Intel Core i9-7980XE vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-7980XE vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, rendering, machine learning, video editing, streaming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, AIDA64, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, PassMark, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, Prime95, Furmark, Handbrake, SuperPi, Blender, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Intel Core i9-7980XE.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-7980XE

58%

Ryzen 5 3600X

55%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-7980XE is 5% better than Ryzen 5 3600X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7980XE

60%

Ryzen 5 3600X

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	107.0	96.0
Valorant	121.6	109.1
Cyberpunk 2077	68.1	61.1
Apex Legends	114.3	102.6
Call of Duty Warzone	91.2	81.9
Overwatch	98.5	88.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.9	75.3
DOOM Eternal	60.8	54.6
Warzone	94.9	85.1
Assassin's Creed	102.2	91.7
Valheim	100.9	90.6

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 that were in the comparisons 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. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance 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 i9-7980XE

23%

Ryzen 5 3600X

47%

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 Ryzen 5 3600X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7980XE since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 95W. 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 streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU 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 make sure that 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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	184	204
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3455	1647
Cinbench 20 Single-core	446	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7671	3751
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1281	1286
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	28196	9588

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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	2490	2651
Multi-Core	29612	18377

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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	1158	1341
Multi-Core	18658	7891

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	9	3
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	2.6 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	18	6
Threads	36	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	24.75 MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000022 100-100000022BOX 100-100000022MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600X is 31% better than Core i9-7980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7980XE has 12 more core than Ryzen 5 3600X. 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 i9-7980XE is better: 23
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600X is better: 14
Although it should be realized that all the data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-7980XE and AMD Ryzen 5 3600X before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-7980XE specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600X specs and review.