AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX vs Intel Core i9-7960X Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data presents a clear split between these two desktop processors. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX wins six of the eight head-to-head benchmark comparisons, while the Intel Core i9-7960X takes the remaining two. The margins vary considerably depending on the workload.

In the Cinebench suite, the AMD part consistently outperforms the Intel part by a narrow but uniform margin. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Threadripper 2970WX scores 2651 against 2359 for the i9-7960X, a 12.4% advantage. The single-core result in the same test shows 374 versus 333, a 12.3% lead. Moving to Cinebench R20, the pattern holds: multicore scores are 11048 versus 9833 (12.4% higher for AMD), and single-core scores are 1559 versus 1388 (12.3% higher). Cinebench R23 repeats the same story with multicore at 26305 versus 23413 (12.4%) and single-core at 3713 versus 3305 (12.3%).

The near-identical delta percentages across all six Cinebench tests suggest that the AMD processor holds a consistent architectural advantage in this rendering workload, regardless of scene complexity or thread count. The differences are not large in percentage terms, but they are remarkably stable across three generations of the Cinebench benchmark.

The Geekbench results tell the opposite story. In Geekbench multicore, the Intel Core i9-7960X scores 10307 against 7195 for the Threadripper 2970WX, a 30.2% swing in Intel's favor. This is the largest margin in either direction across the entire benchmark set. In Geekbench single-core, Intel leads with 1324 versus 1236, a 6.6% advantage.

The contrast between the Cinebench and Geekbench outcomes is striking. The AMD processor wins all six rendering tests by roughly 12%, while the Intel processor wins both Geekbench tests, with an especially dominant showing in the multicore portion. This indicates that the two processors respond very differently to the specific instruction mixes and memory access patterns in these two benchmark families. The Geekbench multicore result is particularly notable because the Threadripper 2970WX has 24 cores and 48 threads, while the Core i9-7960X has 16 cores and 32 threads. Despite having 50% more cores and 50% more threads, the AMD part trails by 30.2% in this test, which suggests the Intel design extracts significantly more performance per thread in the Geekbench workload.

Where Each One Wins

For heavily threaded rendering workloads, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX is the clear choice based on the recorded data. All three Cinebench versions, from R15 through R23, show the AMD part ahead by 12.3% to 12.4% in both multicore and single-core tests. The consistency of these margins across different benchmark versions indicates that the advantage is structural rather than workload-specific. The Threadripper 2970WX also carries a higher base clock of 3.00 GHz compared to 2.80 GHz for the Intel part, and its boost clock of 4.20 GHz is within 0.20 GHz of the Intel's 4.40 GHz. The 24-core, 48-thread configuration provides additional parallelism that the Cinebench results suggest is being put to effective use.

The Intel Core i9-7960X wins in Geekbench, with its largest margin in multicore performance. The 30.2% lead in Geekbench multicore is substantial and indicates that the Intel architecture handles this particular workload more efficiently. The single-core Geekbench advantage of 6.6% is smaller but still consistent with the higher 4.40 GHz boost clock on the Intel part. The Intel processor also has a higher per-core L2 cache at 1 MB per core compared to 512 KB per core on the AMD part, which may contribute to its stronger Geekbench showing in workloads that benefit from larger private caches.

Users running Cinebench-style rendering workloads should expect the AMD processor to deliver a consistent 12% advantage. Users running Geekbench-style general-purpose workloads should expect the Intel processor to deliver a substantial multicore advantage and a modest single-core advantage. The choice between these two processors depends heavily on which benchmark family better represents the intended use case.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX uses the Zen+ architecture with the Colfax codename, manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The Intel Core i9-7960X uses the Skylake architecture with the Skylake-X codename, manufactured on a 14 nm process at Intel. The AMD part is part of the 2000 series, while the Intel part belongs to the Core i9 X-Series 7th Generation.

