CPU Showdown

Core Ultra 3 205vsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core Ultra 3 205 is a low-power, everyday processor for basic office work and light browsing, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a high-core workstation chip for heavy rendering and multi-tasking professionals.

Intel Core Ultra 3 205
8C / 8T · 57W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core Ultra 3 205

Arrow Lake-S · 3 nm · 2025

16score
3.7/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
8 / 8
TDP
57W
Boost Clock
4.9 GHz
L3 Cache
15 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 Ultra 3 205
16
Ryzen Threadripper 9970XWinner
64
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 300.0% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#146Ryzen 7 5700X3D16
#147Core Ultra 3 20516
#148Core i7-14701E16
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore Ultra 3 205Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
Cores
Total Cores832
Threads864
Base Clock3.8 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.9 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache24 MB32 MB
L3 Cache15 MB128 MB
Platform
Socket1851sTR5
MemoryDDR5DDR5
PCIePCIe 5.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUArc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU
Power
Base TDP57W350W
General
Process3 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is the clear winner for heavy workloads, while the Core Ultra 3 205 suits basic tasks.

Best value

For budget buyers, the Core Ultra 3 205 costs far less and handles everyday computing without extra expense.

When the other wins

The Core Ultra 3 205 is the right choice for a low-power office PC where extreme multi-threading is never needed.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core Ultra 3 205 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 16 out of 100), so it leads the Core Ultra 3 205 in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core Ultra 3 205?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 300% faster than the Core Ultra 3 205 overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core Ultra 3 205 or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core Ultra 3 205 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.