AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X vs Intel Core i9-7960X

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Ryzen Threadripper 2950X compared with Core i9-7960X

	AMDRyzen Threadripper 2950X	IntelCore i9-7960X
Overview
Released
Released	August 2018	September 2017
Cores and clocks
Cores
Cores	16	16
Threads
Threads	32	32
Base clock
Base clock	3.5 GHz	2.8 GHz
Boost clock
Boost clock	4.4 GHz	4.4 GHz
L3 cache
L3 cache	32 MB (better)	22 MB
Cores
Cores	Colfax; Zen+ architecture; boxed product ID YD295XA8AFWOF; compatible with X399 motherboards after an appropriate BIOS update	Skylake-X; 16 cores with Hyper-Threading. The unlocked multiplier is confirmed by Intel’s exact-model family product brief.
Clocks
Clocks	Precision Boost 2, XFR2 and Precision Boost Overdrive supported	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	L1 1536 KB; L2 8 MB	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	sTR4	LGA2066
Base power
Base power	180 W	165 W
Unlocked
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
Cooler in the box
Cooler in the box	No	No
Memory support
Memory support	DDR4; four channels; up to 2933 MT/s	Up to 128 GB; four channels of DDR4-2666; 85 GB/s maximum published bandwidth; no ECC.
PCIe
PCIe	PCIe 3.0; 64 lanes	44 CPU lanes; PCIe 3.0.
Chipsets
Chipsets	–	Intel X299; LGA2066.
Process
Process	12 nm	14 nm (Ars Technica exact-model review); Skylake-X. Current Intel specifications omit lithography.
Cooler
Cooler	No cooler included; maximum operating temperature 68°C	Intel explicitly excludes a fan and heatsink from the boxed product; a separate compatible cooler is required. Published junction limit: 98°C.