Intel Core i9-7960X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i9-7960X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, streaming, rendering, machine learning, programming. Here is useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like WPrime, SuperPi, Blender, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, VeraCrypt, 7zip, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, Blender, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, RealBench, 3DMark, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Red Dead Redemption 2
Overwatch
DOOM: Eternal
Valheim
Apex Legends
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Fallout 76
Death Stranding
Cyberpunk 2077
Grand Theft Auto V
Rainbow Six Siege
Borderlands 3
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Watch Dogs Legion
Fortnite
Halo Infinite
Last Man Standing
Valorant

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 5900X or Intel Core i9-7960X.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i9-7960X

58%

Ryzen 9 5900X

61%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5900X is 4% better than Core i9-7960X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7960X

60%

Ryzen 9 5900X

58%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.9	102.7
Valorant	121.4	116.7
Cyberpunk 2077	68.0	65.3
Apex Legends	114.2	109.7
Call of Duty Warzone	91.1	87.5
Overwatch	98.4	94.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.8	80.5
DOOM Eternal	60.7	58.3
Warzone	94.7	91.0
Assassin's Creed	102.0	98.0
Valheim	100.8	96.8

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-7960X

22%

Ryzen 9 5900X

51%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 9 5900X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7960X since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 105W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	184	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3161	3684
Cinbench 20 Single-core	611	637
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5496	8468
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1103	1622
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22189	21878

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Single-Core	2605	3470
Multi-Core	27039	39428

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Single-Core	1113	1612
Multi-Core	18501	14387

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Announcement date	October 01, 2017	November 05, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Vermeer
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	7	4
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	2.8 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	16	12
Threads	32	24
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography		7 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	9400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		6MB
L3 cache	22 MB	64MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000061 100-100000061WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 9 5900X is 24% better than Core i9-7960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7960X has 4 more core than Ryzen 9 5900X. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7960X is better: 20
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is better: 17
Although it should be realized that all the number in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-7960X and AMD Ryzen 9 5900X before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-7960X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900X specs and review.