CPU Showdown

Core i7-9800XvsRyzen Threadripper 7980X

The Core i7-9800X is a dated 8-core workstation CPU for light professional tasks, while the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is a modern 64-core monster for heavy rendering and multitasking.

Intel Core i7-9800X
8C / 16T · 165W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7980X
64C / 128T · 350W
Intel

Core i7-9800X

Skylake (server) · 14 nm · 2018

11score
3.3/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
8 / 16
TDP
165W
Boost Clock
4.5 GHz
L3 Cache
16.5 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 i7-9800X
11
Ryzen Threadripper 7980XWinner
82
Ryzen Threadripper 7980X leads by 645.5% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#244Ryzen 5 PRO 8540U11
#245Core i7-9800X11
#246Ryzen 5 3600X11
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i7-9800XRyzen Threadripper 7980X
Cores
Total Cores864
Threads16128
Base Clock3.8 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock4.5 GHz5.1 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache8 MB64 MB
L3 Cache16.5 MB256 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
Power
Base TDP165W350W
General
Process14 nm5 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 7980X crushes the Core i7-9800X overall thanks to vastly more cores and much higher performance.

Best value

For budget/value buyers, the Core i7-9800X is the smarter pick if you need basic workstation features without overspending.

When the other wins

The Core i7-9800X is the right choice for light productivity tasks where the Threadripper's extreme core count is wasted.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i7-9800X 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 11 out of 100), so it leads the Core i7-9800X in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X than the Core i7-9800X?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is roughly 646% faster than the Core i7-9800X overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i7-9800X or the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X. If the Core i7-9800X 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.