AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX vs Intel Xeon 658X Comparison

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX and Intel Xeon 658X are both flagship workstation processors aimed at the same high-end market, yet they approach performance from very different angles. The data shows a clear split: AMD dominates in raw multi-threaded throughput and memory-intensive workloads, while Intel counters with superior single-thread speed and specific compute patterns. With the AMD chip scoring an average of 124171 across all benchmarks and the Intel chip averaging 116060, the overall advantage sits with AMD, but the 658X wins in enough categories to make it a legitimate alternative depending on the workload.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the benchmark data is that the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX wins 11 of the 17 head-to-head tests, while the Intel Xeon 658X takes 6. However, the margins tell a more nuanced story than the raw win count.

In the Cinebench suite, the AMD chip is consistently ahead by the same 2.5% margin. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Threadripper scores 64021 against the Xeon's 62466, and in single-core it posts 9038 versus 8818. The same 2.5% delta appears in R15 (6453 vs 6296 multi, 910 vs 888 single) and R20 (26888 vs 26235 multi, 3795 vs 3703 single). These are small but uniform wins, suggesting AMD's 32-core Zen 3 architecture holds a slight edge over Intel's 24-core Granite Rapids design in this rendering workload.

The Passmark suite reveals where each processor truly separates itself. AMD's biggest victory comes in integer math, where it scores 360156 against Intel's 263995 — a commanding 36.4% advantage. Data encryption is even more lopsided: AMD scores 80453 versus Intel's 52357, a 53.7% margin. Data compression also favors AMD heavily at 1293784 versus 1062062, a 21.8% lead, and random string sorting shows a 19.9% gap (123527 vs 103028). The multi-thread test follows suit with AMD ahead 75319 to 73490, a 2.5% edge.

Intel's wins are concentrated in different areas. The most dramatic is in Passmark physics, where the Xeon scores 6470 against AMD's 4360 — a 32.6% advantage. Finding prime numbers also strongly favors Intel at 649 versus 438, a 32.5% margin. Single-thread performance goes to Intel as well: 3728 versus 3323, a 10.9% lead. Floating-point math is closer, with Intel ahead 210480 to 202363 (3.9%), and extended instructions narrowly favor Intel at 84626 versus 82850 (2.1%).

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX as the better all-around workstation processor. Its 97th percentile standing among all CPUs matches the Intel chip, but its average benchmark score of 124171 is roughly 7% higher than the Xeon's 116060. The AMD chip also sits within 0.1% of the AMD EPYC 7642 and 0.5% of the Intel Xeon 6730P, while the Intel Xeon 658X trails the AMD EPYC 9384X by 3.6%.

Choose the Threadripper PRO 5975WX if your work involves encryption, compression, integer math, or any multi-threaded rendering task — the data shows leads of 53.7%, 21.8%, 36.4%, and 2.5% respectively. The 32 cores and 64 threads clearly feed these workloads better than Intel's 24 cores and 48 threads.

Choose the Intel Xeon 658X if your software leans on physics simulation, prime-number finding, or heavily single-threaded code. The 32.6% physics lead, 32.5% prime-number lead, and 10.9% single-thread advantage are substantial. The higher boost clock of 4.90 GHz versus 4.50 GHz explains part of this, but the architectural differences matter more.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from completely different design philosophies. AMD's Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX uses the Zen 3 architecture on a 7 nm process from TSMC, built as four 81 mm² chiplets totaling 16,600 million transistors. Its codename is Chagall PRO from the 5000 series.

Intel's Xeon 658X uses the Granite Rapids architecture on a 5 nm process from Intel's own foundry, with a die size of two 598 mm² pieces. It belongs to the Xeon 600 generation under the Granite Rapids-WS codename.

Cache configurations differ significantly. AMD provides 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, with a 128 MB L3 pool. Intel offers 112 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 per core, plus 144 MB of shared L3. The larger per-core L2 on Intel helps explain its single-thread advantage, while AMD's larger L3 total benefits multi-threaded access patterns.

Both chips use an eight-channel memory bus and support ECC memory, but AMD uses DDR4 with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth while Intel uses DDR5 with 409.6 GB/s — exactly double the bandwidth. Both provide 128 PCIe lanes from the CPU, but AMD is Gen 4 while Intel is Gen 5.

Specification Differences

The most obvious difference is core count: AMD has 32 cores and 64 threads, Intel has 24 cores and 48 threads. Clock speeds also diverge — AMD runs at 3.60 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost, while Intel runs at 3.00 GHz base and 4.90 GHz boost. Intel's higher boost clock aligns with its single-thread benchmark wins.

Power draw differs by 30 watts: AMD is rated at 280 W TDP, Intel at 250 W. Sockets are incompatible: AMD uses Socket WRX8, Intel uses Socket 4710. The AMD chip has a locked multiplier, while Intel's is unlocked. Release dates are far apart too — AMD launched in March 2022, Intel in February 2026. The launch MSRP for the AMD chip is $3299, while the Intel chip carries a launch MSRP of $1699. Intel's chip has integrated graphics listed as "N/A," while AMD's has none listed. Process nodes also differ: 7 nm for AMD, 5 nm for Intel.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX scores 64021 versus the Intel Xeon 658X's 62466, giving AMD a 2.5% advantage.

Q: How big is the single-thread performance gap?

A: The Intel Xeon 658X leads in Passmark single-thread with 3728 against AMD's 3323, a 10.9% margin. Intel also wins Cinebench R23 single-core but by only 2.5% (8818 vs 9038, with AMD ahead).

Q: Which chip handles data encryption better?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX dominates with a score of 80453 versus Intel's 52357 in Passmark data encryption, a 53.7% lead.

Q: What memory bandwidth does each support?

A: AMD's chip supports DDR4 with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth, while Intel's supports DDR5 with 409.6 GB/s — exactly double.

Q: Are the sockets interchangeable?

A: No. AMD uses Socket WRX8, Intel uses Socket 4710. They are completely incompatible platforms.

Q: Which chip has more PCIe lanes?

A: Both provide 128 lanes from the CPU, but AMD offers Gen 4 while Intel offers Gen 5.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX is the clear choice for encryption-heavy workloads like database encryption or secure communication processing — its 53.7% lead in data encryption is the largest margin in the entire comparison. Integer math tasks such as financial modeling or scientific computing also heavily favor AMD at 36.4% ahead. Data compression and random string sorting, common in archiving and data pipeline work, show AMD with 21.8% and 19.9% leads respectively. For any rendering workload using Cinebench as a proxy, AMD maintains a consistent 2.5% edge across all versions.

The Intel Xeon 658X wins in physics simulation workloads, likely benefiting from its 32.6% advantage in the Passmark physics test. Prime-number finding, relevant to cryptography and number theory, shows Intel ahead by 32.5%. Single-threaded applications gain from Intel's 10.9% Passmark lead, and floating-point math slightly favors Intel at 3.9%. Extended instruction workloads like SIMD-heavy code also marginally favor Intel at 2.1%. If your software is primarily single-threaded or physics-based, the Intel chip's higher boost clock of 4.90 GHz makes it the better fit despite AMD's overall benchmark advantage.