Intel Core i9-7980XE vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-7980XE vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900 tests and see which is better for games or simple use for streaming, video editing, machine learning, programming, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, RealBench, 3DMark, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, Blender, Furmark, AIDA64, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PassMark, 7zip, MATLAB, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, Gears 5.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 5900 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 9 5900

62%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5900 is 6% better than Core i9-7980XE. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7980XE

60%

Ryzen 9 5900

59%

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 run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, League of Legends (LOL), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	107.0	103.8
Valorant	121.6	118.0
Cyberpunk 2077	68.1	66.1
Apex Legends	114.3	110.9
Call of Duty Warzone	91.2	88.5
Overwatch	98.5	95.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.9	81.4
DOOM Eternal	60.8	59.0
Warzone	94.9	92.0
Assassin's Creed	102.2	99.1
Valheim	100.9	97.9

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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

Core i9-7980XE

23%

Ryzen 9 5900

89%

To make a finishing resolution 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 9 5900 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7980XE since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether 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 work, 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 9 5900
Cinbench 15 Single-core	184	285
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3455	3789
Cinbench 20 Single-core	446	668
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7671	8653
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1281	1815
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	28196	23790

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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Single-Core	2490	3487
Multi-Core	29612	39560

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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Single-Core	1158	1743
Multi-Core	18658	15530

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 you. 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 continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	January 12, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Vermeer
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	9	4
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	2.6 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	18	12
Threads	36	24
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	9400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		6MB
L3 cache	24.75 MB	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000062

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 9 5900 is 13% better than Core i9-7980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7980XE has 6 more core than Ryzen 9 5900. 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: 19
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 5900 is better: 17
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-7980XE and AMD Ryzen 9 5900 before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-7980XE specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900 specs and review.