CPU Showdown

Core i5-9400FvsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core i5-9400F is a straightforward six-core chip for everyday gaming and office builds, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a workstation monster for professionals handling heavy rendering or virtualization.

Intel Core i5-9400F
6C / 6T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core i5-9400F

Coffee Lake-R · 14 nm · 2019

6score
4.9/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
6 / 6
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
4.1 GHz
L3 Cache
9 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 i5-9400F
6
Ryzen Threadripper 9970XWinner
64
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 966.7% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#382Core i5-85006
#383Core i5-9400F6
#384Core i5-94006
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i5-9400FRyzen Threadripper 9970X
Cores
Total Cores632
Threads664
Base Clock2.9 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.1 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache1.5 MB32 MB
L3 Cache9 MB128 MB
Platform
MemoryDDR4DDR5
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
Power
Base TDP65W350W
General
Process14 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X wins overall for heavy multitasking and professional workloads, far outpacing the Core i5-9400F.

Best value

The Core i5-9400F is the smarter pick for budget buyers who need basic performance without paying for extreme multi-core power.

When the other wins

The Core i5-9400F is the right choice for a simple office PC or light gaming build where the Threadripper's cost and power are overkill.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i5-9400F 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 i5-9400F in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core i5-9400F?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 967% faster than the Core i5-9400F overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i5-9400F or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core i5-9400F 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.