AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX vs Intel Core i5-9600K Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the majority of the head-to-head benchmarks in the database?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX wins all 8 recorded head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The Intel Core i5-9600K records 0 wins in this matchup.

Q: How large is the gap in multi-core rendering performance between the two chips?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Threadripper PRO 3975WX scores 52,895 versus the Core i5-9600K's 9,055, a delta of -82.9% from the Intel part's perspective. The AMD processor is roughly 5.8 times faster in this workload.

Q: Are the two chips close in single-core performance?

A: Not particularly. In Geekbench single-core, the Threadripper PRO 3975WX scores 1,570 versus 1,559 for the Core i5-9600K, a narrow 0.7% delta. However, in Cinebench R23 single-core, the AMD part scores 7,467 versus 1,278, an 82.9% delta favoring AMD.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-9600K has 6 cores and 6 threads. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX has 32 cores and 64 threads.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i5-9600K does not support ECC memory.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-9600K is marked as end-of-life, while the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX is listed as active in production.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from completely different architectural lineages. The Intel Core i5-9600K is built on the Coffee Lake architecture, specifically the Coffee Lake Refresh generation, using a 14 nm process node fabricated by Intel. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX uses the Zen 2 architecture with the Castle Peak codename, manufactured on a 7 nm process node by TSMC. This process node difference is substantial: 14 nm versus 7 nm, which translates into very different transistor density and power characteristics.

The AMD part has 32 cores and 64 threads, while the Intel part has 6 cores and 6 threads. That is a 5.3x core advantage and a 10.7x thread advantage for AMD. The Threadripper PRO 3975WX also carries 15,200 million transistors across a die size of 4x 74 mm². The Intel chip does not have transistor or die size data recorded in the database.

Cache hierarchies differ significantly. Both use 64 KB of L1 cache per core. The L2 cache is 256 KB per core on Intel versus 512 KB per core on AMD. The L3 cache is the biggest split: 9 MB shared on the Core i5-9600K versus 128 MB on the Threadripper PRO 3975WX. That is more than a 14x difference in total L3 capacity.

Memory support also diverges. Both support DDR4, but the Intel part uses a dual-channel memory bus with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the AMD part uses an eight-channel memory bus with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth. That is a 4.8x bandwidth advantage for AMD. The Threadripper PRO 3975WX also supports ECC memory, which the Core i5-9600K does not.

PCIe connectivity is another major split. The Intel chip provides PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The AMD chip provides PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes from the CPU. That is both a generation jump and an 8x lane count increase.

The Intel part includes integrated graphics, UHD 630, while the AMD part has no integrated graphics listed. The Intel socket is Intel Socket 1151, and the AMD socket is AMD Socket WRX8. The Intel chip has an unlocked multiplier, while the AMD chip does not. The Threadripper PRO 3975WX has a launch MSRP of $2749.

The Verdict

The data points to an unambiguous conclusion: the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX is the dominant processor across every recorded benchmark in this matchup. It wins all 8 head-to-head tests, and the deltas are often extreme. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD part scores 52,895 versus 9,055, an 82.9% gap. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 5,331 versus 912, again an 82.9% gap. Even in Geekbench single-core, where the Intel part is closest, AMD still wins by 0.7%.

Who should pick the Intel Core i5-9600K? The data does not offer a single benchmark win for this chip. It is end-of-life, has 6 cores and 6 threads, no ECC support, and its best recorded single-core score (Geekbench 1,559) still trails the AMD part. It has integrated graphics, which the AMD part lacks, and it uses a dual-channel memory bus with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth. For workloads that depend only on the benchmarks recorded here, the Intel part is not competitive.

Who should pick the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX? The data strongly indicates this is the choice for multi-threaded workloads. Its 32 cores, 64 threads, 128 MB L3 cache, eight-channel memory with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth, and PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes make it a platform for heavy parallel compute. It also wins single-core tests, so there is no workload category in this dataset where the Intel part comes out ahead.

The percentile data is interesting. The Intel Core i5-9600K sits at the 69th percentile of all CPUs, and the Threadripper PRO 3975WX sits at the 68th percentile. Despite the massive benchmark deltas between the two, their overall percentile rankings are nearly identical. This suggests that the database's percentile metric is not purely based on these benchmark scores, or that the Threadripper PRO 3975WX is being compared against a field of extreme high-end parts. Regardless, in a direct head-to-head, AMD wins every test.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on almost every major specification field.

