AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX vs Intel Core i5-4590 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4590 and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX occupy opposite ends of the desktop spectrum, yet their average benchmark scores sit nearly identical at 7609 and 7578, respectively, a delta of just 0.4%. This parity in aggregate metrics masks a stark divergence in workload behavior: the i5-4590 is a 4-core, 4-thread Haswell part from 2014, while the 2990WX is a 32-core, 64-thread Zen+ flagship from 2018. Benchmark data shows the Threadripper dominates every head-to-head test, but the i5-4590 holds its own in specific single-threaded and latency-sensitive scenarios relative to its modest specifications. The following analysis breaks down where each processor wins, how their architectures diverge, and what the numbers reveal about their respective design philosophies.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX wins outright in every benchmark category where both processors were tested. Out of 8 head-to-head comparisons, the 2990WX claims all 8 victories. Its most decisive wins come in multi-core workloads, where its 32 cores and 64 threads overwhelm the i5-4590's 4 cores and 4 threads. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the 2990WX scores 27370 against 4573, a delta of -83.3% for the i5-4590. Similarly, Geekbench multi-core shows 11821 versus 3156, a 73.3% gap. The Threadripper’s dominance extends to single-core tests as well, though by a narrower margin: Cinebench R23 single-core shows 3864 versus 645, while Geekbench single-core shows 1303 versus 1077, a delta of -17.3%.

The Intel Core i5-4590 has no benchmark wins against the 2990WX. However, its strengths lie in efficiency and platform simplicity. With a TDP of 84 watts versus 250 watts, the i5-4590 draws far less power, and its integrated Intel HD 4600 graphics eliminate the need for a discrete GPU in basic systems. The data shows the i5-4590’s average benchmark score of 7609 is slightly higher than the 2990WX’s 7578, but this is due to the i5-4590 having more benchmark entries (19 versus 8), including PassMark tests where the Threadripper was not measured. In the shared tests, the 2990WX is always ahead. The i5-4590’s real advantage is in legacy compatibility — it uses DDR3 memory and fits the Intel Socket 1150, making it a drop-in upgrade for older systems, whereas the 2990WX requires the AMD Socket SP3r2 platform with DDR4 and a high-end motherboard.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher multi-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX scores 27370, while the Intel Core i5-4590 scores 4573. The 2990WX leads by 83.3% in this test.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-4590 faster than the 2990WX in any benchmark?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the 2990WX wins all 8 shared benchmarks. The i5-4590’s higher average benchmark score (7609 vs 7578) comes from additional PassMark tests that were not run on the 2990WX.

Q: What is the difference in core counts?

A: The i5-4590 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the 2990WX has 32 cores and 64 threads. This 8x core difference explains the massive multi-core performance gap.

Q: How do their single-core performances compare?

A: The 2990WX leads in all single-core tests. In Geekbench single-core, it scores 1303 versus 1077, a 17.3% advantage. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 3864 versus 645, an 83.3% lead.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. Both the i5-4590 and the 2990WX have ECC memory support listed as false in the data.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock speed?

A: The i5-4590 has a base clock of 3.30 GHz, while the 2990WX has a base clock of 3.00 GHz. However, the 2990WX boosts to 4.20 GHz, higher than the i5-4590’s 3.70 GHz boost.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data reveals a consistent pattern: the 2990WX outperforms the i5-4590 by a wide margin in multi-core tests, with a slightly narrower but still substantial lead in single-core tests. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the 2990WX scores 2758 against 460, a delta of -83.3%. The same 83.3% delta appears in Cinebench R20 multi-core (11495 vs 1920) and Cinebench R23 multi-core (27370 vs 4573). This uniformity suggests the performance gap scales almost perfectly with core count, which is expected given the 8x difference in cores and 16x difference in threads.

Single-core comparisons show a different story. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the 2990WX scores 389 versus 64, a delta of -83.5%. Cinebench R20 single-core shows 1622 versus 270, a -83.4% delta, and Cinebench R23 single-core shows 3864 versus 645, a -83.3% delta. These numbers indicate that the 2990WX’s Zen+ architecture delivers significantly higher instructions per clock than Haswell, even at lower base clocks. The Geekbench single-core test narrows the gap to -17.3% (1303 vs 1077), suggesting that Geekbench’s workload is less sensitive to the architectural differences. Geekbench multi-core shows a -73.3% delta (11821 vs 3156), which is smaller than Cinebench’s delta because the i5-4590’s 4 cores still scale reasonably in this test.

The largest single delta in the data is -83.5% in Cinebench R15 single-core, while the smallest is -17.3% in Geekbench single-core. This range highlights how benchmark choice affects perceived performance differences. For multi-threaded rendering, the 2990WX is nearly 6 times faster than the i5-4590. For light single-threaded tasks, it is still faster, but the gap narrows to less than 20% in Geekbench.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every specification category. The i5-4590 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the 2990WX has 32 cores and 64 threads. Base clocks are 3.30 GHz for the i5-4590 and 3.00 GHz for the 2990WX, but boost clocks are 3.70 GHz and 4.20 GHz, respectively. TDP ratings are 84 watts for the i5-4590 and 250 watts for the 2990WX, reflecting the massive core-count difference. The i5-4590 uses the Intel Socket 1150, while the 2990WX uses the AMD Socket SP3r2.

Memory support differs fundamentally: the i5-4590 uses DDR3 with a dual-channel bus, while the 2990WX uses DDR4 with a quad-channel bus. The 2990WX has a listed memory bandwidth of 93.9 GB/s, while the i5-4590 has no bandwidth figure in the data. PCIe support is Gen 3 for both, but the 2990WX offers 60 lanes (CPU only) versus the i5-4590’s unspecified lane count. The i5-4590 includes integrated Intel HD 4600 graphics, while the 2990WX has no integrated graphics. The i5-4590 has a locked multiplier, while the 2990WX is multiplier-unlocked. Release dates are April 30, 2014, for the i5-4590 and August 12, 2018, for the 2990WX.

Architecture Differences

The i5-4590 is built on Intel’s 22 nm Haswell architecture, using 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. The 2990WX uses AMD’s 12 nm Zen+ architecture (codename Colfax), fabricated by GlobalFoundries, with 19,200 million transistors across 4x 213 mm² dies. This 12 nm process is smaller than the 22 nm process, but the die size is significantly larger due to the core count. The transistor count difference is dramatic: 19,200 million versus 1,400 million, a 13.7x increase.

Cache hierarchies diverge as well. The i5-4590 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The 2990WX has 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 64 MB of L3 cache. The L3 cache size difference is 64 MB versus 6 MB, which helps the 2990WX in large working sets. The i5-4590’s cache configuration is per-core for L1 and L2, with shared L3, while the 2990WX follows the same pattern but with larger per-core allocations.

The production status also differs: the i5-4590 has no production status listed, while the 2990WX is listed as "Active." The 2990WX is part of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2000 series, with the part number YD299XAZUIHAF, and its launch MSRP is $1799. The i5-4590 has no launch MSRP in the data. Both processors target the desktop market segment, but their architectures reflect different eras and design goals: Haswell prioritized power efficiency and mainstream compatibility, while Zen+ Colfax prioritized raw multi-threaded throughput at the expense of power and platform cost.