AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X vs Intel Core 9 273PQE Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits this comparison into two very different usage profiles. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins 15 of the 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, while the Intel Core 9 273PQE wins only 2. That near-total dominance comes entirely from multi-threaded and data-intensive workloads. The Threadripper 9980X delivers scores that are multiples of the Intel part in every Cinebench test, every PassMark compute test except one, and all of the data processing routines.

The Intel Core 9 273PQE takes its two wins in the PassMark single-thread tests. The database records a score of 4573 for the Intel part versus 4537 for the AMD part, a margin of 0.8 percent. That is a narrow but consistent edge across both single-thread test entries. For workloads that depend on one or two cores, the Intel part holds a slight advantage. That includes lightly threaded applications, interactive responsiveness, and tasks that cannot use more than a handful of threads.

The AMD part owns everything else. The largest margins appear in PassMark extended instructions, where the Threadripper scores 228959 versus 38743, a 491 percent advantage. PassMark data encryption shows a 430.2 percent gap, integer math a 429.7 percent gap, and random string sorting a 449.4 percent gap. The Cinebench suite shows a uniform 233.1 percent lead for the AMD part across R15, R20, and R23, both multi-core and single-core. That consistency suggests the advantage is structural, not workload-specific.

The practical split is clear. The Intel Core 9 273PQE suits single-threaded desktop use where its higher boost clock and lighter platform overhead help. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X suits rendering, simulation, encryption, compression, and any workload that scales across many cores. The data shows no middle ground: either the AMD part is several times faster, or the Intel part is marginally faster in one narrow category.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X uses the Zen 5 architecture under the codename Shimada Peak, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It packs 64 cores and 128 threads. The Intel Core 9 273PQE uses the Bartlett Lake codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel, with 12 cores and 24 threads. The core count difference is the most obvious divider, but the architectural choices go deeper.

Cache organization differs substantially. The AMD part allocates 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 per core, then pools 256 MB of L3 cache across the whole chip. The Intel part gives each core 80 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2, but only 36 MB of shared L3. The AMD L3 pool is more than seven times larger. That large shared cache benefits workloads with big working sets or frequent data sharing between threads.

The memory subsystem also diverges. The Threadripper 9980X supports DDR5 exclusively, over a quad-channel memory bus, yielding a recorded memory bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s. The Intel part supports both DDR4 and DDR5, runs on a dual-channel bus, and records 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The AMD part has more than twice the theoretical memory bandwidth, which matters for the data-heavy benchmarks where it wins by large margins.

PCIe connectivity differs as well. The AMD processor provides Gen 5 with 80 lanes from the CPU. The Intel processor provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes. That difference affects expandability for multiple GPUs, storage controllers, or accelerators. The AMD part also carries no integrated graphics, while the Intel part includes UHD Graphics 770. The AMD part has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel part does not. The AMD part uses AMD Socket sTR5, the Intel part uses Intel Socket 1700.

The process node gap is significant: 4 nm versus 10 nm. The AMD part also reports a transistor count of 66,520 million across eight chiplets, each 70.6 mm². The Intel part reports no transistor or die size figures in the database. The AMD part carries a 350 W TDP, the Intel part 125 W. Those numbers frame the physical design: the AMD part is a multi-die enterprise-class processor, the Intel part is a monolithic desktop chip.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results are uniform. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD part scores 13157 against 3950, a 233.1 percent lead. The single-core R15 result shows 1857 against 557, also 233.1 percent. R20 multi-core gives 54822 versus 16459, R20 single-core 7739 versus 2323, both at 233.1 percent. R23 multi-core gives 130529 versus 39190, and R23 single-core 18427 versus 5532, again 233.1 percent. The identical percentage across all six tests indicates a fixed scaling factor, likely from the core and thread count ratio, rather than workload-dependent behavior.

The PassMark suite shows wider variation. The smallest multi-threaded gap is in PassMark physics, where the AMD part scores 8001 versus 2754, a 190.5 percent lead. PassMark multithread shows 141641 versus 46107, a 207.2 percent lead. The largest gap appears in extended instructions, 228959 versus 38743, a 491 percent lead. Data compression shows 2974534 versus 585752, a 407.8 percent lead. Data encryption shows 157137 versus 29636, a 430.2 percent lead. Integer math shows 872071 versus 164629, a 429.7 percent lead. Floating point math shows 559003 versus 125546, a 345.3 percent lead. Random string sorting shows 292083 versus 53167, a 449.4 percent lead. Prime number finding shows 769 versus 198, a 288.4 percent lead.

