CPU Showdown

Core i3-7100vsRyzen Threadripper 9980X

The Core i3-7100 is a simple, low-power dual-core chip for basic office or home PCs, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is a monster 64-core processor built for all-out professional rendering and heavy multitasking.

Intel Core i3-7100
2C / 4T · 51W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
64C / 128T · 350W
Intel

Core i3-7100

Kaby Lake · 14 nm · 2017

3score
3.4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
TDP
51W
Boost Clock
3.9 GHz
L3 Cache
3 MB

As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025

86score
3.9/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
64 / 128
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.4 GHz
L3 Cache
256 MB

As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Aggregate Performance

Overall Performance Score

A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest desktop CPU available.

Core i3-7100
3
Ryzen Threadripper 9980XWinner
86
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X leads by 2766.7% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#1EPYC 9755100
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#479Pentium Gold G65053
#480Core i3-71003
#481Athlon 300GE3
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.

SpecsCore i3-7100Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
Cores
Total Cores264
Threads4128
Base Clock3.9 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock3.9 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache0.5 MB64 MB
L3 Cache3 MB256 MB
Platform
MemoryDDR4DDR5
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel HD Graphics 630
Power
Base TDP51W350W
General
Process14 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X dominates the Core i3-7100 with vastly more cores and speed, winning for heavy workloads.

Best value

For budget buyers, the Core i3-7100 is the smarter pick due to its much lower cost and adequate performance for basic tasks.

When the other wins

The Core i3-7100 is the right choice if you need a simple office PC or media center and won't ever run demanding software.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i3-7100 better than the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (86 vs 3 out of 100), so it leads the Core i3-7100 in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X than the Core i3-7100?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is roughly 2767% faster than the Core i3-7100 overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i3-7100 or the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X. If the Core i3-7100 is meaningfully cheaper where you shop, it can be the better value for similar real-world results — check current prices and the full spec comparison above before deciding.