AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X vs Intel Core i9-7980XE

Comparative analysis of AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Intel Core i9-7980XE processors for all known characteristics in the following categories: Essentials, Performance, Memory, Compatibility, Peripherals, Advanced Technologies, Virtualization, Security & Reliability. Benchmark processor performance analysis: PassMark - Single thread mark, PassMark - CPU mark, Geekbench 4 - Single Core, Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core, 3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score, CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s).

 

Differences

Reasons to consider the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

  • CPU is newer: launch date 2 year(s) 2 month(s) later
  • 14 more cores, run more applications at once: 32 vs 18
  • 28 more threads: 64 vs 36
  • Around 7% higher clock speed: 4.5 GHz vs 4.20 GHz
  • A newer manufacturing process allows for a more powerful, yet cooler running processor: 7 nm vs 14 nm
  • Around 78% more L1 cache; more data can be stored in the L1 cache for quick access later
  • 5.2x more L3 cache, more data can be stored in the L3 cache for quick access later
  • 4x more maximum memory size: 512 GB vs 128 GB
  • Around 8% better performance in PassMark - Single thread mark: 2664 vs 2460
  • 2.1x better performance in PassMark - CPU mark: 63066 vs 30020
  • Around 7% better performance in Geekbench 4 - Single Core: 1264 vs 1177
  • Around 37% better performance in Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core: 22457 vs 16370
  • Around 53% better performance in 3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score: 16672 vs 10876
Specifications (specs)
Launch date 25 Nov 2019 vs September 2017
Number of cores 32 vs 18
Number of threads 64 vs 36
Maximum frequency 4.5 GHz vs 4.20 GHz
Manufacturing process technology 7 nm vs 14 nm
L1 cache 2 MB vs 64 KB (per core)
L3 cache 128 MB vs 25344 KB (shared)
Maximum memory size 512 GB vs 128 GB
Benchmarks
PassMark - Single thread mark 2664 vs 2460
PassMark - CPU mark 63066 vs 30020
Geekbench 4 - Single Core 1264 vs 1177
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core 22457 vs 16370
3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score 16672 vs 10876

Reasons to consider the Intel Core i9-7980XE

  • Around 38% higher maximum core temperature: 94°C vs 68 °C
  • Around 13% more L2 cache; more data can be stored in the L2 cache for quick access later
  • Around 70% lower typical power consumption: 165 Watt vs 280 Watt
Maximum core temperature 94°C vs 68 °C
L2 cache 1024 KB (per core) vs 16 MB
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 165 Watt vs 280 Watt

Compare benchmarks

CPU 1: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X
CPU 2: Intel Core i9-7980XE

PassMark - Single thread mark
CPU 1
CPU 2
2664
2460
PassMark - CPU mark
CPU 1
CPU 2
63066
30020
Geekbench 4 - Single Core
CPU 1
CPU 2
1264
1177
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core
CPU 1
CPU 2
22457
16370
3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score
CPU 1
CPU 2
16672
10876
Name AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Intel Core i9-7980XE
PassMark - Single thread mark 2664 2460
PassMark - CPU mark 63066 30020
Geekbench 4 - Single Core 1264 1177
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core 22457 16370
3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score 16672 10876
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s) 40.947
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s) 484.771
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s) 3.237
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s) 21.073
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s) 218.231

Compare specifications (specs)

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Intel Core i9-7980XE

Essentials

Architecture codename Zen 2 Skylake
Launch date 25 Nov 2019 September 2017
Launch price (MSRP) $1999 $1,999
Place in performance rating 193 178
Vertical segment Desktop Desktop
Price now $2,005.50
Processor Number i9-7980XE
Series Intel® Core™ X-series Processors
Status Launched
Value for money (0-100) 4.08

Performance

Base frequency 3.7 GHz 2.60 GHz
L1 cache 2 MB 64 KB (per core)
L2 cache 16 MB 1024 KB (per core)
L3 cache 128 MB 25344 KB (shared)
Manufacturing process technology 7 nm 14 nm
Maximum core temperature 68 °C 94°C
Maximum frequency 4.5 GHz 4.20 GHz
Number of cores 32 18
Number of threads 64 36
Unlocked
64 bit support
Bus Speed 8 GT/s DMI3
Number of QPI Links 0

Memory

ECC memory support
Max memory channels 4 4
Maximum memory size 512 GB 128 GB
Supported memory types DDR4-3200 DDR4-2666

Compatibility

Sockets supported sTRX4 FCLGA2066
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 280 Watt 165 Watt
Low Halogen Options Available
Max number of CPUs in a configuration 1
Thermal Solution PCG 2017X

Peripherals

Max number of PCIe lanes 64 44
PCI Express revision 4.0 3.0
Scalability 1S Only

Advanced Technologies

Fused Multiply-Add 3 (FMA3)
Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX)
Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions 2 (AVX2)
Intel® AES New Instructions
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology
Instruction set extensions Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512
Intel 64
Intel® Hyper-Threading technology
Intel® Optane™ Memory Supported
Intel® Turbo Boost technology
Number of AVX-512 FMA Units 2

Virtualization

AMD Virtualization (AMD-V™)
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Security & Reliability

Execute Disable Bit (EDB)
Intel® Trusted Execution technology (TXT)