MSRP of $2800. It belongs to the Core i9 Extreme (X-Series 9th Gen) generation, carries the part number SREZA, and was released on 2018-10-18. Its average benchmark score of 7415 places it at the 67th percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Power and Thermals — TDP class, what cooling tier it implies

The i9-9990XE is rated at 255 W TDP. That is a high power figure for a desktop part, and it is a defining characteristic of this chip’s class. The 14 nm process node, 4.00 GHz base clock, and 5.10 GHz boost clock all sit behind that power target. A 255 W TDP implies a robust cooling solution; a cooler used with this processor needs to handle a sustained thermal load at that level. This is not a chip that can be treated like a modest mainstream CPU.

The platform is Intel Socket 2066, and the architecture is Skylake with the Skylake-X codename. The combination of high clocks and a high core count makes the thermal envelope demanding. No integrated graphics are listed in the data, so a separate graphics adapter is required to complete a system. Production status is end-of-life, meaning the processor is no longer an active current product.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Core i9-9990XE use?

A: It uses Intel Socket 2066.

Q: What is the cache configuration?

A: It has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 19.25 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: What memory and PCIe support does it offer?

A: It supports DDR4 memory in a quad-channel configuration with 85.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth. ECC memory is not supported. The CPU provides PCIe Gen 3 with 44 lanes (CPU only).

Q: What are its Cinebench R23 scores?

A: The multi-core score is 25,637 and the single-core score is 3,619.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked?

A: Yes, the multiplier is unlocked.

Q: Does it have integrated graphics?

A: No integrated graphics are listed in the data.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The split between single-thread and multi-thread performance is visible across all three Cinebench versions in the data. In Cinebench R15, the multi-core score is 2,584 and the single-core score is 364. In Cinebench R20, the multi-core score is 10,767 and the single-core score is 1,519. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score is 25,637 and the single-core score is 3,619.

The multi-core results grow substantially as workloads scale across the 14 cores and 28 threads. The single-core results are also strong, supported by the 5.10 GHz boost clock and the 4.00 GHz base clock. This combination produces different behavior depending on thread count. Applications that use many threads can draw on the full 14-core/28-thread arrangement, while single-thread-limited workloads will rely on the chip’s per-core clock speed. The 25,637 multi-core score versus the 3,619 single-core score in Cinebench R23 shows how much additional throughput the processor can deliver when parallelism is available.

Benchmark Performance

The average benchmark score for the i9-9990XE is 7,415. At the 67th percentile, it ranks above a majority of all CPUs in the database. The nearest rivals cluster around that average: the Intel Core i9-9980XE averages 7,410, the AMD EPYC 7282 averages 7,409, the Intel Core i3-1115G4 averages 7,443, and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8180M averages 7,452.

The deltaPct values are small. The i9-9990XE sits 0.1% above the Core i9-9980XE and 0.1% above the EPYC 7282. It sits 0.4% below the Core i3-1115G4 and 0.5% below the Xeon Platinum 8180M. In Cinebench R15, the processor scores 2,584 multi-core and 364 single-core. In Cinebench R20, it scores 10,767 multi-core and 1,519 single-core. In Cinebench R23, it scores 25,637 multi-core and 3,619 single-core.

These benchmark results indicate a processor that is competitive in both single-thread and multi-thread tests. The aggregate ranking is extremely tight among the nearest rivals, with all four listed CPUs separated by fractions of a percent from the i9-9990XE’s 7,415 average.

How It Compares

The closest rival is the Intel Core i9-9980XE. Its average score of 7,410 is 0.1% lower than the i9-9990XE’s 7,415, making this effectively a statistical tie in the averaged benchmark data.

The AMD EPYC 7282 also sits 0.1% below the i9-9990XE, with an average score of 7,409. For practical purposes, the two processors are indistinguishable in this aggregate metric.

The Intel Core i3-1115G4 is a different product line, but its average score of 7,443 is 0.4% higher than the i9-9990XE’s 7,415. That means the i9-9990XE trails this rival by a small margin in overall average score.

The Intel Xeon Platinum 8180M has the highest average in this rival set at 7,452. The i9-9990XE sits 0.5% behind, which is the largest delta among the four listed nearest rivals.