Ryzen Threadripper 2990WXvsRyzen Threadripper 9970X
The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is an older high-core-count workstation CPU for budget-conscious creators, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a modern, much faster alternative for professionals who need top-tier performance.
Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Zen+ · 12 nm · 2018
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Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
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 9970X wins overall with far faster performance and double the cache for demanding workloads.
For budget-minded buyers, the older Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is the smarter pick due to much lower power and platform costs.
The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is the right choice if you need a capable workstation on a strict budget and can accept slower speeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX 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 19 out of 100), so it leads the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX in most workloads.
How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX?
Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 237% faster than the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.
Which should you buy, the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?
If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX 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.