Intel Core i7 X-Series 9800X 8-core LGA 2066

The i7-9800X posts an 18,117 PassMark multi-thread score, putting it in the top quarter of desktop CPUs, and owners rate it 4.5 out of 5. The 44 PCIe lanes and quad-channel memory are the standout features for expansion-heavy builds. Just be ready for 165W of heat and a dead-end LGA 2066 platform.

The 18,117 multi-thread PassMark score puts this 8-core, 16-thread chip well above average for desktop CPUs, and it's the main reason to consider it. With 4.4GHz boost and 3.8GHz base clocks, it handles 3D rendering and memory-intensive workloads with confidence. The quad-channel DDR4 support is a real differentiator here, giving you memory bandwidth that mainstream platforms simply can't match. And the 44 PCIe lanes mean you can run multiple GPUs, NVMe drives, and capture cards without lane juggling.

Single-thread performance is strong but not chart-topping, with a 2,560 PassMark score that keeps it competitive for gaming and general use. The 16.5MB of L3 cache helps with latency-sensitive tasks. Overclocking potential is a recurring theme in user feedback, and the STIM solder thermal interface helps with heat transfer compared to Intel's paste-based chips. Just remember: this thing pulls 165W at stock, and pushing it further means serious cooling. Users consistently mention needing a high-end cooler to keep it stable under load.

Against the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the i7-9800X loses on efficiency and modern platform features, but it counters with 44 PCIe lanes and quad-channel memory that the Ryzen can't touch. The Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 is a server pull with lower clocks and fewer cores, so it's not really in the same conversation for desktop use. The ADVB3 Phenom II X6 is ancient history, and the be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 is a cooler, not a CPU, so that's a weird comparison entry. The real story is that the i7-9800X sits in a strange middle ground: faster than older HEDT chips, but on a platform that Intel abandoned years ago. If you need PCIe lanes and memory bandwidth on a budget, it's compelling. If you want efficiency and an upgrade path, look elsewhere.

Here's where things get weird. US listings range from USD 119 to USD 769, a USD 650 spread that makes this chip either a bargain or a ripoff depending on where you click. At the low end, you're getting top-quarter multi-thread performance for pocket change. At the high end, you're paying modern flagship money for a 2018-era platform. Canadian buyers face an even wider gap, from CAD 345 to CAD 1,840. If you can snag one near the bottom of that range, the price-to-performance ratio is genuinely excellent. Pay anywhere near the top and you should be looking at newer options instead.

The Intel Core i7-9800X posts a PassMark multi-thread score of 18,117, which lands it in the top quarter of all desktop CPUs in our database. That's the headline number, and it translates to a chip that chews through renders, encodes, and heavy multitasking without breaking a sweat. The single-thread score of 2,560 is solid too, keeping day-to-day responsiveness snappy. But this is a 165W Skylake X part on the aging LGA 2066 platform, so you're buying into a dead-end socket with PCIe 3.0 only.

Users rate it 4.5 out of 5 across 82 reviews, and our sentiment analysis backs that up with an 85/100 score. People genuinely like this chip once it's installed and cooled properly. The recurring complaints are predictable: it runs hot, it's expensive, and a couple of unlucky buyers got bent or defective units. If you're building an X299 rig for memory bandwidth and PCIe lane count, this is a capable heart for it. Just know what you're signing up for.

Skip this if you're building a new system from scratch and don't already own an X299 board. The LGA 2066 platform is dead, PCIe 3.0 is dated, and the 165W TDP means you'll spend real money on cooling just to keep it happy. If efficiency matters to you, this chip scores 51.3 out of 100 in our efficiency metric, which is mediocre at best. And if you're paying anywhere near the USD 769 top end of the price range, you're getting fleeced. Modern mainstream CPUs beat this chip on efficiency and platform features while costing less.

The i7-9800X is a capable 8-core HEDT chip that still delivers top-quarter multi-thread performance in our database, and the 85/100 user sentiment score confirms owners are happy with it. The 44 PCIe lanes and quad-channel memory are the real selling points, and they're features you won't find on mainstream platforms at this price. But the 165W TDP demands serious cooling, the LGA 2066 socket is a dead end, and the price spread means you need to shop carefully. If you find one at the low end of the USD 119 to USD 769 range and you have an X299 board already, it's a solid buy. If you're building new, think hard about whether you want to invest in a platform with no future.