CPU Showdown

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WXvsRyzen Threadripper 9980X

The Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX is a 24-core Zen+ chip for early adopters of the TR4 platform, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is a 64-core Shimada Peak monster for modern pros who need extreme multi-threaded grunt.

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
24C / 48T · 250W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
64C / 128T · 350W
AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX

Zen+ · 12 nm · 2018

19score
3.8/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
24 / 48
TDP
250W
Boost Clock
4.2 GHz
L3 Cache
64 MB

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AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025

86score
3.9/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
64 / 128
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.4 GHz
L3 Cache
256 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.

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
19
Ryzen Threadripper 9980XWinner
86
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X leads by 352.6% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#1EPYC 9755100
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#98Core Ultra 5 225F19
#99Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX19
#100Ryzen 7 8700F19
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsRyzen Threadripper 2970WXRyzen Threadripper 9980X
Cores
Total Cores2464
Threads48128
Base Clock3.0 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock4.2 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache12 MB64 MB
L3 Cache64 MB256 MB
Platform
MemoryDDR4DDR5
PCIePCIe 5.0
Power
Base TDP250W350W
General
ArchitectureZen+Shimada Peak
Process12 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins overall with far more cores and much faster performance for heavy workloads.

Best value

For budget/value buyers, the older Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX offers a lower-cost entry to high-core computing despite being much slower.

When the other wins

The Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX is the right choice if you need a cheap, compatible upgrade for an existing Socket TR4 workstation.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX better than the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (86 vs 19 out of 100), so it leads the Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X than the Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is roughly 353% faster than the Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX or the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X. If the Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX 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.