The core counts differ substantially. The AMD processor has 24 cores and 48 threads, while the Intel processor has 16 cores and 32 threads. This represents a 50% advantage in both core count and thread count for the AMD part. The thermal design power also differs, with the AMD part rated at 250 W and the Intel part at 165 W. The higher power envelope on the AMD part aligns with its larger core count.

Cache hierarchies are organized differently between the two designs. The AMD processor has 96 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 cache per core, with 64 MB of L3 cache. The Intel processor has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 cache per core, with 22 MB of shared L3 cache. This means the AMD part has more L1 cache per core but half the L2 cache per core, while also offering nearly three times the total L3 cache.

The transistor counts and die sizes reflect different manufacturing approaches. The AMD processor contains 19,200 million transistors spread across four dies, each measuring 213 mm². The Intel processor uses a single 484 mm² die, with no transistor count recorded in the database. The multi-die approach on the AMD side allows for a smaller process node and potentially better manufacturing yields, while the Intel single-die design concentrates its resources in one large piece of silicon.

Both processors support DDR4 memory with a quad-channel memory bus. The AMD part has a peak memory bandwidth of 93.9 GB/s, while the Intel part has 85.3 GB/s. The AMD part offers 60 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel part offers 44 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. Neither processor includes integrated graphics, and neither supports ECC memory. Both have unlocked multipliers.

The sockets differ as well. The AMD processor uses AMD Socket SP3r2, while the Intel processor uses Intel Socket 2066. The production status also differs, with the AMD part listed as active while the Intel part is end-of-life. The release dates are close, with the AMD part released on 2018-10-01 and the Intel part on 2017-08-31.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two processors:

• Cores: 24 on AMD, 16 on Intel
• Threads: 48 on AMD, 32 on Intel
• Base clock: 3.00 GHz on AMD, 2.80 GHz on Intel
• Boost clock: 4.20 GHz on AMD, 4.40 GHz on Intel
• TDP: 250 W on AMD, 165 W on Intel
• Socket: AMD Socket SP3r2 versus Intel Socket 2066
• Architecture: Zen+ versus Skylake
• Codename: Colfax versus Skylake-X
• Process node: 12 nm versus 14 nm
• Foundry: GlobalFoundries versus Intel
• Transistors: 19,200 million on AMD, not recorded on Intel
• Die size: 4x 213 mm² on AMD, 484 mm² on Intel
• L1 cache per core: 96 KB on AMD, 64 KB on Intel
• L2 cache per core: 512 KB on AMD, 1 MB on Intel
• L3 cache: 64 MB on AMD, 22 MB shared on Intel
• Memory bandwidth: 93.9 GB/s on AMD, 85.3 GB/s on Intel
• PCIe lanes: 60 on AMD, 44 on Intel
• Launch MSRP: $1299 on AMD, $1699 on Intel
• Production status: Active on AMD, end-of-life on Intel
• Release date: 2018-10-01 on AMD, 2017-08-31 on Intel
• Part number: YD297XAZUHCAF on AMD, SR3RR on Intel

Both processors share the same market segment (desktop), memory support (DDR4), memory bus (quad-channel), ECC memory support (false for both), integrated graphics (none for both), and unlocked multiplier (true for both). The average benchmark scores are 6760 for the AMD part and 6533 for the Intel part. Both processors sit at the 62nd percentile among all CPUs in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX has 24 cores and 48 threads, while the Intel Core i9-7960X has 16 cores and 32 threads.

Q: How do the two processors compare in Cinebench R23 multicore performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX scores 26305, which is 12.4% higher than the Intel Core i9-7960X score of 23413.

Q: Which processor wins in Geekbench multicore, and by how much?

A: The Intel Core i9-7960X wins Geekbench multicore with a score of 10307, which is 30.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX score of 7195.

Q: What are the boost clock speeds of the two processors?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX has a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, while the Intel Core i9-7960X has a boost clock of 4.40 GHz.

Q: How much L3 cache does each processor have?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX has 64 MB of L3 cache, while the Intel Core i9-7960X has 22 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX is listed as active in production, while the Intel Core i9-7960X is listed as end-of-life.