AMD Ryzen 9 3900X vs Intel Core i9-9900K

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Ryzen 9 3900X compared with Core i9-9900K

	AMDRyzen 9 3900X	IntelCore i9-9900K
Overview
Released
Released	July 2019	October 2018
Cores and clocks
Cores
Cores	12 (better)	8
Threads
Threads	24 (better)	16
Base clock
Base clock	3.8 GHz	3.6 GHz
Boost clock
Boost clock	4.6 GHz	5 GHz (better)
L3 cache
L3 cache	64 MB (better)	16 MB
Cores
Cores	Zen 2; Matisse; twelve cores with simultaneous multithreading. Two CPU chiplets with six active cores each and a separate I/O die (PCGamesN).	8 cores and 16 threads; Coffee Lake architecture; multiplier unlocked. Intel’s 19 October 2018 public news notice states that the processors ship that day; the 8 October announcement opened preorders.
Clocks
Clocks	Unlocked for overclocking; Precision Boost Overdrive with Automatic Overclocking supported, as described in AMD's launch notice.	3.6 GHz base; up to 5.0 GHz Intel Turbo Boost 2.0.
Cache
Cache	768 KB L1; 6 MB L2; 64 MB L3.	–
Graphics and AI
Built-in graphics
Built-in graphics	No	Yes
Graphics
Graphics	No integrated graphics; a separate graphics card is required.	Intel UHD Graphics 630; 350 MHz base, up to 1.2 GHz; Quick Sync Video; up to three displays.
Platform
Socket
Socket	AM4	LGA1151
Base power
Base power	105 W	95 W
Unlocked
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
Cooler in the box
Cooler in the box	Yes	No
Memory support
Memory support	DDR4; two channels; up to 3200 MT/s.	Up to 128 GB on the current Intel specification page; two channels; DDR4-2666; 41.6 GB/s; ECC not supported.
PCIe
PCIe	PCIe 4.0 x16; AMD introduced PCIe 4.0 support with the X570 platform at launch.	PCIe 3.0; 16 CPU lanes: 1 × 16, 2 × 8 or 1 × 8 + 2 × 4. This excludes chipset lanes.
Chipsets
Chipsets	X570 at launch; check the motherboard's CPU support list and BIOS for other AM4 boards.	Intel 300-series motherboards, with appropriate BIOS support; Z390 was introduced alongside this generation.
Process
Process	TSMC 7nm FinFET CPU cores; 14nm I/O die (PCGamesN).	14 nm; 37.5 × 37.5 mm package; 100°C maximum junction temperature.
Cooler
Cooler	Retail boxed processor includes an RGB cooler (PCGamesN; inclusion also confirmed by TechRadar); AMD's current support specification does not name a cooler. Maximum operating temperature 95°C.	No fan or heatsink included with the boxed processor (Intel specifications).