AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs Intel Core i9-7960X

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Ryzen 9 5950X compared with Core i9-7960X

	AMDRyzen 9 5950X	IntelCore i9-7960X
Overview
Released
Released	November 2020	September 2017
Cores and clocks
Cores
Cores	16	16
Threads
Threads	32	32
Base clock
Base clock	3.4 GHz	2.8 GHz
Boost clock
Boost clock	4.9 GHz (better)	4.4 GHz
L3 cache
L3 cache	64 MB (better)	22 MB
Cores
Cores	Zen 3; Vermeer.	Skylake-X; 16 cores with Hyper-Threading. The unlocked multiplier is confirmed by Intel’s exact-model family product brief.
Clocks
Clocks	Unlocked for overclocking; Precision Boost 2 and Precision Boost Overdrive described in AMD's launch notice.	Turbo Boost Max 3.0 up to 4.40 GHz on the preferred core; ordinary Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 4.20 GHz. The main boost field uses Intel’s highest published frequency. Intel’s August family notice explicitly states that the new fourteen- to eighteen-core processors would be available on 25 September 2017; Puget’s contemporary exact-model tests confirm availability that day.
Cache
Cache	8 MB L2; Zen 3's unified eight-core complex provides 32 MB of L3 cache per complex, as described in AMD's launch notice.	22 MB Intel Smart Cache (L3).
Graphics and AI
Built-in graphics
Built-in graphics	No	No
Graphics
Graphics	A separate graphics card is required.	No processor graphics, explicitly stated in Intel’s exact-model comparison-chart row; a separate graphics solution is required.
Platform
Socket
Socket	AM4	LGA2066
Base power
Base power	105 W	165 W
Unlocked
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
Cooler in the box
Cooler in the box	No	No
Memory support
Memory support	DDR4; up to 3200 MT/s.	Up to 128 GB; four channels of DDR4-2666; 85 GB/s maximum published bandwidth; no ECC.
PCIe
PCIe	PCIe 4.0.	44 CPU lanes; PCIe 3.0.
Chipsets
Chipsets	AMD's launch notice specifies 500-series motherboards with a BIOS update; check the motherboard CPU support list.	Intel X299; LGA2066.
Process
Process	TSMC 7nm FinFET CPU cores.	14 nm (Ars Technica exact-model review); Skylake-X. Current Intel specifications omit lithography.
Cooler
Cooler	No thermal solution included; AMD recommends liquid cooling for optimal performance. Maximum operating temperature 90°C.	Intel explicitly excludes a fan and heatsink from the boxed product; a separate compatible cooler is required. Published junction limit: 98°C.