Intel Core i9-7960X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5950X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-7960X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, video editing, programming, streaming, rendering. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like WPrime, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), RealBench, PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, 3DMark, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, PassMark, Blender, Handbrake, SuperPi, Blender, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 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 5950X

64%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5950X is 9% 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 5950X

60%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.9	107.2
Valorant	121.4	121.9
Cyberpunk 2077	68.0	68.2
Apex Legends	114.2	114.6
Call of Duty Warzone	91.1	91.4
Overwatch	98.4	98.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.8	84.1
DOOM Eternal	60.7	60.9
Warzone	94.7	95.1
Assassin's Creed	102.0	102.4
Valheim	100.8	101.1

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 computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-7960X

22%

Ryzen 9 5950X

57%

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 5950X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7960X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 105W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate 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 machine learning, programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.
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 5950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	184	277
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3161	4569
Cinbench 20 Single-core	611	647
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5496	10428
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1103	1639
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22189	28641

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

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Single-Core	2605	3455
Multi-Core	27039	46183

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

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Single-Core	1113	1814
Multi-Core	18501	18863

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. 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 new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Announcement date	October 01, 2017	November 05, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Vermeer
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	7	5
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	2.8 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	16	16
Threads	32	32
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		8MB
L3 cache	22 MB	64MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000059 100-100000059WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 9 5950X is 17% better than Core i9-7960X in terms of CPU frequency. 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: 5
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is better: 30
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-7960X and AMD Ryzen 9 5950X before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-7960X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5950X specs and review.