Intel Core i9 9900K Unlocked vs Intel Core i9-10980XE Extreme Edition Unlocked

The Intel Core i9-9900K is a relatively good CPU for people that are willing to spend around $330. The Intel Core i9-10980XE, by contrast, is quite unremarkable and doesn't stand out in any meaningful way from other products at this price point.

In both cases, however, we recommend that you take look at some other options at the $330 and $750 budget ranges; in all likelihood you'll find some better alternatives.

If you're still interested in learning more about the Intel Core i9-9900K and Intel Core i9-10980XE, however, we wrote a summary of what we know about them:

The Intel Core i9-9900K was loved by reviewers at PCmag, a highly trusted source that performs reliable in-depth testing. It did great in its "The Best CPUs for Gaming in 2020" roundup where it was named its "Best for Peak Frame Rates, Content Work on 300 Series (Socket LGA 1151)", which, in itself, makes it a product worth considering.

As for the Intel Core i9-10980XE, it wasn't able to earn a top spot in any roundups from trusted sources that conduct their own hands-on testing. Nevertheless, it managed to impress reviewers at TechSpot, hardwarezone.com.sg, PCmag, and Tom's Hardware enough to make it onto their respective shortlists.

When we thoroughly analyzed their review scores, we learned that all of the sources that tested both CPUs, including Tom's Hardware, TechSpot, and PCmag, preferred the Intel Core i9-9900K over the Intel Core i9-10980XE.

We also took a look at which sources they managed to impress the most. The Intel Core i9-9900K was liked best by Tom's Hardware, which gave it a score of 9, while the Intel Core i9-10980XE got its highest, 8.3, score from TechSpot.