AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X vs Intel Core i9-7940X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the detailed tests AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X vs Intel Core i9-7940X and understand which is better for games or simple use for rendering, machine learning, video editing, programming, streaming. 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 presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like Blender, AIDA64, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, PCMark 10, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, RealBench, SuperPi, Handbrake, Furmark, Prime95, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PassMark, 7zip.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7940X or AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

58%

Core i9-7940X

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

60%

Core i9-7940X

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. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low 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: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), Battlefield V, Metro Exodus, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Half-Life: Alyx, Control, Monster Hunter World, Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Ghostrunner, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	103.4
Valorant	120.5	117.5
Cyberpunk 2077	67.5	65.8
Apex Legends	113.3	110.5
Call of Duty Warzone	90.4	88.2
Overwatch	97.6	95.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	81.1
DOOM Eternal	60.2	58.8
Warzone	94.0	91.7
Assassin's Creed	101.2	98.7
Valheim	100.0	97.6

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 comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

15%

Core i9-7940X

25%

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 Core i9-7940X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper 2990X since it has less power consumption: 250W vs. 165W. 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve 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 find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, 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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-7940X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	168	188
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2982	2849
Cinbench 20 Single-core	410	607
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6721	5465
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1033	1578
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	18752	15728

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-7940X
Single-Core	2262	2533
Multi-Core	26548	26889

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-7940X
Single-Core	1125	1263
Multi-Core	17679	15127

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-7940X
Announcement date	August 13, 2018	April 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	TR4	FCLGA2066
Core name	Colfax	Skylake
Architecture	Zen+	x86
Generation	2	7
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.3 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	32	14
Threads	64	28
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	12 nm
Transistors count	18800 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	250 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	2933
Memory bandwidth		85 GB/s
L1 cache	3MB
L2 cache	16MB
L3 cache	64MB	19.25 MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	YD299XAZUIHAF YD299XAZAFWOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen Threadripper 2990X is 8% better than Core i9-7940X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen Threadripper 2990X has 18 more core than Core i9-7940X. 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 Ryzen Threadripper 2990X is better: 25
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7940X is better: 13
However, it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X and Intel Core i9-7940X before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7940X specs and review.