CPU Showdown

Core Ultra 5 235AvsRyzen Threadripper 9960X

The Core Ultra 5 235A is a mainstream desktop CPU for everyday computing and light multitasking, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is a workstation-class processor built for heavy content creation and multi-threaded workloads.

Intel Core Ultra 5 235A
14C / 14T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
24C / 48T · 350W
Intel

Core Ultra 5 235A

Arrow Lake-S · 3 nm · 2025

23score
0/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
14 / 14
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
5.0 GHz
L3 Cache
24 MB

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AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025

56score
4.9/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
24 / 48
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 Ultra 5 235A
23
Ryzen Threadripper 9960XWinner
56
Ryzen Threadripper 9960X leads by 143.5% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#6Ryzen Threadripper 9960X56
#7Ryzen Threadripper 7960X50
#66Ryzen 9 3950X23
#67Core Ultra 5 235A23
#68Core i5-14600KF23
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore Ultra 5 235ARyzen Threadripper 9960X
Cores
Total Cores1424
Threads1448
Base Clock3.4 GHz4.2 GHz
Boost Clock5.0 GHz5.3 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache42 MB24 MB
L3 Cache24 MB128 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 5.0 and 4.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel® Graphics
Power
Base TDP65W350W
General
Process3 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X wins overall for heavy multitasking and professional workloads, far outpacing the Core Ultra 5 235A in multi-threaded tasks.

Best value

For budget buyers, the Core Ultra 5 235A is the smarter pick, offering good everyday performance at a much lower power draw.

When the other wins

If you build a quiet office PC for web browsing and light apps, the Core Ultra 5 235A makes more sense than the overkill Threadripper.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core Ultra 5 235A 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 23 out of 100), so it leads the Core Ultra 5 235A in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X than the Core Ultra 5 235A?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is roughly 144% faster than the Core Ultra 5 235A overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core Ultra 5 235A or the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X. If the Core Ultra 5 235A 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.