CPU Showdown

Core i5-8400vsRyzen Threadripper 7980X

The Core i5-8400 is a solid everyday CPU for standard desktop work and light gaming, while the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is a workstation monster built for heavy content creation and professional multitasking.

Intel Core i5-8400
6C / 6T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7980X
64C / 128T · 350W
Intel

Core i5-8400

Coffee Lake-S · 14 nm · 2017

6score
3.8/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
6 / 6
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
4.0 GHz
L3 Cache
9 MB

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AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 7980X

Storm Peak · 5 nm · 2023

82score
3.7/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
64 / 128
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.1 GHz
L3 Cache
256 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 i5-8400
6
Ryzen Threadripper 7980XWinner
82
Ryzen Threadripper 7980X leads by 1266.7% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#386Core i3-103006
#387Core i5-84006
#388Core i3-103056
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i5-8400Ryzen Threadripper 7980X
Cores
Total Cores664
Threads6128
Base Clock2.8 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock4.0 GHz5.1 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache1.5 MB64 MB
L3 Cache9 MB256 MB
Platform
MemoryDDR3DDR5
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel UHD Graphics 630
Power
Base TDP65W350W
General
Process14 nm5 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 7980X wins overall for anyone needing extreme multi-threaded performance, far outpacing the Core i5-8400.

Best value

For budget or value buyers, the Core i5-8400 is the smarter pick due to its lower cost and adequate speed for everyday tasks.

When the other wins

The Core i5-8400 is the right choice for a basic office PC where the Threadripper's power and cooling demands are wasteful.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i5-8400 better than the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (82 vs 6 out of 100), so it leads the Core i5-8400 in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X than the Core i5-8400?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is roughly 1267% faster than the Core i5-8400 overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i5-8400 or the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X. If the Core i5-8400 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.