AMD EPYC 7502 vs Intel Core i9-9960X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests AMD EPYC 7502 vs Intel Core i9-9960X and see which is better for games or normal use for programming, machine learning, streaming, video editing, rendering. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like VeraCrypt, Blender, PCMark 10, WPrime, SuperPi, 3DMark, Furmark, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, MATLAB, RealBench, Blender, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, UserBenchmark, 7zip, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9960X 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

66%

Core i9-9960X

59%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, EPYC 7502 is 10% better than Core i9-9960X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

EPYC 7502

73%

Core i9-9960X

60%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	129.9	106.4
Valorant	147.7	120.9
Cyberpunk 2077	82.7	67.7
Apex Legends	138.8	113.6
Call of Duty Warzone	110.7	90.7
Overwatch	119.6	97.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	101.9	83.4
DOOM Eternal	73.8	60.5
Warzone	115.2	94.3
Assassin's Creed	124.0	101.6
Valheim	122.6	100.3

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, 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

EPYC 7502

17%

Core i9-9960X

24%

To make a finishing 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 Core i9-9960X is more energy efficient than the EPYC 7502 since it has less power consumption: 180W vs. 165W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can 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

	AMD EPYC 7502	Intel Core i9-9960X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	160	200
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	6608	2872
Cinbench 20 Single-core	391	457
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	14007	6671
Cinbench 23 Single-core	740	1086
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	36424	22943

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

	AMD EPYC 7502	Intel Core i9-9960X
Single-Core	2094	2684
Multi-Core	53430	30816

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

	AMD EPYC 7502	Intel Core i9-9960X
Single-Core	939	1230
Multi-Core	41117	18032

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.

	AMD EPYC 7502	Intel Core i9-9960X
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	January 01, 2019
Type	Server	Desktop
Socket	SP3	FCLGA2066
Core name	Rome	Skylake
Architecture	Zen 2	x86
Generation	2	9
Turbo Frequency	3.4 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	2.5 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	32	16
Threads	64	32
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	64000 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	180 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	128MB	22 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000054 100-100000054WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-9960X is 19% better than EPYC 7502 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that EPYC 7502 has 16 more core than Core i9-9960X. 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: 21
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9960X is better: 13
Although it should be understood that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of AMD EPYC 7502 and Intel Core i9-9960X before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• AMD EPYC 7502 specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-9960X specs and review.