Core i9-9940XvsRyzen Threadripper 9960X
The Core i9-9940X is a 14-core Skylake-based HEDT chip for professionals who need a reliable workstation without extreme power draw, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is a 24-core Shimada Peak monster built for heavy multi-threaded workloads and high-end content creation.
Core i9-9940X
Skylake (server) · 14 nm · 2018
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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 decisively with far more cores, faster boost speeds, and much larger cache for heavy workloads.
For budget-conscious buyers, the Core i9-9940X is the smarter pick if you already own an LGA2066 board and need decent multi-threading.
The Core i9-9940X is the right choice for a legacy workstation upgrade where switching platforms would be too costly.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Core i9-9940X 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 17 out of 100), so it leads the Core i9-9940X in most workloads.
How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X than the Core i9-9940X?
Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is roughly 229% faster than the Core i9-9940X overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.
Which should you buy, the Core i9-9940X or the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X?
If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X. If the Core i9-9940X 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.