CPU Showdown

Core i9-9900vsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core i9-9900 is a fast, cool-running desktop processor for everyday gaming and work, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a massive workstation chip built for heavy multitasking and content creation.

Intel Core i9-9900
8C / 16T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core i9-9900

Coffee Lake-R · 14 nm · 2019

10score
3.9/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
8 / 16
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
5.0 GHz
L3 Cache
16 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 i9-9900
10
Ryzen Threadripper 9970XWinner
64
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 540.0% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#266Ryzen 7 1800X10
#267Core i9-990010
#268Ryzen 5 PRO 4655G10
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i9-9900Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
Cores
Total Cores832
Threads1664
Base Clock3.1 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock5.0 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache2 MB32 MB
L3 Cache16 MB128 MB
Platform
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 for heavy multithreaded work, but the Core i9-9900 is a far more reasonable choice for everyday tasks.

Best value

The Core i9-9900 offers a smarter value for typical desktop use, sipping power while still running fast enough for most buyers.

When the other wins

Choose the Core i9-9900 if you need a quiet, low-heat office PC that won't overwhelm your power bill or cooling setup.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i9-9900 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 10 out of 100), so it leads the Core i9-9900 in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core i9-9900?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 540% faster than the Core i9-9900 overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i9-9900 or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core i9-9900 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.