Intel Core i9-7980XE vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-7980XE vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX and decide which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, programming, video editing, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications such as 7zip, UserBenchmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Handbrake, Blender, Prime95, Furmark, RealBench, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PassMark, MATLAB, Gears 5, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, 3DMark, SuperPi, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX 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 Threadripper PRO 3945WX

60%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX is 3% 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 Threadripper PRO 3945WX

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	107.0	102.5
Valorant	121.6	116.5
Cyberpunk 2077	68.1	65.3
Apex Legends	114.3	109.5
Call of Duty Warzone	91.2	87.4
Overwatch	98.5	94.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.9	80.4
DOOM Eternal	60.8	58.3
Warzone	94.9	90.9
Assassin's Creed	102.2	97.9
Valheim	100.9	96.7

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 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 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 Threadripper PRO 3945WX

15%

To make a finishing 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 Core i9-7980XE is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 280W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, machine learning, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that 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 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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX
Cinbench 15 Single-core	184	199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3455	5712
Cinbench 20 Single-core	446	463
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7671	12983
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1281	1108
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	28196	32841

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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX
Single-Core	2490	2750
Multi-Core	29612	34755

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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX
Single-Core	1158	1284
Multi-Core	18658	14251

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. 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 the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	July 14, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	sTRX4
Core name	Skylake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	9	2
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.3 MHz
Frequency	2.6 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	18	12
Threads	36	24
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	22600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	280 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache		768KB
L2 cache		6MB
L3 cache	24.75 MB	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000168

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX is 35% better than Core i9-7980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7980XE has 6 more core than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX. 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: 21
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX is better: 17
Although it should be understood that all the data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-7980XE and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-7980XE specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX specs and review.