CPU Showdown

Core i7-9700vsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core i7-9700 is an older 8-core desktop CPU for everyday gaming and office work, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a 32-core workstation monster for heavy video editing and 3D rendering.

Intel Core i7-9700
8C / 8T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core i7-9700

Coffee Lake-R · 14 nm · 2019

8score
3.9/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
8 / 8
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
4.7 GHz
L3 Cache
12 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 i7-9700
8
Ryzen Threadripper 9970XWinner
64
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 700.0% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#318Core 5 221TE8
#319Core i7-97008
#320Core i7-9700F8
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i7-9700Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
Cores
Total Cores832
Threads864
Base Clock3.0 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.7 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache2 MB32 MB
L3 Cache12 MB128 MB
Platform
MemoryDDR4DDR5
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel UHD Graphics 630
Power
Base TDP65W350W
General
Process14 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X wins overall, offering vastly more cores and speed for heavy multitasking and content creation.

Best value

For budget/value buyers, the Core i7-9700 is the smarter pick if you need a capable everyday CPU without overspending.

When the other wins

The Core i7-9700 is the right choice for a basic office PC or light gaming build where the Threadripper's power and cost are overkill.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i7-9700 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 8 out of 100), so it leads the Core i7-9700 in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core i7-9700?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 700% faster than the Core i7-9700 overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i7-9700 or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core i7-9700 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.