Competition is important, be it the car market, fresh fruit, or the world's most advanced processor. And thanks to fierce competition between Intel and AMD, now is the time to invest in a new processor.
And so that you can choose a model that matches your budget and tasks, we have compiled a rating of the best processors in 2019. It is based on the test results of the Master Lu benchmark, which is very popular in China.
10. Intel Core i9-9900KF
The average price is 33,100 rubles.
Specifications:
- Octa-core processor, Socket LGA1151 v2
- frequency 3600 MHz
- L2 / L3 cache size: 2048 KB / 16386 KB
- Coffee Lake core
- 14 nm process technology
- integrated memory controller
Although you can find cheaper options for AMD Ryzen processors, such as the 12-core Ryzen 9 3900X, the Intel Core i9-9900K is still one of the best processors for today's "heavy" games.
One of the big advantages of the Core family is the Intel Multi-Core Enhancement feature, which is supported to varying degrees by most high-performance motherboards. Thanks to it, at high workloads with the active Machine Check Exception technology, which allows to go beyond the limits set by the manufacturer of the heat package, all Core i9-9900K cores will work with a frequency of up to 5 GHz. This gives a huge increase in productivity, and this is one of the reasons why this model is good for games.
This is the “F” version of the Core i9-9900K, that is, it comes without integrated graphics. But for enthusiastic gamers who are likely to buy this processor, it does not matter, as they will undoubtedly add one of the best video cards of 2019 to it. Just remember that you will not see anything on your display without a video card in your system.
pros: versatile, suitable for any task (photo and video processing, streaming broadcasts, modern games).
Minuses: lack of integrated graphics.
9. AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
The average price is 25,090 rubles.
Specifications:
- Socket: AM4
- L3 Cache Capacity: 32768 KB
- Cores: 8
- CPU Frequency: 3900 MHz
- What's in the box: BOX, OEM
- 8-core processor, Socket AM4
- frequency 3900 MHz
- L2 / L3 cache size: 4096 KB / 32768 KB
- core Zen 2
- 7 nm process technology
- integrated memory controller
The most inexpensive processor in our rating has 8 cores and 16 threads. According to the specifications, it is identical to the Ryzen 7 3700X, however, the latter has a lower TDP of 65 W compared to 105 W for the Ryzen 7 3800X.
The Ryzen 7 3800X can be overclocked to 4.4 GHz, while the 3700X is 4.3 GHz, but this difference is not significant. But the difference in price between the models is significant - about 5 thousand rubles. So if you are willing to put up with a lower processor frequency (3600 MHz), consider buying a Ryzen 7 3700X.
pros: Good for work tasks such as processing video and audio files, and for games.
Minuses: Heats up to 95 degrees under load.
8. Intel Core i9-7900X
The average price is 49,000 rubles.
Specifications:
- 10-core processor, Socket LGA2066
- frequency 3300 MHz
- L2 / L3 cache size: 10240 KB / 14080 KB
- Skylake core (2017)
- 14 nm process technology
- integrated memory controller
The ten-core Core i9-7900X is an example of a successful transition from Broadwell architecture to Skylake, and, like all Intel Core X chips, it will require a motherboard with an LGA 2066 socket.
Unlike their brothers Core i7-7800X and Core i7-7820X, which offer only 28 PCI Express lanes, the Core i9-7900X offers as many as 44 lanes. This is less than some of the other top solutions, but still good.
If you're curious about what you can actually do with all these PCI Express lanes on the CPU, then Core X will introduce another feature that can be quite demanding on bandwidth: VROC. It allows you to run multiple PCI Express / NVMe drives together in your chosen RAID option directly through the CPU. Technically, the function supports combining up to 20 disks in a way that provides theoretical bandwidth of up to 128 GB per second.
pros: 10 cores and 20 threads for a low price compared to the ten-core i9-9900X.
Minuses: requires a new, expensive motherboard, not the fastest in Full HD games, it’s warming up.
7. Intel Core i9-9900X
The average price is 65,750 rubles.
Specifications:
- 10-core processor, Socket LGA2066
- frequency 3500 MHz
- L2 / L3 cache size: 10240 KB / 19712 KB
- Skylake X core
- 14 nm process technology
- integrated memory controller
It is gratifying to see that Intel continues to release solutions designed for both gamers and streamers. However, in terms of features and almost all specifications, the Intel Core i9-9900X basically duplicates the Intel Core i9-9900K.
Of course, there are differences, such as:
- socket LGA2066;
- increased number of cores;
- a large number of PCI Express lanes (44 versus 16 for the i9-9900K);
- increased L2 / L3 cache size.
But you decide whether it costs twice the price.
pros: one of the fastest gaming processors with 1080p resolution on the market, good for multitasking plus very high performance for single core tasks.
Minuses: high TDP - 165 W, weak overclocking potential, no integrated graphics core.
6. AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
The average price is 23,793 rubles.
Specifications:
- Socket: AM4
- L3 Cache Capacity: 32768 KB
- Cores: 8
- CPU Frequency: 3600 MHz
- Integrated graphics core: no
- What's in the box: BOX, OEM
- 8-core processor, Socket AM4
- frequency 3600 MHz
- L2 / L3 cache size: 4096 KB / 32768 KB
- core Zen 2
- 7 nm process technology
- integrated memory controller
If you are really interested only in gaming and basic performance tasks, you can take a mid-price segment processor, for example, Intel Core i5-8400 and save. But if you are thinking about streaming games or editing video, then you need a more powerful processor, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.
It delivers twice as much bandwidth as its closest competitor, the Core i7-9700K, and consumes less power.