The only Intel wins are the two identical single-thread entries, both recording 4573 versus 4537, a 0.8 percent margin. Those two wins are the only benchmark categories where the AMD part does not lead. The margin is small in absolute terms, 36 points, but it appears twice in the database, confirming the result.

The delta percentages tell the story of scaling. The AMD part does not merely lead by a fixed ratio; it leads by ratios that vary from 1.9x to 4.9x depending on the test. The encryption, integer, sorting, and extended instruction tests show the largest gaps, all above 400 percent. Those tests likely stress memory bandwidth, cache capacity, and the wide core count simultaneously. The physics and multithread tests show the smallest gaps among AMD wins, around 1.9x to 2.1x, suggesting those workloads are less sensitive to the AMD advantage.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every recorded specification field. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X uses 64 cores and 128 threads; the Intel Core 9 273PQE uses 12 cores and 24 threads. Base clock for the AMD part is 3.20 GHz, boost clock 5.40 GHz. The Intel part starts at 3.40 GHz base and boosts to 5.90 GHz. The Intel part has a higher boost clock, which aligns with its single-thread win.

TDP differs by a factor of 2.8: 350 W for the AMD part versus 125 W for the Intel part. The socket is different, sTR5 versus Socket 1700. The process node is different, 4 nm TSMC versus 10 nm Intel. The foundry differs, TSMC versus Intel. The AMD part reports 66,520 million transistors and an 8x 70.6 mm² die arrangement; the Intel part reports no transistor count or die size.

Cache differs in organization: the AMD part has 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 256 MB L3. The Intel part has 80 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 36 MB shared L3. Memory support differs: the AMD part supports DDR5 only, the Intel part supports DDR4 and DDR5. Memory bus width differs: quad-channel versus dual-channel. Memory bandwidth differs: 204.8 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s. Both support ECC memory.

PCIe lanes differ: 80 Gen 5 lanes for the AMD part, 16 Gen 5 lanes for the Intel part. Integrated graphics differ: none for the AMD part, UHD Graphics 770 for the Intel part. Market segment is Desktop for both. Production status is Active for both. The multiplier is unlocked on the AMD part, locked on the Intel part. Part numbers differ: 100-000001593 versus SA4Q9. Release dates differ: 2025-07-29 for the AMD part, 2026-03-08 for the Intel part. Launch MSRP is $4999 for the AMD part and $589 for the Intel part.

The specification gaps explain the benchmark gaps. The AMD part has more than five times the cores, more than twice the memory bandwidth, and seven times the L3 cache. Those advantages dominate multi-threaded work. The Intel part has a higher boost clock, which explains its narrow single-thread win.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in multi-core workloads?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins every multi-core benchmark in the database. It leads by 233.1 percent in all three Cinebench multi-core tests, and by 190.5 to 491 percent across PassMark multi-threaded tests.

Q: Which processor wins in single-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PQE wins the PassMark single-thread tests with a score of 4573 versus 4537, a 0.8 percent margin. The AMD part leads every Cinebench single-core test by 233.1 percent, but the PassMark single-thread result goes to Intel.

Q: How do the core counts compare?

A: The AMD part has 64 cores and 128 threads. The Intel part has 12 cores and 24 threads. The AMD part has more than five times the core count.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The AMD part records 204.8 GB/s over a quad-channel DDR5 bus. The Intel part records 89.6 GB/s over a dual-channel bus that supports DDR4 and DDR5. The AMD bandwidth is more than double.

Q: Does either processor include integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PQE includes UHD Graphics 770. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X has no integrated graphics, listed as N/A in the database.

Q: What are the launch MSRP values?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X has a launch MSRP of $4999. The Intel Core 9 273PQE has a launch MSRP of $589.

Q: What is the largest benchmark gap between the two?

A: The largest gap is in PassMark extended instructions, where the AMD part scores 228959 versus 38743, a 491 percent lead. The next largest gaps are in data encryption at 430.2 percent and integer math at 429.7 percent.