CPU Showdown

Core i5-7640XvsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core i5-7640X is a basic quad-core desktop chip for light gaming and everyday tasks, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a massive 32-core workstation processor for heavy rendering and multitasking.

Intel Core i5-7640X
4C / 4T · 112W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core i5-7640X

Kaby Lake-X · 14 nm · 2017

4score
4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
TDP
112W
Boost Clock
4.2 GHz
L3 Cache
6 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 i5-7640X
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
#425Ryzen 3 3200GE4
#426Core i5-7640X4
#427Core i3-93004
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i5-7640XRyzen Threadripper 9970X
Cores
Total Cores432
Threads464
Base Clock4.0 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.2 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache1 MB32 MB
L3 Cache6 MB128 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUHD 630
Power
Base TDP112W350W
General
Process14 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X wins overall for its vastly higher performance and core count, leaving the Core i5-7640X far behind.

Best value

For budget/value buyers, the Core i5-7640X is the smarter pick if you need a basic CPU for light tasks.

When the other wins

The Core i5-7640X is the right choice when you only run single-threaded apps and don't need the Threadripper's many cores.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i5-7640X 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 i5-7640X in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core i5-7640X?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 1500% faster than the Core i5-7640X overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i5-7640X or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core i5-7640X 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.