AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X vs Intel Core i9-7920X Comparison

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X and Intel Core i9-7920X are both 12-core, 24-thread desktop processors, but the benchmark data reveals a fascinating split in their performance personalities. The AMD part dominates the Cinebench suite with consistent 6.9% to 7% margins, while the Intel chip fights back decisively in Geekbench, creating a profile that defies a simple "winner" label. This analysis digs into the raw numbers, architectural underpinnings, and what these results mean for real-world workload selection.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the head-to-head data is the uniformity of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X's victories in the Cinebench family. Across four different Cinebench tests—R15, R20, and R23, both single-core and multi-core—the AMD chip wins by nearly the exact same margin every single time. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Threadripper scores 2154 against the Intel's 2015, a 6.9% lead. The single-core R15 result shows the same story: 304 versus 284, a 7% advantage. This exact 6.9% delta repeats in R20 multi-core (8979 vs 8396), R20 single-core (1267 vs 1185), R23 multi-core (21380 vs 19991), and R23 single-core (3018 vs 2822). The consistency of that ~6.9% gap across all generations of the Cinebench renderer suggests a fundamental per-core throughput advantage for the AMD architecture, not a workload-specific quirk.

The Intel Core i9-7920X, however, does not go quietly. In Geekbench multi-core, it scores 9297 against the AMD's 7473, a commanding 19.6% lead. The single-core Geekbench result also favors Intel: 1394 versus 1266, a 9.2% win. These are substantial margins, and they raise an immediate question: why does Intel win so big in Geekbench while losing consistently in Cinebench? The deltaPct values in the head-to-head table make the contrast stark—Intel's 19.6% Geekbench win is nearly three times larger than AMD's 6.9% Cinebench win. This is not a balanced trade-off; it is a lopsided split that points to different optimization targets in the two benchmark suites.

Looking at the overall averages, the AMD chip holds a slight edge. The Threadripper 2920X's average benchmark score is 5730, while the i9-7920X sits at 5673. That 1% difference is reflected in the nearestRivals data, where the Intel part is listed as being 1% behind the AMD part. Both processors sit at the 61st percentile of all CPUs, showing they are peers in the broader market. Yet the head-to-head results show the AMD chip winning 6 of 8 tests, with the two Intel victories being the Geekbench pair. The data suggests the AMD processor is the more consistent performer across the tested suite, even though the Intel chip has a clear specialty.

Where Each One Wins

The use-case split is defined by the benchmark suite. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X wins everywhere Cinebench is the metric. This includes all multi-core rendering tests, where it consistently delivers that 6.9% improvement. For anyone whose workload is dominated by Cinema 4D rendering or similar tasks that use the Cinebench engine, the AMD part is the clear choice. The single-core Cinebench wins are equally important—they show that the AMD architecture does not sacrifice single-thread performance for its multi-core advantage, at least in this benchmark. The 304 vs 284 R15 single-core score and the 3018 vs 2822 R23 single-core score both signal that the Threadripper's per-core efficiency is genuinely superior in this rendering context.

The Intel Core i9-7920X, conversely, claims the Geekbench territory. The 19.6% multi-core win in Geekbench is the single largest margin in the entire comparison, and it suggests workloads that resemble Geekbench's mixed integer, floating-point, and memory patterns will strongly favor Intel. The 9.2% single-core Geekbench win reinforces this: for general-purpose computing, database work, compression, or other tasks that mirror Geekbench's synthetic load, the i9-7920X offers a significant advantage. The data implies that the Intel chip is not merely "good" at Geekbench—it is exceptionally well-suited to that specific type of workload, outperforming the AMD part by a margin that dwarfs any of the AMD wins.

What about the middle ground? The Geekbench multi-core result is particularly telling. A 19.6% lead is enormous for two processors with identical core and thread counts. It suggests that the Intel memory subsystem, cache hierarchy, or scheduling behavior is better aligned with Geekbench's test methodology. Meanwhile, the Cinebench results show the AMD chip's 6.9% edge is remarkably stable, which could indicate better sustained clock behavior under the Cinebench load. The practical takeaway is that neither chip is universally faster; each has a distinct "home turf," and the right choice depends entirely on which benchmark—or real-world application—matters most to the user.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two chips is considerable. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X is built on the Zen+ architecture, codenamed Colfax, using a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries. The Intel Core i9-7920X uses the Skylake architecture, codenamed Skylake-X, on Intel's 14 nm process. The process node difference—12 nm versus 14 nm—is a significant factor in the AMD chip's favor, potentially explaining its consistent Cinebench advantage through better power efficiency and higher effective IPC. The transistor counts tell a partial story: the AMD chip packs 9,600 million transistors across a dual-die design (2x 213 mm²), while the Intel chip's die size is listed as 484 mm² with no transistor count provided.

