Core i9-10980XE vs Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Core i9-10980XE

18 Cores36 Thrd165 WWMax: 4.8 GHz2019

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

32 Cores64 Thrd250 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2018

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i9-10980XE

18 / 36

32,187

+0.8%

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

32 / 64

31,945

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7975WX

About PassMark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i9-10980XE

#323

Core i9-11900K

MSRP: $539|Avg: $435

111%

#324

Core i7-12700TE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $350

109%

#325

Core i9-12900E

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

109%

#326

Celeron G4900T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $40

108%

#327

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $452

107%

#328

Core i9-9900KS

MSRP: $513|Avg: $350

107%

#329

Core i5-11600T

MSRP: $262|Avg: $262

106%

#330

Core i9-9900K

MSRP: $488|Avg: $331

105%

#331

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

MSRP: $899|Avg: $540

105%

#332

Celeron G4930T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

105%

#333

Core i9-9920X

MSRP: $1189|Avg: $464

104%

#334

Core i3-9100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $125

102%

#335

Core i9-10900X

MSRP: $590|Avg: $425

101%

#336

Core i7-8700T

MSRP: $303|Avg: $196

100%

#337

Ryzen 5 3600XT

MSRP: $249|Avg: $357

100%

#338

Core i9-10980XE

MSRP: $979|Avg: $620

100%

#339

Core i5-8500T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $149

100%

#340

Core i9-9900KF

MSRP: $488|Avg: $350

99%

#341

Ryzen Embedded V2748

MSRP: $309|Avg: $359

99%

#342

Core i3-9350K

MSRP: $184|Avg: $150

98%

#343

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

96%

#344

Core i9-9900

MSRP: $423|Avg: $330

95%

#345

Core i9-9980XE

MSRP: $1979|Avg: $593

95%

#346

Core i7-10700K

MSRP: $387|Avg: $380

94%

#347

Celeron G5905T

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

91%

#348

Athlon PRO 200GE

MSRP: $55|Avg: $81

91%

#349

Core i5-9600

MSRP: $224|Avg: $219

91%

#350

Core i3-8300

MSRP: $138|Avg: $136

90%

#351

Core i5-8500B

MSRP: $192|Avg: $192

89%

#352

Core i7-13700TE

MSRP: $390|Avg: $476

89%

#353

Core i9-11900T

MSRP: $439|Avg: $413

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

#375

Ryzen Embedded V2546

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

142%

#376

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $1399

139%

#377

Core i3-9100HL

MSRP: $225|Avg: $100

135%

#378

Core i9-12900TE

MSRP: $494|Avg: $664

135%

#379

Core i9-9940X

MSRP: $1387|Avg: $850

129%

#380

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

MSRP: $1899|Avg: $1836

128%

#381

Ryzen Embedded V1756B

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

127%

#382

Ryzen Embedded R2544

MSRP: $280|Avg: $280

118%

#383

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

MSRP: $4999|Avg: $4999

111%

#384

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

MSRP: $3990|Avg: $2850

109%

#385

Celeron G4900

MSRP: $42|Avg: $85

109%

#386

Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

108%

#387

Ryzen Embedded V1807B

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

105%

#388

Ryzen Embedded R2312

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

103%

#389

Ryzen Threadripper 7980X

MSRP: $4999|Avg: $5200

102%

#390

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

MSRP: $1799|Avg: $1247

100%

#391

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX

MSRP: $1299|Avg: $1300

93%

#392

Celeron G4920

MSRP: $52|Avg: $115

87%

#393

Core i3-9300T

MSRP: $309|Avg: $309

80%

#394

Ryzen 3 2200GE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

77%

#395

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

MSRP: $4491|Avg: $4491

55%

#396

Ryzen Embedded R2314

MSRP: $300|Avg: $762

30%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($1,247) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($620)	⚠️ Higher cost ($1,247)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Cascade Lake-X (2019) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Zen+ (2018−2019) / 12 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i9-10980XE ($620), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($627 less, 50% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+103%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($620)	⚠️ Higher cost ($1,247)

Performance Check

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 i9-10980XE Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10980XE and Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Core i9-10980XE

The Core i9-10980XE 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 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 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. Passmark benchmark score: 32,187 points. Launch price was $979.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 August 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 250 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 31,945 points. Launch price was $1,799.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-10980XE packs 18 cores / 36 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-10980XE versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980XE (base: 3 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i9-10980XE uses the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10980XE scores 32,187 against the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX's 31,945 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i9-10980XE. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 24,309 vs 33,213 (31% advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,242 vs 1,206, a 2.9% lead for the Core i9-10980XE that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 16,275 vs 7,612 (72.5% advantage for the Core i9-10980XE). L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980XE vs 64 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX.

Feature	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Cores / Threads	18 / 36	32 / 64+78%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+14%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz	3 GHz
L3 Cache	24.75 MB (total)	64 MB+159%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Cascade Lake-X (2019)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	32,187	31,945
Cinebench R23 Multi	24,309	33,213+37%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,242+3%	1,206
Geekbench 6 Multi	16,275+114%	7,612

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10980XE uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX supports up to 2048 GB of RAM compared to 256 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 4-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 48 (Core i9-10980XE) vs 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX) — the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-10980XE) and X399 (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX).

Feature	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Socket	LGA2066	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	2048 GB+700%
RAM Channels	4	4
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	48	64+33%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i9-10980XE supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: Yes (Core i9-10980XE) vs AMD-V (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX). Primary use case: Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX targets Extreme Content Creation. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX rivals Core i9-9980XE.

Feature	Core i9-10980XE	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	Yes	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Extreme Content Creation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-10980XE launched at $979 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX debuted at $1799. At current prices ($620 vs $1247), the Core i9-10980XE is $627 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10980XE delivers 51.9 pts/$ vs 25.6 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX — making the Core i9-10980XE the 67.8% better value option.