Core i9-10980XEvsRyzen Threadripper 9960X
The Core i9-10980XE is an older 18-core Intel chip for prosumers who already have an LGA2066 board, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is a modern 24-core AMD monster built for heavy workstation tasks.
Core i9-10980XE
Cascade Lake-X · 14 nm · 2019
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Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025
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Overall Performance Score
A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest desktop CPU available.
Side-by-Side Specs
Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.
Which should you buy?
The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X wins overall with much faster performance and double the cores for demanding workloads.
The Core i9-10980XE is the smarter budget pick if you find it cheap, offering competent multi-threading at a lower cost.
Choose the Core i9-10980XE for an older workstation where upgrading the motherboard and cooling for the Threadripper isn't feasible.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Core i9-10980XE better than the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X?
Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (56 vs 19 out of 100), so it leads the Core i9-10980XE in most workloads.
How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X than the Core i9-10980XE?
Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is roughly 195% faster than the Core i9-10980XE overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.
Which should you buy, the Core i9-10980XE or the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X?
If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X. If the Core i9-10980XE 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.