AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X vs Intel Core i9-10980XE

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   You may have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X vs Intel Core i9-10980XE and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, programming, rendering, streaming, video editing. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, AIDA64, WPrime, PassMark, Blender, VeraCrypt, MATLAB, Prime95, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, PCMark 10, 7zip, SuperPi, RealBench, Gears 5, Handbrake, 3DMark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10980XE or AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X.

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 3960X

66%

Core i9-10980XE

60%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is 9% better than Core i9-10980XE. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

64%

Core i9-10980XE

61%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	113.6	108.7
Valorant	129.1	123.5
Cyberpunk 2077	72.3	69.2
Apex Legends	121.3	116.1
Call of Duty Warzone	96.8	92.6
Overwatch	104.5	100.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	89.1	85.2
DOOM Eternal	64.5	61.8
Warzone	100.7	96.3
Assassin's Creed	108.4	103.7
Valheim	107.1	102.5

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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. 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 3960X

15%

Core i9-10980XE

28%

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 i9-10980XE is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper 3960X since it has less power consumption: 280W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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 editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will learn 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. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, 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 3960X	Intel Core i9-10980XE
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	211
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5933	3800
Cinbench 20 Single-core	509	480
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	13552	8848
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1270	1191
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	34255	24309

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X	Intel Core i9-10980XE
Single-Core	2663	2626
Multi-Core	54830	34005

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X	Intel Core i9-10980XE
Single-Core	1306	1417
Multi-Core	25072	20280

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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 still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X	Intel Core i9-10980XE
Announcement date	November 25, 2019	October 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	sTRX4	FCLGA2066
Core name	Castle Peak	Cascade Lake
Architecture	Zen 2	x86
Generation	3	10
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.8 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	24	18
Threads	48	36
Bus rate		8 GT/s DMI3
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	22600 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	280 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory		256 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth		94 GB/s
L1 cache	1.5MB
L2 cache	12MB
L3 cache	128MB	24.75 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	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 21% better than Core i9-10980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen Threadripper 3960X has 6 more core than Core i9-10980XE. 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 3960X is better: 28
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10980XE is better: 9
However, it should be understood that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and Intel Core i9-10980XE before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10980XE specs and review.