AMD EPYC 7502 vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests AMD EPYC 7502 vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and see which is better for games or simple use for streaming, machine learning, video editing, rendering, programming. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, 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 special test applications such as SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, Blender, Blender, AIDA64, 7zip, Prime95, 3DMark, WPrime, PassMark, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, Geekbench 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, Gears 5.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X or AMD EPYC 7502.

Summary benchmark results

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

EPYC 7502

74%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

75%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is 1% better than EPYC 7502. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

EPYC 7502

86%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

72%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	151.5	126.7
Valorant	172.2	144.0
Cyberpunk 2077	96.4	80.7
Apex Legends	161.9	135.4
Call of Duty Warzone	129.2	108.0
Overwatch	139.5	116.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	118.8	99.4
DOOM Eternal	86.1	72.0
Warzone	134.3	112.3
Assassin's Creed	144.7	121.0
Valheim	142.9	119.5

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: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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

EPYC 7502

17%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

15%

To make a final decision 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 EPYC 7502 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper 3960X since it has less power consumption: 180W vs. 280W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads 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. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD EPYC 7502	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	160	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	6608	5933
Cinbench 20 Single-core	391	509
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	14007	13552
Cinbench 23 Single-core	740	1270
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	36424	34255

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

	AMD EPYC 7502	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Single-Core	2094	2663
Multi-Core	53430	54830

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

	AMD EPYC 7502	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Single-Core	939	1306
Multi-Core	41117	25072

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	AMD EPYC 7502	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	November 25, 2019
Type	Server	Desktop
Socket	SP3	sTRX4
Core name	Rome	Castle Peak
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen 2
Generation	2	3
Turbo Frequency	3.4 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	2.5 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	32	24
Threads	64	48
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	64000 millions	22600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	180 W	280 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		1.5MB
L2 cache		12MB
L3 cache	128MB	128MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000054 100-100000054WOF	100-000000010 100-100000010WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is 34% better than EPYC 7502 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that EPYC 7502 has 8 more core than Ryzen Threadripper 3960X. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD EPYC 7502 is better: 20
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is better: 12
Although it should be understood that all the data in the table 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 real owners of AMD EPYC 7502 and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• AMD EPYC 7502 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X specs and review.