AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X vs Intel Core i7-8700K

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X or AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 32 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2018 and belongs to the 2 generation of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper series.
To use the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X, you'll need a motherboard with a TR4 (SP3r2) socket.
The Intel Core i7-8700K features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2017 and belongs to the 8 generation of the Intel Core i7 series.
To use the Intel Core i7-8700K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1151-2 socket.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2000 Group Intel Core i 8000
2 Generation 8
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X Name Intel Core i7-8700K
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
AMD Ryzen Threadripper Family Intel Core i7
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 32 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X is 3.5 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.4 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Core i7-8700K has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-8700K is 3.7 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.7 GHz.
None None 4.3 GHz
4.4 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 4.7 GHz
normal Core architecture normal
3.5 GHz Frequency 3.7 GHz
16 CPU Cores 6
Yes Overclocking Yes
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
16x Cores 6x
32 Threads 12
 
 

Internal Graphics

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X does not have integrated graphics.
The Intel Core i7-8700K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-8700K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 630, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.2 GHz
-- Technology 14 nm
-- Direct X 12
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
-- Execution units 24
-- Release date Q4/2017
GPU name Intel UHD Graphics 630
-- Shaders 192
-- GPU frequency 0.35 GHz
-- Generation 9.5
-- Max. displays --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
-- VP9 Decode / Encode
-- VP8 Decode / Encode
-- VC-1 Decode
-- JPEG Decode / Encode
-- h264 Decode / Encode
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
-- AVC Decode / Encode
-- AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
DDR4-2933 Memory type DDR4-2666
93.8 GB/s Bandwidth 42.7 GB/s
Yes AES-NI Yes
Yes ECC No
pci PCIe pci
0 bytes Max. Memory 128.0 GB
4 Memory channels 2
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 180 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 95 W watts.
180 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 95 W
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X is manufactured using a 12 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 32.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i7-8700K is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 12.0 MB cache.
AMD-V, SVM Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
12 nm Technology 14 nm
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
-- Part Number --
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
Q3/2018 Release date Q4/2017
899 $ Release price 370 $
8.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
32.0 MB L3-Cache 12.0 MB
TR4 (SP3r2) Socket LGA 1151-2
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
Colfax (Zen+) Architecture Coffee Lake S
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
60465
60465
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
27445
27445

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
21444
21444
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
8960
8960

V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
16035
16035
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
6635
6635

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
12458
12458
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
6693
6693

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
8814
8814
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
6750
6750

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
7003
7003
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
3689
3689

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
3187
3187
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
1447
1447

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
1486
1486
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
1255
1255

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
1209
1209
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
1127
1127

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
272
272
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
126
126

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
232.4
232.4
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
116.3
116.3