AMD Ryzen 9 7900X vs Intel Xeon Phi 7290 Comparison

The data presents a striking contrast between two very different processing philosophies. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290, a 72-core Knights Landing behemoth from 2016, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, a 12-core Zen 4 desktop part from 2022, are separated by six years of architecture evolution. Yet, their average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the Xeon Phi 7290 posting an average of 53,469 and the Ryzen 9 7900X posting 53,288. This near-parity in overall score, however, masks a complete inversion of strengths, as the head-to-head results reveal a generational shift in what makes a processor fast.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most immediate takeaway from the head-to-head results is the sheer dominance of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X. Out of 15 shared benchmark tests, the Ryzen 9 7900X wins 14. The scale of these victories is often massive, not marginal. In the Cinebench R15 multicore test, the AMD part scores 4,820.5 against the Xeon Phi’s 1,528, a delta of -68.3%. This is not a close contest; the Ryzen 9 7900X is nearly three times faster in a rendering workload that is heavily threaded.

The pattern continues across a wide range of PassMark tests. In data encryption, the Ryzen 9 7900X scores 37,263 versus 12,505, a 66.4% advantage. The gap is even wider in the find prime numbers test, where the AMD processor's 388 score dwarfs the Intel part's 114, a delta of -70.6%. Even in floating-point math, an area where high-core-count processors often excel, the Ryzen 9 7900X wins decisively with a score of 103,952 compared to the Xeon Phi's 47,417, a 54.4% difference. The only category where the Xeon Phi manages a win is Cinebench R23 single-core, posting a score of 2,140 versus 2,016.5, a modest 6.1% lead.

The most extreme disparity is in single-thread performance. The PassMark single-thread test shows the Ryzen 9 7900X scoring 4,238, while the Xeon Phi 7290 scores just 485. This represents an -88.6% delta, meaning the AMD chip is roughly 8.7 times faster on a single thread. This single figure explains almost every other result. The Ryzen 9 7900X’s high clock speed and modern IPC mean its individual cores are vastly more powerful, and this advantage scales up even in multi-threaded workloads because its 12 cores are each so much faster than any of the Xeon Phi's 72 cores.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark data, the Ryzen 9 7900X is the clear winner for virtually any general-purpose or consumer-focused task. Its victories in integer math (169,273 vs 126,922), data compression (632,505 vs 564,535), and physics (3,060 vs 2,257) indicate a processor that is well-suited for everyday applications, content creation, and even scientific computing that isn't perfectly parallel. The 25% lead in integer math is particularly telling, as this is a proxy for general productivity performance. Its 10.7% lead in data compression and 8.1% lead in random string sorting further cement its status as a more responsive and capable all-rounder.

The Intel Xeon Phi 7290's single win in Cinebench R23 single-core is an anomaly given its otherwise poor single-threaded score of 485 in PassMark. However, its data suggests a narrow niche. With 72 cores and 288 threads, its raw throughput potential is theoretically massive. The benchmark results, however, show it struggles to translate this core count into wins. It loses to the Ryzen 9 7900X in Cinebench R23 multi-core by 48.2% (15,163 vs 29,300), which is a catastrophic result for a processor with six times the cores. This indicates its advantage is not in practical, measured performance but in specific legacy workloads that may have been optimized for its Knights Landing architecture's unique features, like its 512 KB per-core L2 cache and high thread count for massively parallel but low-complexity tasks.

Architecture Differences

The architecture gap between these two processors is the root cause of their performance divergence. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 is built on a 14nm process node by Intel, featuring 72 cores and 288 threads. It is a product of the "many-core" school of thought, where performance is derived from overwhelming parallelism. Its base clock is a low 1.50 GHz, boosting to just 1.70 GHz. This low clock speed is necessary to keep its 245W TDP in check. It relies on a large amount of L2 cache (512 KB per core) but has no L3 cache listed.

