CPU Showdown

Core i9-9820XvsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core i9-9820X is a high-end desktop chip from Intel’s Skylake-X family for enthusiasts who need solid multi-threaded work without extreme power draw, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is AMD’s flagship workstation processor built for heavy parallel workloads like rendering and simulation.

Intel Core i9-9820X
10C / 20T · 165W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core i9-9820X

Skylake (server) · 14 nm · 2018

12score
3.3/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
10 / 20
TDP
165W
Boost Clock
4.2 GHz
L3 Cache
16.5 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 i9-9820X
12
Ryzen Threadripper 9970XWinner
64
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 433.3% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#210Core i9-12900TE12
#211Core i9-9820X12
#212Core i5-14400T12
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i9-9820XRyzen Threadripper 9970X
Cores
Total Cores1032
Threads2064
Base Clock3.3 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.2 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache10 MB32 MB
L3 Cache16.5 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 is the clear winner for performance, leaving the Core i9-9820X far behind.

Best value

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X offers vastly more processing power and memory cache for the money.

When the other wins

The older Core i9-9820X is a better choice for a budget workstation where lower power draw and basic multi-core capability matter.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i9-9820X 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 12 out of 100), so it leads the Core i9-9820X in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core i9-9820X?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 433% faster than the Core i9-9820X overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i9-9820X or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core i9-9820X 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.