CPU Showdown

Core i9-10900XvsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core i9-10900X is an older, high-end desktop chip for builders who need solid single-threaded speed without going all-in on workstation hardware, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a massive multi-core processor for creators and professionals who need to chew through heavy parallel workloads.

Intel Core i9-10900X
10C / 20T · 165W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core i9-10900X

Cascade Lake-X · 14 nm · 2019

13score
1.5/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
10 / 20
TDP
165W
Boost Clock
4.7 GHz
L3 Cache
19.25 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 i9-10900X
13
Ryzen Threadripper 9970XWinner
64
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 392.3% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#187Core i9-1190013
#188Core i9-10900X13
#189Core i9-10900K13
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i9-10900XRyzen Threadripper 9970X
Cores
Total Cores1032
Threads2064
Base Clock3.7 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.7 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache10 MB32 MB
L3 Cache19.25 MB128 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
Power
Base TDP165W350W
General
Process14 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X wins overall with vastly more cores and faster speeds, making it far stronger for heavy multitasking and creative work.

Best value

For budget/value buyers, the Core i9-10900X is the smarter pick if you need a capable CPU without paying for extreme multi-core power.

When the other wins

The Core i9-10900X is the right choice when you need a reliable, lower-power processor for a single-thread-focused workstation on an older platform.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i9-10900X 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 13 out of 100), so it leads the Core i9-10900X in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core i9-10900X?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 392% faster than the Core i9-10900X overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i9-10900X or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core i9-10900X 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.