In stark contrast, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is built on a 5nm process node by TSMC, a much more advanced manufacturing technology. It has 12 cores and 24 threads, but its base clock is 4.70 GHz, boosting to 5.60 GHz. This massive clock speed advantage, combined with the modern Zen 4 architecture's superior instructions-per-clock, explains its overwhelming single-thread lead. The Ryzen 9 7900X also features a shared 64 MB L3 cache, which is far more efficient for inter-core communication than the Xeon Phi's large per-core L2 caches. The AMD part also has significantly more transistors (13,140 million) packed into a smaller die area ("2x 71 mm²"), compared to the Xeon Phi's 8,000 million transistors on a much larger, older process.

Other key differences are the platform and features. The Xeon Phi 7290 uses the Intel Socket 3647 and targets the Server/Workstation market segment. The Ryzen 9 7900X uses the AMD Socket AM5 and is a Desktop part. The Ryzen 9 7900X supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and 83.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the Xeon Phi 7290 supports the older DDR4 standard. The Ryzen 9 7900X also includes integrated Radeon Graphics and has a Gen 5 PCIe interface with 24 lanes, whereas the Xeon Phi 7290 has no listed integrated graphics or PCIe information. The Ryzen 9 7900X is also multiplier-unlocked, allowing for overclocking, a feature the Xeon Phi does not have.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous in its verdict: the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is the superior processor for virtually any task measured. The benchmark results show that the era of relying purely on core count is over. The Ryzen 9 7900X's combination of high clock speeds and modern architecture allows it to outperform a processor with six times the cores in multi-threaded workloads. For any user looking at this data to choose a processor for a new system, the Ryzen 9 7900X is the only logical choice. Its 48.2% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core, despite having 60 fewer cores, reflects the efficiency of the Zen 4 architecture.

The Intel Xeon Phi 7290, from this data, is a niche product that has been thoroughly outclassed. Its only win in Cinebench R23 single-core is a statistical blip that does not reflect its overall capability. Its high thread count does not translate to real-world performance in the tested applications. The data suggests that its 288 threads are simply too weak individually to compete. The only scenario where the Xeon Phi 7290 might be chosen is if a specific legacy software workload is designed to take advantage of its specific Knights Landing instruction set or massive thread count, but even then, its low scores in floating-point math and integer math would be a concern.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 has significantly more, with 72 cores and 288 threads, compared to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X's 12 cores and 24 threads.

Q: The Xeon Phi has more cores, so why does it lose in multi-core tests?

A: Benchmark results indicate the Ryzen 9 7900X wins the Cinebench R23 multi-core test by 48.2%. This is because the Ryzen 9 7900X's individual cores are vastly more powerful, owing to its much higher clock speed and modern architecture, allowing its 12 cores to outperform the Xeon Phi's 72 slower cores.

Q: What is the difference in their single-thread performance?

A: The difference is extreme. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X scores 4,238 in the PassMark single-thread test, while the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores just 485, a delta of -88.6% in favor of the AMD processor.

Q: What are the key architectural differences between the two?

A: The Xeon Phi 7290 is an older 14nm Intel part with a low clock speed (1.50 GHz base) and a massive number of cores, while the Ryzen 9 7900X is a newer 5nm TSMC part with a high clock speed (4.70 GHz base) and a shared L3 cache. The Ryzen 9 7900X also supports DDR5 memory and has integrated graphics, which the Xeon Phi does not.

Q: In which benchmark did the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 win?

A: The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 won only one of the 15 head-to-head benchmarks: the Cinebench R23 single-core test, where it scored 2,140 versus the AMD's 2,016.5.

Q: How do their overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: They are nearly identical. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 has an average benchmark score of 53,469, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X has an average of 53,288. The Xeon Phi leads by a mere 0.3%.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Xeon Phi 7290 | AMD Ryzen 9 7900X |

|:--- |:--- |:--- |

| Cores | 72 | 12 |

| Threads | 288 | 24 |

| Base Clock | 1.50 GHz | 4.70 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 1.70 GHz | 5.60 GHz |

| TDP | 245 W | 170 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 3647 | AMD Socket AM5 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| L1 Cache | 32 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 512 KB (per core) | 1 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | None | 64 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR5 |

| Memory Bus | Not listed | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not listed | 83.2 GB/s |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Radeon Graphics |

| Market Segment | Server/Workstation | Desktop |

| Release Date | 2016-06-19 | 2022-09-26 |

| Multiplier Unlocked | No | Yes |