CPU Showdown

Core i3-8350KvsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core i3-8350K is a budget-friendly gaming chip for someone building a simple, low-cost desktop, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a massive workstation processor for creators who need tons of cores.

Intel Core i3-8350K
4C / 4T · 91W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core i3-8350K

Coffee Lake · 14 nm · 2017

4score
4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
TDP
91W
Boost Clock
4.0 GHz
L3 Cache
8 MB

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AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 9970X

Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025

64score
4.4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
32 / 64
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.4 GHz
L3 Cache
128 MB

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Aggregate Performance

Overall Performance Score

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

Core i3-8350K
4
Ryzen Threadripper 9970XWinner
64
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 1500.0% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#429Ryzen 3 3200G4
#430Core i3-8350K4
#431Ryzen 3 1300X4
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i3-8350KRyzen Threadripper 9970X
Cores
Total Cores432
Threads464
Base Clock4.0 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.0 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache1 MB32 MB
L3 Cache8 MB128 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel UHD Graphics 630
Power
Base TDP91W350W
General
Process14 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is the clear winner overall, offering vastly more processing power for heavy workloads than the Core i3-8350K.

Best value

For budget buyers, the Core i3-8350K is the smarter pick if you only need basic computing and want to spend less.

When the other wins

Choose the Core i3-8350K when building a simple office PC or home server where the Threadripper's extreme power and cost are unnecessary.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i3-8350K better than the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (64 vs 4 out of 100), so it leads the Core i3-8350K in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core i3-8350K?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 1500% faster than the Core i3-8350K overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i3-8350K or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core i3-8350K 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.