The cache layouts differ dramatically. AMD allocates 96 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, but its L3 is a substantial 32 MB, shared across the chip. Intel's per-core L1 is smaller at 64 KB, but its L2 is larger at 1 MB per core. Intel's L3, however, is only 16.5 MB shared. This means the AMD part has nearly double the L3 cache (32 MB vs 16.5 MB), which could contribute to its Cinebench performance where larger working sets benefit from more cache. The Intel part's larger L2 cache (1 MB vs 512 KB per core) may help with latency-sensitive single-thread workloads, which could explain its Geekbench single-core win.

Memory bandwidth is another differentiator. The AMD chip offers 93.9 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the Intel chip provides 85.3 GB/s. Both support DDR4 in a quad-channel configuration, and neither supports ECC memory. The AMD part has 60 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel part has 44 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. This gives the AMD chip significantly more I/O headroom for multiple GPUs or NVMe drives. The sockets are entirely different—AMD SP3r2 versus Intel Socket 2066—meaning any platform choice locks the user into one ecosystem or the other. The AMD chip's production status is Active, while the Intel chip is End-of-life, which has implications for long-term availability.

Specification Differences

The two processors share identical core counts (12), thread counts (24), memory support (DDR4), memory bus (quad-channel), and unlocked multipliers. The differences begin with clock speeds. The AMD chip has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, while the Intel chip has a lower base of 2.90 GHz but a higher boost of 4.40 GHz. The Intel chip's 0.10 GHz boost advantage does not translate into benchmark wins in Cinebench, but it may help in Geekbench. The TDP differs significantly: the AMD chip is rated at 180W, while the Intel chip is 140W. This 40W gap suggests the AMD chip consumes more power to achieve its higher base clock and larger cache.

The process node difference (12 nm AMD vs 14 nm Intel) is a key spec differentiator, as is the foundry (GlobalFoundries for AMD, Intel for Intel). The memory bandwidth figures differ (93.9 GB/s vs 85.3 GB/s), and the PCIe lane counts are different (60 vs 44). The cache hierarchies are not just different in size but in organization: AMD's L3 is 32 MB, Intel's is 16.5 MB shared. The release dates are nearly a year apart—the AMD chip launched on October 2, 2018, while the Intel chip launched on September 9, 2017. The Intel chip's part number is SR3NG, while AMD's is YD292XA8UC9AF. The Intel chip's production status is End-of-life, whereas AMD's is Active.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X has an average benchmark score of 5730, while the Intel Core i9-7920X scores 5673. The AMD chip is 1% ahead of the Intel chip in the nearestRivals data.

Q: Why does the Intel chip win Geekbench but lose Cinebench?

A: The Intel Core i9-7920X wins Geekbench multi-core by 19.6% and single-core by 9.2%, which likely reflects better performance in Geekbench's mixed workload patterns. However, it loses every Cinebench test by 6.9-7%, suggesting the AMD architecture is better optimized for rendering tasks.

Q: What are the cache size differences between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X has 96 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 32 MB L3. The Intel Core i9-7920X has 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 16.5 MB shared L3.

Q: Which chip has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i9-7920X has a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which is 0.10 GHz higher than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X's 4.30 GHz boost clock.

Q: How do the PCIe lane counts compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X offers 60 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel Core i9-7920X offers 44 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only).

Q: What is the production status of each chip?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X has an Active production status, while the Intel Core i9-7920X is listed as End-of-life.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear split decision. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X is the superior choice for Cinebench-style rendering workloads, with a consistent 6.9% lead across all Cinebench tests and a slight 1% overall average benchmark advantage. It also offers more PCIe lanes (60 vs 44), more L3 cache (32 MB vs 16.5 MB), higher memory bandwidth (93.9 GB/s vs 85.3 GB/s), and an Active production status. The higher TDP (180W vs 140W) is a trade-off, but the performance data justifies it for rendering tasks.

The Intel Core i9-7920X is the pick for Geekbench-like workloads, where it wins by 19.6% multi-core and 9.2% single-core. Its higher boost clock (4.40 GHz vs 4.30 GHz) and larger L2 cache per core (1 MB vs 512 KB) likely contribute to these wins. However, its End-of-life status and lower average benchmark score make it a riskier long-term investment. The data says: choose AMD for rendering and consistent all-around performance, choose Intel if your priority is the specific workload pattern that Geekbench represents. For most users, the AMD chip's broader strengths across the benchmark suite make it the more balanced recommendation.