AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX vs Intel Core i5-9500 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX and the Intel Core i5-9500 occupy opposite ends of the desktop processing spectrum. The data shows a decisive performance gap, with the Threadripper PRO winning all eight head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the Core i5-9500. This analysis examines the benchmark results, architectural divergence, and the specific use cases where each processor’s characteristics matter most.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are unambiguous: the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX dominates every single test in the comparison set. The most staggering margins appear in multi-core workloads, where the Threadripper PRO’s 32 cores and 64 threads overwhelm the Core i5-9500’s 6 cores and 6 threads.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Threadripper PRO scores 5331 against the Core i5-9500’s 776, a delta of 587%. The single-core R15 test tells a similar story, with the AMD part scoring 752 versus 109, a 589.9% advantage. These percentages are consistent across the Cinebench suite: R20 multi-core shows 22215 versus 3236 (586.5% delta), and R20 single-core shows 3136 versus 456 (587.7% delta). Cinebench R23 follows the same pattern, with the Threadripper PRO scoring 52895 multi-core and 7467 single-core, against the Intel part’s 7705 and 1087, representing deltas of 586.5% and 586.9%, respectively.

The Geekbench results moderate the picture slightly but still favor AMD decisively. In Geekbench multi-core, the Threadripper PRO scores 16922 against 5402, a 213.3% lead. Single-core Geekbench narrows considerably: 1570 versus 1448, a mere 8.4% advantage for the Threadripper PRO. This single-core result is the closest contest in the entire dataset, suggesting that the Core i5-9500’s 4.30 GHz boost clock provides respectable per-thread performance, though not enough to overcome the AMD processor’s Zen 2 architecture efficiency.

The average benchmark score for the Threadripper PRO is 13786, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs tracked. The Core i5-9500 averages 13452, also in the 68th percentile, but its nearest rivals tell a different story. The Intel part sits near the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, -0.3% delta) and Intel Core i3-12100F (13494, -0.3% delta), while the Threadripper PRO’s nearest competitors include the Intel Core 3 304 (13745, +0.3%) and AMD EPYC 7443 (13936, -1.1%). These rival positions confirm that the Threadripper PRO, despite its massive core count, benchmarks in a similar average range to several mainstream and mobile processors, while the Core i5-9500 aligns with modern budget-oriented chips.

FAQ

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

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX scores 7467 in Cinebench R23 single-core, compared to the Intel Core i5-9500’s 1087, giving AMD a 586.9% advantage.

Q: How large is the multi-core performance gap in Geekbench?

A: The Threadripper PRO scores 16922 in Geekbench multi-core versus 5402 for the Core i5-9500, a 213.3% difference in favor of AMD.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core i5-9500 does not.

Q: Which CPU has more PCIe lanes?

A: The Threadripper PRO provides Gen 4 with 128 lanes (CPU only), whereas the Core i5-9500 offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only).

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The Threadripper PRO 3975WX is listed as Active, while the Core i5-9500 is marked as End-of-life.

Q: Are there any benchmark tests where the Intel Core i5-9500 wins?

A: No. The head-to-head dataset shows the AMD processor winning all eight tests, with winsA equal to 8 and winsB equal to 0.

Architecture Differences

The two processors diverge fundamentally in design philosophy and manufacturing technology. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX is built on Zen 2 architecture with the codename Castle Peak, manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It contains 15,200 million transistors spread across a die size of 4x 74 mm². The Intel Core i5-9500 uses Coffee Lake architecture (Coffee Lake Refresh), fabricated on Intel’s 14 nm process, with no transistor or die size data available in the fact pack.

Cache configurations highlight the scale difference. Both CPUs share 64 KB of L1 cache per core, but L2 differs: the Threadripper PRO has 512 KB per core, while the Core i5-9500 has 256 KB per core. L3 cache is dramatically different, with the AMD part offering 128 MB versus the Intel part’s 9 MB shared L3. Memory support also diverges sharply: the Threadripper PRO uses an eight-channel DDR4 memory bus with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the Core i5-9500 uses dual-channel DDR4 with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth.

The PCIe implementation reflects their market positioning. AMD provides Gen 4 with 128 lanes, enabling massive expansion for professional workloads, while Intel provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes, typical for mainstream desktop systems. The Threadripper PRO has no integrated graphics, whereas the Core i5-9500 includes Intel UHD 630. Both processors have locked multipliers, and neither supports a 3D V-Cache option per the data.

