AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X tests and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, machine learning, video editing, programming, streaming. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like RealBench, 7zip, 3DMark, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, Prime95, Blender, VeraCrypt, Blender, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, PassMark, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, AIDA64, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 3950X or AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X.

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 3970X

69%

Ryzen 9 3950X

61%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen Threadripper 3970X is 11% better than Ryzen 9 3950X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

65%

Ryzen 9 3950X

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	115.8	103.7
Valorant	131.6	117.9
Cyberpunk 2077	73.7	66.0
Apex Legends	123.7	110.8
Call of Duty Warzone	98.7	88.4
Overwatch	106.6	95.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	90.8	81.3
DOOM Eternal	65.8	58.9
Warzone	102.7	91.9
Assassin's Creed	110.6	99.0
Valheim	109.3	97.8

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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 3970X

15%

Ryzen 9 3950X

40%

To make a finishing 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 Ryzen 9 3950X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X since it has less power consumption: 280W vs. 105W. 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 calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program 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 are unused.

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	217
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	7398	3897
Cinbench 20 Single-core	509	531
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	17444	9148
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1270	1371
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	47102	24050

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Single-Core	2686	2718
Multi-Core	64446	39170

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Single-Core	1312	1286
Multi-Core	27290	15407

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 you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Announcement date	November 25, 2019	October 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	sTRX4	AM4
Core name	Castle Peak	Matisse
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen 2
Generation	3	3
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3.7 MHz	3.5 MHz
Cores	32	16
Threads	64	32
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	22600 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	280 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	2MB	1MB
L2 cache	16MB	8MB
L3 cache	128MB	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000011 100-100000011WOF	100-000000051 100-100000051WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen Threadripper 3970X is 5% better than Ryzen 9 3950X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen Threadripper 3970X has 16 more core than Ryzen 9 3950X. 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 3970X is better: 23
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is better: 8
However, it should be realized that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and AMD Ryzen 9 3950X before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3950X specs and review.