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Intel Core i9-10900X X-series

Intel Core i9-10900X X-series: Detailed Review of the 2020 Processor in the Realities of 2025

Relevant as of April 2025

Introduction

The Intel Core i9-10900X processor, released in 2019, still remains an interesting option for specific tasks. Despite its age, its 10 cores and 20 threads based on the Cascade Lake X architecture continue to attract users who need multi-threaded performance without transitioning to new platforms. In this article, we will explore who in 2025 should pay attention to this CPU and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses.

Key Specifications

Architecture and Process Technology

The Core i9-10900X is based on a 14nm process technology (codename — Cascade Lake X). This is Intel's last generation before transitioning to 10nm standards, which explains its high thermal output (TDP 165W). The architecture is optimized for workloads: support for AVX-512, Deep Learning Boost for accelerating AI tasks, and 48 PCIe 3.0 lanes.

Performance

- Geekbench 6: Single-Core — 1544, Multi-Core — 9021.

- Frequencies: Base — 3.7 GHz, turbo max — 4.5 GHz (Turbo Boost Max 3.0).

- Cache: 19.25 MB L3.

Key Features:

- Support for DDR4-2933 memory in quad-channel mode.

- Hyper-Threading and Optane Memory technologies.

- Unlocked multiplier for overclocking (requires powerful cooling).

Compatible Motherboards

Socket and Chipsets

The processor uses the LGA 2066 socket and is compatible only with the Intel X299 chipset. In 2025, finding new motherboards is challenging, but models can be found on the secondary market or in remaining stock:

- ASUS ROG Rampage VI Extreme (original price in 2020 — $600, currently — around $250-300 for new, if you can find one).

- MSI X299 PRO (original price — $300, currently — $150-200).

Selection Considerations:

1. Number of PCIe slots: important for builds with multiple GPUs or NVMe drives.

2. Support for USB 3.2 Gen2 and Wi-Fi 6: available on top-tier boards.

3. VRM cooling: critical for stability during overclocking.

Supported Memory Types

The i9-10900X works only with DDR4 (up to 256 GB, quad-channel mode).

- Recommended speeds: DDR4-2933 (officially) or overclocked modules up to 3200 MHz.

- For workstations: 64-128 GB (e.g., Kingston Fury Beast 128 GB kits).

- For gaming and multimedia: 32-64 GB (Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200 MHz).

Important: DDR5 and other modern standards are not supported.

Power Supply Recommendations

With a TDP of 165W and the VRM's power demands on the motherboard:

- Minimum: 650W (for a system with a single NVIDIA RTX 4070-level graphics card).

- Optimal: 750-850W (with headroom for overclocking and upgrades).

Examples:

- Corsair RM850x (80 Plus Gold, $140-160).

- EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G5 ($120-130).

Tip: Avoid cheap PSUs — voltage fluctuations can damage the CPU.

Pros and Cons of the Processor

Pros:

1. Multi-threaded performance: 20 threads are relevant for rendering, encoding, and virtualization.

2. Overclocking potential: With good cooling, up to 4.8 GHz on all cores can be achieved.

3. Compatibility with X299: Motherboards support multiple NVMe drives and SLI/CrossFire configurations.

Cons:

1. Power consumption: 165W leads to heating and high system noise levels.

2. Outdated process technology: 14nm compared to 5-7nm of Ryzen 7000/8000.

3. No PCIe 4.0/5.0: A limitation for modern SSDs and GPUs.

Use Scenarios

Work Tasks:

- 3D Rendering (Blender, Maya): 10 cores perform better than mid-range 8-core CPUs.

- Video Editing (Premiere Pro): Rendering is accelerated thanks to multi-threading.

- Virtualization: 20 threads allow running multiple VMs simultaneously.

Gaming:

- Performance: In Full HD (e.g., Cyberpunk 2077) — 90-120 FPS (with RTX 4070).

- Weak Points: In games dependent on IPC (e.g., CS2), it falls short compared to Ryzen 5 7600X.

Multimedia:

- Suitable for streaming (OBS + gaming) and photo editing (Lightroom).

Comparison with Competitors

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X (12 cores, 24 threads):

- Pros: Better energy efficiency (105W), PCIe 4.0, higher IPC.

- Cons: Difficult to find new in 2025 (price $300-400).

Intel Core i7-13700K (16 cores, 24 threads):

- Pros: Newer cores (Raptor Lake), supports DDR5.

- Cons: Requires a platform change (LGA 1700).

Conclusion: The i9-10900X only wins on price ($400-500 for new, if still available in stores) and for users already on X299.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Cooling:

- Liquid cooling (NZXT Kraken X63) or a top-tier air cooler (Noctua NH-D15).

2. Case:

- With good ventilation (Lian Li Lancool III).

3. Memory:

- 4 DDR4 modules to activate quad-channel mode.

4. BIOS:

- Update to the latest version for stability.

Final Conclusion: Who Is the i9-10900X Suitable For in 2025?

This processor should be considered if:

- You already have an X299 motherboard and want an upgrade without changing platforms.

- You need multi-threading for work tasks, but have a limited budget.

- PCIe 4.0/5.0 and DDR5 are not critical.

Not recommended for:

- Gamers focused on FPS at 1080p resolution.

- Users who value energy efficiency and silent operation.

Conclusion

The Intel Core i9-10900X in 2025 is a niche solution. It falls short compared to new CPUs in single-threaded performance and efficiency but remains a working tool for professionals stuck on the X299 platform. Buying it new is only sensible with significant discounts (up to $400); otherwise, transitioning to AM5 or LGA 1700 is more advantageous.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

October 2019

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i9-10900X

Code Name

Cascade Lake X

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

3.70 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

4.50 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0

Yes

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency

Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom. Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 frequency is the clock frequency of the CPU when running in this mode.

4.70 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCLGA2066

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

165 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

94°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR4-2933

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

256 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

94 GB/s

Bus Speed

8 GT/s DMI3

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

Miscellaneous

Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost) on CPU

A new set of embedded processor technologies designed to accelerate AI deep learning use cases. It extends Intel AVX-512 with a new Vector Neural Network Instruction (VNNI) that significantly increases deep learning inference performance over previous generations.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2 | Intel® AVX-512

Number of AVX-512 FMA Units

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

19.25 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1544

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

9021

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1144

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

9229

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Ryzen 5 7530U

1659 +7.4%

Xeon E-2236

1602 +3.8%

Core i9-10900X X-series

1544

Ryzen 7 5825C

1489 -3.6%

Core i5-10500H

1435 -7.1%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i7-1370PRE

10262 +13.8%

Xeon E5-2690

9549 +5.9%

Core i9-10900X X-series

9021

Core i5-12500H

8552 -5.2%

Core i7-11850H

8109 -10.1%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Ryzen 5 5600U

1207 +5.5%

Xeon W-3275M

1174 +2.6%

Core i9-10900X X-series

1144

Xeon E-2134

1118 -2.3%

Core i3-10105

1101 -3.8%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i9-12900T

10542 +14.2%

Xeon E5-2687W v2

9812 +6.3%

Core i9-10900X X-series

9229

Ryzen 9 5980HX

8623 -6.6%

Core i5-12400F

8138 -11.8%