CPU Showdown

Core i9-10850KvsRyzen Threadripper 9980X

The Core i9-10850K is a high-speed gaming and mainstream desktop chip for enthusiasts who want strong single-core performance, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is a massive multi-core workstation processor for professionals tackling heavy rendering and virtualization.

Intel Core i9-10850K
10C / 20T · 125W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
64C / 128T · 350W
Intel

Core i9-10850K

Comet Lake-S · 14 nm · 2020

13score
4.2/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
10 / 20
TDP
125W
Boost Clock
5.1 GHz
L3 Cache
20 MB

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AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025

86score
3.9/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
64 / 128
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.4 GHz
L3 Cache
256 MB

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Aggregate Performance

Overall Performance Score

A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest desktop CPU available.

Core i9-10850K
13
Ryzen Threadripper 9980XWinner
86
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X leads by 561.5% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#1EPYC 9755100
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#194Core i7-13700TE13
#195Core i9-10850K13
#196Ryzen 5 5600X3D13
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.

SpecsCore i9-10850KRyzen Threadripper 9980X
Cores
Total Cores1064
Threads20128
Base Clock3.6 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock5.1 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache2.5 MB64 MB
L3 Cache20 MB256 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel UHD Graphics 630
Power
Base TDP125W350W
General
Process14 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins overall for extreme multi-threaded workloads with vastly more cores and memory.

Best value

For budget buyers, the Core i9-10850K offers good performance at a lower cost for mainstream tasks.

When the other wins

The Core i9-10850X is the right choice for a gaming or general-use PC where the Threadripper's power and cost are overkill.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i9-10850K better than the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (86 vs 13 out of 100), so it leads the Core i9-10850K in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X than the Core i9-10850K?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is roughly 562% faster than the Core i9-10850K overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i9-10850K or the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X. If the Core i9-10850K is meaningfully cheaper where you shop, it can be the better value for similar real-world results — check current prices and the full spec comparison above before deciding.