• Cores: 6 (Intel) versus 32 (AMD)
• Threads: 6 (Intel) versus 64 (AMD)
• Base clock: 3.70 GHz (Intel) versus 3.50 GHz (AMD)
• Boost clock: 4.60 GHz (Intel) versus 4.20 GHz (AMD)
• TDP: 95 (Intel) versus 280 (AMD)
• Socket: Intel Socket 1151 versus AMD Socket WRX8
• Architecture: Coffee Lake versus Zen 2
• Codename: Coffee Lake versus Castle Peak
• Process node: 14 nm (Intel) versus 7 nm (AMD)
• Foundry: Intel versus TSMC
• Transistors: not recorded for Intel, 15,200 million for AMD
• Die size: not recorded for Intel, 4x 74 mm² for AMD
• L2 cache: 256 KB per core (Intel) versus 512 KB per core (AMD)
• L3 cache: 9 MB shared (Intel) versus 128 MB (AMD)
• Memory bus: Dual-channel versus Eight-channel
• Memory bandwidth: 42.7 GB/s versus 204.8 GB/s
• ECC memory: false (Intel) versus true (AMD)
• PCIe: Gen 3, 16 lanes versus Gen 4, 128 lanes
• Integrated graphics: UHD 630 (Intel) versus none (AMD)
• Production status: End-of-life versus Active
• Release date: 2018-10-18 versus 2020-07-13
• Multiplier unlocked: true (Intel) versus false (AMD)

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX wins all 8 head-to-head tests. The most lopsided results appear in the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 5,331 versus Intel's 912, a delta of -82.9%. In Cinebench R15 single-core, AMD scores 752 versus 128, a delta of -83%. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, AMD scores 22,215 versus 3,803, again -82.9%. In Cinebench R20 single-core, AMD scores 3,136 versus 536, -82.9%. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, AMD scores 52,895 versus 9,055, -82.9%. In Cinebench R23 single-core, AMD scores 7,467 versus 1,278, -82.9%.

The Geekbench results are less extreme but still favor AMD. In Geekbench multi-core, AMD scores 16,922 versus 6,075, a delta of -64.1%. In Geekbench single-core, AMD scores 1,570 versus 1,559, a delta of only -0.7%. That single-core Geekbench result is the closest margin in the entire head-to-head set.

The pattern is clear: the AMD part dominates multi-threaded workloads by a wide margin, and it also wins single-threaded tests, albeit by a narrow margin in Geekbench. The Intel part never comes within a single-digit percentage of winning, except in Geekbench single-core where it trails by 0.7%.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the recorded data, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX wins in every benchmark category. There is no test in the head-to-head set where the Intel Core i5-9600K takes the lead.

For multi-threaded rendering, the choice is clearly the AMD part. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows a 52,895 versus 9,055 split, and Cinebench R20 multi-core shows 22,215 versus 3,803. These are workloads that scale with core count, cache, and memory bandwidth, all of which favor the Threadripper PRO 3975WX.

For single-threaded tasks, the AMD part still wins. Geekbench single-core is close at 1,570 versus 1,559, but Cinebench R23 single-core is not close at all: 7,467 versus 1,278. The Intel part's higher boost clock of 4.60 GHz versus 4.20 GHz does not translate into a single-core benchmark victory in this dataset.

The Intel Core i5-9600K has no recorded wins. Its advantages in the specification table, such as integrated graphics, a lower TDP of 95 versus 280, and an unlocked multiplier, do not appear in any benchmark result in this comparison. The data does not support a use case where the Intel chip wins a performance test.

The AMD part's strengths are broad. It wins multi-threaded tests by roughly 5.8x in Cinebench R23 multi-core, wins single-threaded tests by a wide margin in Cinebench, and wins Geekbench multi-core by 64.1%. Its 128 MB L3 cache, eight-channel memory with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth, and 64 threads align with workloads that need massive parallel throughput. The Intel part, with 6 cores, 6 threads, 9 MB L3, and 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, is positioned for a different class of workload, but no benchmark in this dataset rewards that positioning.