AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X vs Intel Core i9-7960X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Perhaps you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X vs Intel Core i9-7960X and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, video editing, rendering, streaming, programming. Here you can find all information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like Dolphin Emulator, PCMark 10, Blender, Prime95, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, AIDA64, MATLAB, RealBench, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, Handbrake, WPrime, 7zip, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, SuperPi.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7960X 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 i9-7960X

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

60%

Core i9-7960X

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	106.9
Valorant	120.5	121.4
Cyberpunk 2077	67.5	68.0
Apex Legends	113.3	114.2
Call of Duty Warzone	90.4	91.1
Overwatch	97.6	98.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	83.8
DOOM Eternal	60.2	60.7
Warzone	94.0	94.7
Assassin's Creed	101.2	102.0
Valheim	100.0	100.8

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, FullHD 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

15%

Core i9-7960X

22%

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 Core i9-7960X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper 2990X as it consumes less power: 250W vs. 165W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, programming, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 use only one core to run, 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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-7960X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	168	184
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2982	3161
Cinbench 20 Single-core	410	611
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6721	5496
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1033	1103
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	18752	22189

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-7960X
Single-Core	2262	2605
Multi-Core	26548	27039

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-7960X
Single-Core	1125	1113
Multi-Core	17679	18501

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 later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i9-7960X
Announcement date	August 13, 2018	October 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	TR4	FCLGA2066
Core name	Colfax	Skylake
Architecture	Zen+	x86
Generation	2	7
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	2.8 MHz
Cores	32	16
Threads	64	32
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	22 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 17% better than Core i9-7960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen Threadripper 2990X has 16 more core than Core i9-7960X. 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: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7960X is better: 25
Although it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X and Intel Core i9-7960X before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7960X specs and review.