CPU Showdown

Ryzen Threadripper 9970XvsCore Ultra 5 250K Plus

The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is a modest, everyday desktop chip for gamers and general users, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a workstation monster for creators and professionals who run heavy multi-threaded tasks.

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
VS
Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
18C / 18T · 125W
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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Intel

Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

Arrow Lake Refresh · 3 nm · 2026

31score
4.4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
18 / 18
TDP
125W
Boost Clock
5.3 GHz
L3 Cache
30 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 9970XWinner
64
Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
31
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 106.5% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#28Ryzen 9 9900X33
#29Core Ultra 5 250K Plus31
#30Core i7-14700KF31
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsRyzen Threadripper 9970XCore Ultra 5 250K Plus
Cores
Total Cores3218
Threads6418
Base Clock4.0 GHz4.2 GHz
Boost Clock5.4 GHz5.3 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache32 MB54 MB
L3 Cache128 MB30 MB
Platform
SocketsTR51851
MemoryDDR5DDR5
PCIePCIe 5.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUArc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU
Power
Base TDP350W125W
General
Process4 nm3 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X wins overall for heavy multithreaded work, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is the better choice for general desktop use.

Best value

The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is the smarter pick for budget buyers, offering good everyday performance at lower power and cost.

When the other wins

For a compact home office PC that handles web browsing and office tasks quietly, the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is the right choice over the Threadripper.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X better than the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (64 vs 31 out of 100), so it leads the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 107% faster than the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X or the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus 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.