Xeon W-1290E
VS
Core i9-10900

Xeon W-1290E vs Core i9-10900

Intel

Xeon W-1290E

10 Cores20 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.8 GHz2020
VS
Intel

Core i9-10900

10 Cores20 Thrd65 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2020

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 Xeon W-1290E

#73
EPYC 4484PX
MSRP: $599|Avg: $599
111%
#86
Xeon Platinum 8260
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
101%
#88
Xeon W-1290E
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#97
Xeon Silver 4314
MSRP: $395|Avg: $395
97%
#98
Xeon W-1350
MSRP: $255|Avg: $255
96%
#99
Xeon W-1370P
MSRP: $323|Avg: $323
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i9-10900

#340
Core i9-9900KF
MSRP: $488|Avg: $350
115%
#341
Ryzen Embedded V2748
MSRP: $309|Avg: $359
114%
#342
Core i3-9350K
MSRP: $184|Avg: $150
113%
#343
Athlon Gold PRO 3150G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $150
111%
#344
Core i9-9900
MSRP: $423|Avg: $330
109%
#345
Core i9-9980XE
MSRP: $1979|Avg: $593
109%
#346
Core i7-10700K
MSRP: $387|Avg: $380
109%
#347
Celeron G5905T
MSRP: $50|Avg: $50
105%
#348
Athlon PRO 200GE
MSRP: $55|Avg: $81
105%
#349
Core i5-9600
MSRP: $224|Avg: $219
105%
#350
Core i3-8300
MSRP: $138|Avg: $136
104%
#351
Core i5-8500B
MSRP: $192|Avg: $192
103%
#352
Core i7-13700TE
MSRP: $390|Avg: $476
103%
#353
Core i9-11900T
MSRP: $439|Avg: $413
100%
#354
Ryzen Threadripper 7970X
MSRP: $2499|Avg: $2200
100%
#355
Core i9-10900
MSRP: $483|Avg: $426
100%
#356
Ryzen Embedded V1605B
MSRP: $150|Avg: $150
100%
#357
Core i9-10900K
MSRP: $499|Avg: $500
100%
#358
Celeron G4930
MSRP: $42|Avg: $57
99%
#359
Ryzen 7 2700E
MSRP: $329|Avg: $329
99%
#360
Ryzen Embedded V2516
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
99%
#361
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
MSRP: $2499|Avg: $2442
99%
#362
Core i9-14901E
MSRP: $557|Avg: $689
98%
#363
Celeron G5900T
MSRP: $42|Avg: $50
97%
#364
Celeron G6900TE
MSRP: $53|Avg: $64
97%
#365
Core i5-8600T
MSRP: $213|Avg: $213
96%
#366
Celeron G4950
MSRP: $52|Avg: $63
96%
#367
Core i9-10900E
MSRP: $488|Avg: $450
96%
#368
Core i7-9700KF
MSRP: $374|Avg: $333
95%
#369
Core i5-8400T
MSRP: $182|Avg: $179
92%
#370
Athlon 240GE
MSRP: $75|Avg: $110
92%
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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon W-1290E is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon W-1290ECore i9-10900
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($426)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Comet Lake (2020−2025) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Comet Lake (2020−2025) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i9-10900 ($426), 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 ($426 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon W-1290ECore i9-10900
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($426)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon W-1290E and Core i9-10900

Intel

Xeon W-1290E

The Xeon W-1290E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 13 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,060 points. Launch price was $552.

Intel

Core i9-10900

The Core i9-10900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 19,163 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

Both the Xeon W-1290E and Core i9-10900 share an identical 10-core/20-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Xeon W-1290E versus 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10900 — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-10900 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). Both are built on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture using a 14 nm process. In PassMark, the Xeon W-1290E scores 19,060 against the Core i9-10900's 19,163 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i9-10900. Both processors carry 20 MB (total) of L3 cache.

FeatureXeon W-1290ECore i9-10900
Cores / Threads
10 / 20
10 / 20
Boost Clock
4.8 GHz
5.1 GHz+6%
Base Clock
3.5 GHz+25%
2.8 GHz
L3 Cache
20 MB (total)
20 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
256K (per core)
Process
14 nm
14 nm
Architecture
Comet Lake (2020−2025)
Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark
19,060
19,163
🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1200 socket with PCIe 3.0.

FeatureXeon W-1290ECore i9-10900
Socket
LGA1200
LGA1200
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0