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 i9-10900X

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900HX across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.9 vs 83.5 PassMark/$ ($590 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
❌266.7% higher power demand at 165W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5900HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 9 5900HX.

Ryzen 9 5900HX

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $324 less on MSRP ($266 MSRP vs $590 MSRP).
✅Delivers 120.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 83.5 vs 37.9 PassMark/$ ($266 MSRP vs $590 MSRP).
✅Draws 45W instead of 165W, a 120W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,198 vs 22,377).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 19 MB).

Core i9-10900X

2019

Ryzen 9 5900HX

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $324 less on MSRP ($266 MSRP vs $590 MSRP).
✅Delivers 120.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 83.5 vs 37.9 PassMark/$ ($266 MSRP vs $590 MSRP).
✅Draws 45W instead of 165W, a 120W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900HX across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.9 vs 83.5 PassMark/$ ($590 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
❌266.7% higher power demand at 165W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5900HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 9 5900HX.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,198 vs 22,377).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 19 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900HX better than Core i9-10900X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 5900HX is ahead with a 4.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-10900X pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Core i9-10900X also has the bigger cache pool with 20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-10900X is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 5900HX is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 5900HX is $324 cheaper on MSRP at $266 MSRP versus $590 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i9-10900X is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.8% better PassMark. It is also 120.0% better value on MSRP (83.5 vs 37.9 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 9 5900HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2019). 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 i9-10900X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5900HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 9 5900HX
1080p
low	186 FPS	189 FPS
medium	147 FPS	156 FPS
high	121 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	155 FPS	160 FPS
medium	120 FPS	129 FPS
high	98 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	88 FPS
medium	71 FPS	77 FPS
high	57 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i9-10900X Open Ryzen 9 5900HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 9 5900HX
1080p
low	539 FPS	555 FPS
medium	447 FPS	466 FPS
high	371 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	335 FPS	343 FPS
1440p
low	467 FPS	497 FPS
medium	399 FPS	417 FPS
high	334 FPS	358 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	301 FPS
4K
low	290 FPS	342 FPS
medium	249 FPS	295 FPS
high	228 FPS	269 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i9-10900X Open Ryzen 9 5900HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 9 5900HX
1080p
low	559 FPS	555 FPS
medium	559 FPS	555 FPS
high	559 FPS	555 FPS
ultra	529 FPS	555 FPS
1440p
low	559 FPS	555 FPS
medium	559 FPS	546 FPS
high	514 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	438 FPS	431 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	477 FPS
medium	437 FPS	404 FPS
high	390 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	288 FPS

Open Core i9-10900X Open Ryzen 9 5900HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 9 5900HX
1080p
low	559 FPS	555 FPS
medium	559 FPS	555 FPS
high	559 FPS	555 FPS
ultra	559 FPS	555 FPS
1440p
low	559 FPS	555 FPS
medium	559 FPS	555 FPS
high	559 FPS	555 FPS
ultra	559 FPS	488 FPS
4K
low	559 FPS	528 FPS
medium	545 FPS	476 FPS
high	489 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	353 FPS

Open Core i9-10900X Open Ryzen 9 5900HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10900X and Ryzen 9 5900HX

Core i9-10900X

The Core i9-10900X 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 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 22,377 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 9 5900HX

The Ryzen 9 5900HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 22,198 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-10900X packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5900HX offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-10900X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Core i9-10900X versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900HX — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-10900X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i9-10900X uses the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5900HX uses Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10900X scores 22,377 against the Ryzen 9 5900HX's 22,198 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i9-10900X. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-10900X vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5900HX.

Feature	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 9 5900HX
Cores / Threads	10 / 20+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz+2%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+12%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	19.25 MB (total)+20%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Cascade Lake-X (2019)	Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	22,377	22,198
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	13,955
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,845
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	7,587

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10900X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 5900HX uses FP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 9 5900HX
Socket	LGA2066	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200, LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-10900X) / AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5900HX). The Ryzen 9 5900HX includes integrated graphics (Radeon RX Vega 8), while the Core i9-10900X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900HX targets Gaming Laptop / Mobile Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900HX rivals Core i9-11980HK.

Feature	Core i9-10900X	Ryzen 9 5900HX
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon RX Vega 8
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming Laptop / Mobile Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-10900X launched at $590 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 5900HX debuted at $266. On MSRP ($590 vs $266), the Ryzen 9 5900HX is $324 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10900X delivers 37.9 pts/$ vs 83.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 5900HX — making the Ryzen 9 5900HX the 75% better value option.