Core i5-9400vsRyzen Threadripper 9970X
The Intel Core i5-9400 is a no-fuss, six-core chip for everyday computing and light gaming, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a massive 32-core workstation monster for heavy rendering and content creation.
Core i5-9400
Coffee Lake · 14 nm · 2019
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Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025
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Overall Performance Score
A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest desktop CPU available.
Side-by-Side Specs
Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.
Which should you buy?
The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X crushes the Core i5-9400 for heavy multitasking and creation work.
For budget buyers, the Core i5-9400 is the smarter pick due to its lower cost and adequate everyday performance.
The Core i5-9400 is the right choice for a basic office PC where the Threadripper's extreme power and cooling demands are unnecessary.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Core i5-9400 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 6 out of 100), so it leads the Core i5-9400 in most workloads.
How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core i5-9400?
Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 967% faster than the Core i5-9400 overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.
Which should you buy, the Core i5-9400 or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?
If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core i5-9400 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.