CPU Comparison

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and the Intel Core i7-4790 occupy vastly different positions in the desktop processor landscape, separated by five years of architectural evolution and a fundamental difference in core design philosophy. The data shows a complete sweep for the AMD part across all eight shared benchmark tests, with the Threadripper 3970X winning every head-to-head comparison. The average benchmark score for the Ryzen processor is 10841, placing it at the 66th percentile of all CPUs, while the Core i7-4790 posts an average score of 10556, also at the 66th percentile. This statistical parity in percentile ranking masks an enormous performance gap in threaded workloads, where the 32-core, 64-thread Threadripper utterly dwarfs the 4-core, 8-thread Haswell chip.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic disparities appear in multi-core rendering tests. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Threadripper 3970X scores 5405 against the i7-4790's 621, a delta of 770.4%. The R20 multi-core test shows a similar pattern: 22524 versus 2591, a 769.3% advantage. Cinebench R23 multi-core reinforces this trend with scores of 53630 and 6171 respectively, a 769.1% difference. These results are not incremental improvements; they represent a near-order-of-magnitude leap in sustained multi-threaded throughput, directly attributable to the 8x core and 8x thread count advantage.

Single-core performance tells a more nuanced story, though the AMD part still wins decisively. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Threadripper scores 762 versus 87, a 775.9% delta. The R20 single-core test shows 3179 against 365, a 771% difference, and R23 single-core yields 7571 versus 871, a 769.2% margin. These percentages are remarkably consistent across all three Cinebench versions, suggesting the performance ratio is stable regardless of the specific rendering workload. The Geekbench single-core test shows the smallest gap of any benchmark: 1653 for the Threadripper versus 1164 for the i7-4790, a 42% advantage. This narrower margin reflects the fact that single-threaded performance is less dependent on core count and more on IPC and clock speed, where the newer Zen 2 architecture holds a clear but less overwhelming edge.

Geekbench multi-core reinforces the core-count narrative, with the Threadripper scoring 20112 versus 3927, a 412.1% delta. This is the second-smallest percentage gap among the eight tests, yet it still represents a fourfold improvement. The pattern across all benchmarks is unambiguous: the Threadripper 3970X wins every test, with multi-core deltas ranging from 412.1% to 770.4% and single-core deltas from 42% to 775.9%. The wins tally stands at 8 for the AMD part and 0 for the Intel chip.

Where Each One Wins

The Threadripper 3970X wins in every scenario measured, but the magnitude of its advantage varies by workload type. For heavily parallelized tasks like 3D rendering, video encoding, and scientific computation, the multi-core Cinebench results indicate a performance ceiling roughly 8.7 times higher than the i7-4790. The 128 MB of L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth provide the data-feeding infrastructure necessary to keep 64 threads busy, a capability the i7-4790's 8 MB shared L3 and 25.6 GB/s dual-channel bandwidth cannot approach.

For lightly threaded applications, such as legacy games or single-threaded productivity tools, the Threadripper still leads, but by a much smaller margin. The Geekbench single-core score of 1653 versus 1164 shows a 42% advantage, which is meaningful but not transformative. The i7-4790's 4.00 GHz boost clock and Haswell architecture are competitive enough to remain usable in single-threaded scenarios, even if they cannot match the Zen 2 core's efficiency. The data suggests that users primarily running single-threaded workloads would notice the difference but would not experience the same dramatic performance cliff seen in multi-threaded tests.

The i7-4790's only potential advantage lies in its integrated graphics, featuring Intel HD 4600, which the Threadripper 3970X lacks entirely. This is not reflected in any benchmark score but is a functional difference for systems requiring a display output without a discrete GPU. The i7-4790 also consumes significantly less power at 84 W TDP versus 280 W, though the benchmark data does not quantify the performance-per-watt tradeoff.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the Threadripper 3970X in multi-core rendering?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Threadripper scores 53630 versus 6171 for the i7-4790, a 769.1% performance advantage. This pattern holds across R15 and R20 multi-core tests, with deltas of 770.4% and 769.3% respectively.

Q: Is the Threadripper 3970X faster in single-core tests?

A: Yes, but by a smaller margin. Geekbench single-core shows 1653 versus 1164, a 42% advantage. Cinebench R23 single-core shows a larger 769.2% delta (7571 versus 871), though this figure is inflated by the i7-4790's unusually low score in that specific test.

Q: Which processor has better memory bandwidth?

A: The Threadripper 3970X supports quad-channel DDR4 with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth, while the i7-4790 uses dual-channel DDR3 with 25.6 GB/s. This fourfold bandwidth advantage is critical for feeding the Threadripper's 32 cores.

Q: Does the i7-4790 have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, it includes Intel HD 4600 graphics. The Threadripper 3970X has no integrated graphics, requiring a discrete GPU for display output.

Q: How do the two processors compare in average benchmark score?

A: The Threadripper 3970X has an average score of 10841, while the i7-4790 averages 10556. The Threadripper is 2.7% higher, and both sit at the 66th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Which processor is unlocked for overclocking?

A: The Threadripper 3970X has an unlocked multiplier. The i7-4790 does not, meaning its clock speeds are locked to factory specifications.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every measurable specification. The Threadripper 3970X has 32 cores and 64 threads, while the i7-4790 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are 3.70 GHz versus 3.60 GHz, and boost clocks are 4.50 GHz versus 4.00 GHz. TDP ratings are 280 W versus 84 W. The AMD part uses the AMD Socket TRX4, while the Intel chip uses Intel Socket 1150. Memory support differs entirely: DDR4 with quad-channel bus on the Threadripper versus DDR3 with dual-channel bus on the i7-4790. Memory bandwidth is 102.4 GB/s versus 25.6 GB/s. PCIe generation differs as well, with Gen 4 on the Threadripper and Gen 3 with 16 lanes on the i7-4790. The i7-4790 includes Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics; the Threadripper has none. The Threadripper's multiplier is unlocked; the i7-4790's is locked.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors spans multiple generations and design philosophies. The Threadripper 3970X uses AMD's Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Castle Peak, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC with 15,200 million transistors spread across four 74 mm² dies. The i7-4790 uses Intel's Haswell architecture on a 22 nm process at Intel with 1,400 million transistors on a single 177 mm² die. The process node difference alone, 7 nm versus 22 nm, explains much of the efficiency and density gap.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. The Threadripper has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 128 MB of L3 cache. The i7-4790 has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. The Threadripper's 128 MB L3 is a 16x increase over the i7-4790's 8 MB, providing a massive working set for data-intensive workloads. The production status also differs, with the Threadripper listed as active and the i7-4790 as end-of-life. Release dates are 2019-11-24 for the Threadripper versus 2014-04-30 for the i7-4790. The part numbers are 100-000000011100-100000011WOF for the AMD chip and SR1QF for the Intel chip.