It supports PCIe 4.0 (combined with the X570 motherboard) and comes with a powerful and attractive Wraith Spire RGB cooler, while Intel offers its own coolers for the i7 or i9 series.
We also note the backward compatibility of these processors with inexpensive X470 motherboards.
pros: large volume and impressive cache speed, performed by 7-nm process technology, unlocked multiplier.
Minuses: limited overclocking capabilities (AMD already squeezed out almost everything from this model) requires expensive X570 motherboards to support PCIe 4.0.
5. AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
The average price is 41 990 rubles.
Specifications:
- Socket: AM4
- L3 Cache Capacity: 65536 KB
- Number of Cores: 12
- CPU Frequency: 3800 MHz
- What's in the box: BOX, OEM
- 12-core processor, Socket AM4
- frequency 3800 MHz
- L2 / L3 cache size: 6144 KB / 65536 KB
- core Zen 2
- 7 nm process technology
- integrated memory controller
The Ryzen 3000 family is the company's first processors manufactured using the 7-nm process technology. And the core of Zen 2 adds many improvements, including:
- increased cache of microoperations;
- doubled maximum cache size L3;
- Doubled AVX floating point performance.
Add to this the fact that this processor is already overclocked out of the box (although this can upset overclockers), the ability to stay cool even under load, and you get an almost perfect option for work and gaming tasks. Its power reserve should be more than enough for the next couple of years.
pros: fast and efficient architecture, manufactured according to the 7-nm process technology.
Minuses: most applications do not need 12 cores, weak overclocking potential.
4. AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
The average price is 52 599 rubles.
Specifications:
- 16-core processor, Socket sTR4
- frequency 3400 MHz
- L2 / L3 cache size: 8192 KB / 32768 KB
- Colfax core
- 14 nm process technology
- integrated memory controller
One of the top gaming desktop processors offers as many as 16 cores and 32 threads for superior multitasking power. And although it is manufactured using a 14-nm process technology rather than 12-nm, like its older brother Threadripper 2950X, you are unlikely to complain about it during work or games.
Under the heat distributor are four CCX blocks, each of which has four cores with its own 8-megabyte L3 cache. They form two Zeppelin segments, each with 8 cores.
The manufacturer claims support for DDR4 memory up to 2667 MHz, but 3000 MHz memory will also work.
pros: a large number of lines (up to 64) supported by the PCI-Express controller, you can use both UMA and NUMA memory mode.
Minuses: due to Threadripper 1950X's demand for cooling and power quality, switching to this processor may require replacement of the motherboard, PSU and cooler.
3. AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
The average price is 59 695 rubles.
Specifications:
- 16-core processor, Socket sTR4
- frequency 3500 MHz
- L2 / L3 cache size: 8192 KB / 32768 KB
- Colfax core
- 12 nm process technology
- integrated memory controller
This processor offers greater performance, consumes less power and runs cooler than its competitors Core i9.
As with 2nd Gen Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7, this processor has reduced cache latency and DRAM with support for slightly faster memory. It is based on the Zen + architecture, which uses the 12nm process technology from GlobalFoundries.
The TR 2950X has the same layout as the 1950X: it includes two Zeppelin active crystals, each of which contains 8 cores, two memory channels and 32 PCIe gen 3 lines.
pros: optimal price-performance ratio.
Minuses: Slightly faster than the TR 1950X, four-channel memory is required for optimal performance.
2. Intel Core i9-9980XE
The average price is 129 554 rubles.
Specifications:
- 18-core processor, Socket LGA2066
- frequency 3000 MHz
- L2 / L3 cache size: 18432 KB / 25344 KB
- Skylake X core
- 14 nm process technology
- integrated memory controller
The second place in the top of the best processors was given by the Chinese benchmark to models from Intel. The I9-9980XE has the same 18 cores and 36 threads, the same cache size and even the same TDP (165 W) as the 7980XE. However, it has increased the base frequency (now 3GHz), increased Turbo Boost 2.0 by 200 MHz (now 4.4 GHz) and Turbo Boost Max 3.0 has grown by 100 MHz (now 4.5 GHz).
There is one interesting difference; Intel has lowered its maximum core temperature from 94 degrees to 84 degrees for the 9980XE.
pros: suitable for the most complex tasks, including game development, audio and video processing, etc.
Minuses: high price.
1. AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
The average price is 116,999 rubles.
Specifications:
- 32-core processor, Socket sTR4
- frequency 3000 MHz
- L2 / L3 cache size: 16384 KB / 65536 KB
- Colfax core
- 12 nm process technology
- integrated memory controller
The most powerful processor of 2019 is the world's first 32-core, 64-stream desktop processor. The manufacturer positions it as a top-end computing solution for creating content such as game development, streaming streams, video editing, design, etc.
Threadripper 2990WX is based on Zen + architecture and is manufactured according to the 12-nm process technology. Unlike its predecessor from the X series, the WX model is not based on 2, but on 4 Zen + Zeppelin crystals. And it also has a very high declared TDP - 250 watts, so you will have to take seriously the choice of a motherboard that will work in tandem with such a “power monster”.
However, gamers who want to have a “tonne of cores” should pay attention to the cheaper model 2950X, rather than 2990WX. The memory configuration in the 2950X is more symmetrical and has a UMA (uniform access to memory) mode. The 2990WX is for NUMA (Unequal Memory Access) only. Because of this, memory bandwidth is slightly affected, but overall latency is reduced.
pros: high operating frequencies in the range from 3.0 to 4.2 GHz, support for 60 PCI Express 3.0 lines.
Minuses: high price.
