Intel Core i9-7960X vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-7960X vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, rendering, programming, video editing, machine learning. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like 7zip, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Blender, Gears 5, WPrime, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, SuperPi, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95, PassMark, AIDA64, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX 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 Threadripper PRO 3945WX

60%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX is 3% better than Core i9-7960X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7960X

60%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX

58%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.9	102.5
Valorant	121.4	116.5
Cyberpunk 2077	68.0	65.3
Apex Legends	114.2	109.5
Call of Duty Warzone	91.1	87.4
Overwatch	98.4	94.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.8	80.4
DOOM Eternal	60.7	58.3
Warzone	94.7	90.9
Assassin's Creed	102.0	97.9
Valheim	100.8	96.7

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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So 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 Threadripper PRO 3945WX

15%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i9-7960X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 280W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. 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 program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 Threadripper PRO 3945WX
Cinbench 15 Single-core	184	199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3161	5712
Cinbench 20 Single-core	611	463
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5496	12983
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1103	1108
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22189	32841

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

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX
Single-Core	2605	2750
Multi-Core	27039	34755

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

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX
Single-Core	1113	1284
Multi-Core	18501	14251

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 can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX
Announcement date	October 01, 2017	July 14, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	sTRX4
Core name	Skylake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	7	2
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.3 MHz
Frequency	2.8 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	16	12
Threads	32	24
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography		7 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	22600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	280 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache		768KB
L2 cache		6MB
L3 cache	22 MB	64MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000168

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX is 30% better than Core i9-7960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7960X has 4 more core than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX. 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: 21
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX is better: 16
However, it should be realized that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-7960X and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-7960X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX specs and review.