CPU Showdown

Core i7-8700vsRyzen Threadripper 7970X

The Core i7-8700 is a sensible, low-power six-core chip for everyday desktop work and gaming, while the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X is a massive 32-core workstation monster built for video rendering, 3D modeling, and other heavy multitasking.

Intel Core i7-8700
6C / 12T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core i7-8700

Coffee Lake-S · 14 nm · 2017

8score
4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
4.6 GHz
L3 Cache
12288 MB

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AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Storm Peak · 5 nm · 2023

60score
4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
32 / 64
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.3 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 i7-8700
8
Ryzen Threadripper 7970XWinner
60
Ryzen Threadripper 7970X leads by 650.0% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#6Ryzen Threadripper 9960X56
#333Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE8
#334Core i7-87008
#335Core i3-13100T8
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i7-8700Ryzen Threadripper 7970X
Cores
Total Cores632
Threads1264
Base Clock3.2 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.6 GHz5.3 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache1.5 MB32 MB
L3 Cache12288 MB128 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 7970X wins overall for heavy multitasking and content creation, leaving the Core i7-8700 as a lower-power office chip.

Best value

For budget buyers, the older Core i7-8700 is the smarter pick for everyday tasks and light gaming.

When the other wins

The Core i7-8700 is the right choice if you need a quiet, low-wattage system for web browsing and office work.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i7-8700 better than the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (60 vs 8 out of 100), so it leads the Core i7-8700 in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X than the Core i7-8700?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X is roughly 650% faster than the Core i7-8700 overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i7-8700 or the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X. If the Core i7-8700 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.