CPU Showdown

Core i7-12700vsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core i7-12700 is a mainstream desktop chip for everyday gamers and multi-taskers, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a workstation monster built for heavy rendering and professional workloads.

Intel Core i7-12700
12C / 20T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 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 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 i7-12700
18
Ryzen Threadripper 9970XWinner
64
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 255.6% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#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 9970X
Cores
Total Cores1232
Threads2064
Base Clock2.1 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.9 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache15 MB32 MB
L3 Cache25 MB128 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 9970X wins overall for heavy multithreaded workloads thanks to many more cores and faster boost speeds.

Best value

For budget buyers, the Core i7-12700 is smarter due to far lower power draw and adequate performance for everyday tasks.

When the other wins

The Core i7-12700 is the right choice for a quiet home office PC where low heat and noise matter more than raw throughput.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

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

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core i7-12700?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 256% 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 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. 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.