The Threadripper PRO’s socket is AMD Socket WRX8, while the Core i5-9500 uses Intel Socket 1151. Release dates differ by nearly two years, with the Intel part launched on 2018-10-18 and the AMD part on 2020-07-13. The Threadripper PRO carries a launch MSRP of $2749, while no launch MSRP is listed for the Core i5-9500.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear conclusion: the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX is the superior processor in every benchmark category recorded. Its multi-core advantages range from 213.3% in Geekbench to over 586% in the Cinebench suite, reflecting the exponential scaling of its 32 cores and 64 threads. Even in single-core tests, where the Core i5-9500’s higher 4.30 GHz boost clock could theoretically compete, the Threadripper PRO maintains a lead, albeit a narrower 8.4% in Geekbench single-core.

For workloads that rely on multi-threaded rendering, simulation, or data processing, the Threadripper PRO is the only viable choice between these two. Its 128 MB L3 cache, eight-channel memory with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth, and 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes provide a platform designed for heavy professional tasks. The Core i5-9500, with 6 cores, 9 MB L3, dual-channel memory at 42.7 GB/s, and 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, targets a fundamentally different segment.

The Core i5-9500’s only advantages are implicit: lower power consumption (65 W TDP versus 280 W), integrated graphics, and a smaller platform footprint. Its end-of-life production status, however, limits its future relevance. The Threadripper PRO remains active and, while its launch MSRP of $2749 positions it as a premium part, its benchmark dominance justifies that positioning for users whose workloads scale with core count.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two processors according to the fact pack:

• Cores: 32 (AMD) vs 6 (Intel)
• Threads: 64 (AMD) vs 6 (Intel)
• Base Clock: 3.50 GHz (AMD) vs 3.00 GHz (Intel)
• Boost Clock: 4.20 GHz (AMD) vs 4.30 GHz (Intel)
• TDP: 280 W (AMD) vs 65 W (Intel)
• Socket: AMD Socket WRX8 vs Intel Socket 1151
• Architecture: Zen 2 vs Coffee Lake
• Codename: Castle Peak vs Coffee Lake
• Generation: Ryzen Threadripper (Zen 2 Castle Peak) vs Core i5 (Coffee Lake Refresh)
• Process Node: 7 nm vs 14 nm
• Foundry: TSMC vs Intel
• Transistors: 15,200 million vs null
• Die Size: 4x 74 mm² vs null
• L2 Cache: 512 KB per core vs 256 KB per core
• L3 Cache: 128 MB vs 9 MB shared
• Memory Bus: Eight-channel vs Dual-channel
• Memory Bandwidth: 204.8 GB/s vs 42.7 GB/s
• ECC Memory: true vs false
• PCIe: Gen 4, 128 Lanes vs Gen 3, 16 Lanes
• Integrated Graphics: null vs UHD 630
• Production Status: Active vs End-of-life
• Release Date: 2020-07-13 vs 2018-10-18
• Launch MSRP: $2749 vs null
• Part Number: 100-000000086100-100000086WOF vs SR3XG

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX wins in every benchmark category where data exists. Its largest victories come in multi-threaded synthetic workloads: Cinebench R23 multi-core (52895 versus 7705), Cinebench R20 multi-core (22215 versus 3236), and Cinebench R15 multi-core (5331 versus 776). These results indicate dominance in rendering, video encoding, scientific computation, and any task that can utilize more than 6 threads. The processor’s 128 MB L3 cache and eight-channel memory bandwidth further support large dataset workloads, making it suitable for professional content creation, virtualization, and heavy compilation tasks.

The Threadripper PRO also wins single-core tests, but with much smaller margins in Geekbench (8.4% delta) compared to Cinebench single-core tests (over 586% deltas). This suggests that in lightly-threaded applications, the Core i5-9500’s 4.30 GHz boost clock narrows the gap, though it does not close it.

The Intel Core i5-9500 has no benchmark wins in the provided data. Its strengths lie outside the benchmark suite: a 65 W TDP indicates significantly lower power draw, which matters for compact systems and reduced cooling requirements. The integrated UHD 630 graphics allow for a display output without a discrete GPU, which the Threadripper PRO cannot offer. Its dual-channel memory and 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes are adequate for mainstream desktop tasks like office productivity, light web browsing, and basic media playback, but the data does not support any performance-oriented use case where it beats the AMD processor.

For users with workloads that scale across many cores, the Threadripper PRO is the clear choice. For users prioritizing low power, integrated graphics, and mainstream platform simplicity, the Core i5-9500 remains functional, but it is outclassed in every measured performance metric.