AMD may want to be concerned. Based on alleged Time Spy benchmark results shared by hardware leaker @_rogame, the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X will have a strong rival in the upcoming Intel Core i9-10900KF.
The i9-10900KF is one of Intel's forthcoming Comet Lake desktop chips and will compete with AMD's recently launched Ryzen 3000-series (codename Matisse) CPUs. More specifically, the i9-10900KF will be trading blows with the Ryzen 9 3900X, which makes today's fight so interesting.
As a quick summary, the i9-10900KF is on Intel's 14nm node and will feature 10 cores, 20 threads and 20MB of L3 cache. The chip reportedly has a 3.7 GHz base clock and, thanks to Intel's Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) feature, boost to 5.3 GHz. As dictated by the "F" suffix, the i9-10900KF is part of the breed of Comet Lake CPUs that lack integrated graphics.
On the other side of the octagon, the Ryzen 9 3900X debuted on TSMC's 7nm FinFET manufacturing process and comes flexing 12 cores, 24, threads and 64MB of L3 cache. The processor clocks in with a 3.8 GHz base clock and 4.6 GHz boost clock. On paper, the i9-10900KF is already at a disadvantage with two fewer cores and significantly less L3 cache. However, it does flex higher clock speeds.
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According to the Time Spy entry, the i9-10900KF had a 12,412 CPU score. The Ryzen 9 3900X, in return, scored 12,857 points. Therefore, AMD's chip is only up to 3.6% faster. In the i9-10900KF's defense, it was paired with DDR4-2400 RAM, while the Ryzen 9 3900X's system was on speedier DDR4-3200 memory.
Indeed, memory speed shows a significant impact on the Time Spy benchmark. The same Ryzen 9 3900X scored 13,913 and 13,650 points with DDR4-3600 and DDR4-3800 memory, respectively.
Meanwhile, the i9-10900K, which is essentially the i9-10900KF but with an iGPU, scored 13,142 points with DDR4-2666 memory. Since the i9-10900KF is basically a replica of the i9-10900K but without integrated graphics the performance for both processors should be in the same neighborhood.
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If we compare the i9-10900K DDR4-2666 result to the Ryzen 9 3900X DDR4-3200 result, Intel's processor is actually up to 2.2% faster. That's the problem with leaked benchmarks. You can never be sure of the conditions of the test system or operating system. When unreleased hardware is involved, there's always a strong chance of discrepancy between the results. Plus, this has no implications as to whether the i9-10900KF can keep up with the Ryzen 9 3900X in other real-world scenarios, especially multi-threaded ones.
Zhiye Liu is a news editor, memory reviewer, and SSD tester at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.
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DrummerManSpike Probably costs a couple hundred more though, the 10900x sure does (418.89 vs 599.99 USD on PCPartPicker currently)Reply -
TerryLaze Reply
The 10900x is a semi workstation CPU and previous gen,or previous skew however you want to look at it.DrummerManSpike said:Probably costs a couple hundred more though, the 10900x sure does (418.89 vs 599.99 USD on PCPartPicker currently)
I'm sure the 10900k will be more expensive but then again you will be able to reach 5Ghz all core instead of just 4Ghz.
But apart from all that, timespy is pretty irrelevant to anything and isn't really telling us anything. -
jeremyj_83 Reply
Also will have double or more the power draw.DrummerManSpike said:Probably costs a couple hundred more though, the 10900x sure does (418.89 vs 599.99 USD on PCPartPicker currently) -
InvalidError Reply
And the Ryzen 3900X isn't by that standard? Two extra cores and PCIe 4.0 for cheaper and less power. Seems like a more workstation-y CPU than the i9 to me.TerryLaze said:The 10900x is a semi workstation CPU -
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AgreedInvalidError said:And the Ryzen 3900X isn't by that standard? Two extra cores and PCIe 4.0 for cheaper and less power. Seems like a more workstation-y CPU than the i9 to me. -
TerryLaze Reply
By which standard?!InvalidError said:by that standard?
Intel makes the tiers for their CPUs and AMD makes the tiers for their CPUs. -
InvalidError Reply
That's just marketing. On the practical side of things, there aren't many workstation-oriented things that the 10900X can do that the 3900X + X570 cannot do just as well if not better.TerryLaze said:By which standard?!
Intel makes the tiers for their CPUs and AMD makes the tiers for their CPUs. -
st379 I wonder what cooling he used. Last time Intel forgot to mention it was industrial chiller.Reply -
JamesSneed I hope AMD does a thin bin product with Zen3. Intel and Nvidia are the masters of halo products of which everything else is compared. Take the 9900KS it was around for a few months and is now gone. Intel got what they wanted out of the product having it on every review site and chart. I have a feeling this is going to be similar high priced, low volume thin binned product.Reply -
TerryLaze Reply
That's the point I made,the K model will be cheaper because intel doesn't categorize it as a semi-pro chip but as a mainstream one.InvalidError said:That's just marketing.