Intel Core i9-9960X vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-9960X vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, rendering, machine learning, streaming, video editing. Here is useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like PassMark, AIDA64, Blender, PCMark 10, RealBench, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Handbrake, 7zip, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, Prime95, WPrime.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X or Intel Core i9-9960X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9960X

59%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

66%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is 10% better than Core i9-9960X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9960X

60%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

64%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.4	113.6
Valorant	120.9	129.1
Cyberpunk 2077	67.7	72.3
Apex Legends	113.6	121.3
Call of Duty Warzone	90.7	96.8
Overwatch	97.9	104.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.4	89.1
DOOM Eternal	60.5	64.5
Warzone	94.3	100.7
Assassin's Creed	101.6	108.4
Valheim	100.3	107.1

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: 2K, FullHD 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9960X

24%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

15%

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 Core i9-9960X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper 3960X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 280W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has. 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 software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that 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 i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	200	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2872	5933
Cinbench 20 Single-core	457	509
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6671	13552
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1086	1270
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22943	34255

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

	Intel Core i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Single-Core	2684	2663
Multi-Core	30816	54830

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

	Intel Core i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Single-Core	1230	1306
Multi-Core	18032	25072

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The later the processor is released, 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, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Announcement date	January 01, 2019	November 25, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	sTRX4
Core name	Skylake	Castle Peak
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	9	3
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	16	24
Threads	32	48
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	8600 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		1.5MB
L2 cache		12MB
L3 cache	22 MB	128MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000010 100-100000010WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is 18% better than Core i9-9960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen Threadripper 3960X has 8 more core than Core i9-9960X. 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 i9-9960X is better: 7
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is better: 30
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-9960X and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-9960X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X specs and review.