Intel Core i9-7960X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-7960X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX and understand which is better for games or normal use for streaming, rendering, programming, machine learning, video editing. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, UserBenchmark, Furmark, 3DMark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, MATLAB, WPrime, 7zip, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX or Intel Core i9-7960X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-7960X

58%

Ryzen 9 5980HX

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7960X

60%

Ryzen 9 5980HX

54%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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 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: Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Control, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.9	96.8
Valorant	121.4	110.0
Cyberpunk 2077	68.0	61.6
Apex Legends	114.2	103.4
Call of Duty Warzone	91.1	82.5
Overwatch	98.4	89.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.8	75.9
DOOM Eternal	60.7	55.0
Warzone	94.7	85.8
Assassin's Creed	102.0	92.4
Valheim	100.8	91.3

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: 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

Core i9-7960X

22%

Ryzen 9 5980HX

114%

To make a finishing resolution 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 5980HX is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7960X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 45W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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 streaming, programming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. 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. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

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

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX
Cinbench 15 Single-core	184	247
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3161	2394
Cinbench 20 Single-core	611	576
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5496	5248
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1103	1490
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22189	13354

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

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX
Single-Core	2605	3190
Multi-Core	27039	26405

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

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX
Single-Core	1113	1551
Multi-Core	18501	8595

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. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX
Announcement date	October 01, 2017	January 12, 2021
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FP6
Core name	Skylake	Cezanne
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	7	5
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	2.8 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	16	8
Threads	32	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography		7 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	9400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	45 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4 - Up to 3200MHz LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		4MB
L3 cache	22 MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000474

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 9 5980HX is 15% better than Core i9-7960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7960X has 8 more core than Ryzen 9 5980HX. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7960X is better: 25
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX is better: 11
All the figures in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-7960X and AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX before making a choice which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-7960X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX specs and review.