CPU Showdown

Core i7-12700vsRyzen Threadripper 7980X

The Core i7-12700 is a sensible mid-range desktop chip for everyday users and gamers, while the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is a workstation monster built for pros running massive rendering or simulation tasks.

Intel Core i7-12700
12C / 20T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7980X
64C / 128T · 350W
Intel

Core i7-12700

Alder Lake-S · Intel 7 nm · 2022

18score
4.4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
12 / 20
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
4.9 GHz
L3 Cache
25 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 i7-12700
18
Ryzen Threadripper 7980XWinner
82
Ryzen Threadripper 7980X leads by 355.6% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#113Core 7 251TE18
#114Core i7-1270018
#115Core i9-9960X18
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i7-12700Ryzen Threadripper 7980X
Cores
Total Cores1264
Threads20128
Base Clock2.1 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock4.9 GHz5.1 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache15 MB64 MB
L3 Cache25 MB256 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 5.0 and 4.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel UHD Graphics 770
Power
Base TDP65W350W
General
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 7980X wins overall for heavy multi-threaded workloads, but the Core i7-12700 is more practical for everyday users.

Best value

For budget-minded buyers, the Core i7-12700 offers a far better price-to-performance ratio for typical desktop tasks.

When the other wins

The Core i7-12700 is the right choice for a standard gaming or office PC where extreme core counts are unnecessary.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i7-12700 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 18 out of 100), so it leads the Core i7-12700 in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X than the Core i7-12700?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is roughly 356% faster than the Core i7-12700 overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i7-12700 or the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X. If the Core i7-12700 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.