CPU Showdown

Core i9-9900XvsRyzen Threadripper 7970X

The Core i9-9900X is an older, lower-core-count workstation chip aimed at professionals who already own an LGA2066 board, while the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X is a modern high-core-count monster built for creators and multitaskers who want maximum parallel processing.

Intel Core i9-9900X
10C / 20T · 165W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core i9-9900X

Skylake (server) · 14 nm · 2018

13score
3.2/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
10 / 20
TDP
165W
Boost Clock
4.5 GHz
L3 Cache
19.25 MB

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AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Storm Peak · 5 nm · 2023

60score
4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
32 / 64
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.3 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 i9-9900X
13
Ryzen Threadripper 7970XWinner
60
Ryzen Threadripper 7970X leads by 361.5% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#6Ryzen Threadripper 9960X56
#197Ryzen 5 5600X13
#198Core i9-9900X13
#199Ryzen 5 560013
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore i9-9900XRyzen Threadripper 7970X
Cores
Total Cores1032
Threads2064
Base Clock3.5 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.5 GHz5.3 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache10 MB32 MB
L3 Cache19.25 MB128 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
Power
Base TDP165W350W
General
Process14 nm5 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 7970X wins decisively for heavy workloads with many more cores and faster speeds, leaving the Core i9-9900X far behind.

Best value

The Core i9-9900X is the smarter budget pick for buyers who need a capable CPU without paying for excessive multi-core power.

When the other wins

Choose the Core i9-9900X for a legacy workstation upgrade where the platform and memory are already owned and you don't need top-tier multi-threaded performance.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i9-9900X better than the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (60 vs 13 out of 100), so it leads the Core i9-9900X in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X than the Core i9-9900X?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X is roughly 362% faster than the Core i9-9900X overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i9-9900X or the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 7970X. If the Core i9-9900X 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.