PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +43.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (13,739 vs 25,000).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.0 vs 56.5 PassMark/$ ($4,491 MSRP vs $1,083 MSRP).
❌36.6% higher power demand at 280W vs 205W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 5520+ moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon Gold 5520+

2023

Why buy it

✅+82% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $3,408 less on MSRP ($1,083 MSRP vs $4,491 MSRP).
✅Delivers 303.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 56.5 vs 14.0 PassMark/$ ($1,083 MSRP vs $4,491 MSRP).
✅Draws 205W instead of 280W, a 75W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 3970X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

2019

Xeon Gold 5520+

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +43.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅+82% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $3,408 less on MSRP ($1,083 MSRP vs $4,491 MSRP).
✅Delivers 303.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 56.5 vs 14.0 PassMark/$ ($1,083 MSRP vs $4,491 MSRP).
✅Draws 205W instead of 280W, a 75W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (13,739 vs 25,000).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.0 vs 56.5 PassMark/$ ($4,491 MSRP vs $1,083 MSRP).
❌36.6% higher power demand at 280W vs 205W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 5520+ moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 3970X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5520+ better than Ryzen Threadripper 3970X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen Threadripper 3970X is ahead with a 43.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5520+ pulls ahead with 82% better Geekbench multi-core. Ryzen Threadripper 3970X also has the bigger cache pool with 143.8% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 53 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5520+ is the better fit. You are getting 82% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 28 cores and 56 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Xeon Gold 5520+ is the smarter buy today. Xeon Gold 5520+ is $3,408 cheaper on MSRP at $1,083 MSRP versus $4,491 MSRP, and it gives you 82% better Geekbench multi-core. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 3970X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 43.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 303.4% better value on MSRP (56.5 vs 14.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon Gold 5520+ is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of TR4, more multi-core headroom with 28 cores / 56 threads instead of 32/64, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 5520+ Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon Gold 5520+
1080p
low	270 FPS	185 FPS
medium	222 FPS	162 FPS
high	183 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	211 FPS	153 FPS
medium	164 FPS	129 FPS
high	130 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	98 FPS	70 FPS
medium	81 FPS	62 FPS
high	63 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	39 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Open Xeon Gold 5520+

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon Gold 5520+
1080p
low	806 FPS	266 FPS
medium	681 FPS	238 FPS
high	528 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	164 FPS
1440p
low	652 FPS	227 FPS
medium	565 FPS	205 FPS
high	458 FPS	175 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	381 FPS	141 FPS
medium	333 FPS	130 FPS
high	296 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	98 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Open Xeon Gold 5520+

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon Gold 5520+
1080p
low	1025 FPS	875 FPS
medium	927 FPS	792 FPS
high	862 FPS	748 FPS
ultra	765 FPS	658 FPS
1440p
low	776 FPS	749 FPS
medium	644 FPS	674 FPS
high	580 FPS	633 FPS
ultra	506 FPS	564 FPS
4K
low	539 FPS	506 FPS
medium	428 FPS	425 FPS
high	381 FPS	379 FPS
ultra	306 FPS	316 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Open Xeon Gold 5520+

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon Gold 5520+
1080p
low	1325 FPS	935 FPS
medium	1015 FPS	842 FPS
high	1073 FPS	728 FPS
ultra	875 FPS	632 FPS
1440p
low	1031 FPS	768 FPS
medium	900 FPS	674 FPS
high	778 FPS	579 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	498 FPS
4K
low	744 FPS	561 FPS
medium	662 FPS	504 FPS
high	579 FPS	445 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	383 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Open Xeon Gold 5520+

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon Gold 5520+

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

The Ryzen Threadripper 3970X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 25 November 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 280 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 62,946 points. Launch price was $1,999.

Xeon Gold 5520+

The Xeon Gold 5520+ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Emerald Rapids (2023) architecture. It features 28 cores and 56 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 52.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 61,227 points. Launch price was $1,640.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen Threadripper 3970X packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5520+ offers 28 cores / 56 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X versus 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5520+ — a 11.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Ryzen Threadripper 3970X uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5520+ uses Emerald Rapids (2023) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X scores 62,946 against the Xeon Gold 5520+'s 61,227 — a 2.8% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,664 vs 1,600, a 3.9% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 13,739 vs 25,000 (58.1% advantage for the Xeon Gold 5520+). L3 cache: 128 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X vs 52.5 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5520+.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon Gold 5520+
Cores / Threads	32 / 64+14%	28 / 56
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+13%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+68%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	128 MB+144%	52.5 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Emerald Rapids (2023)
PassMark	62,946+3%	61,227
Cinebench R23 Multi	44,510	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,664+4%	1,600
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,739	25,000+82%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen Threadripper 3970X uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 5520+ uses LGA4677 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X versus DDR5-4800 on the Xeon Gold 5520+ — the Xeon Gold 5520+ supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 5520+ supports up to 4096 GB of RAM compared to 256 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 3970X) vs 8 (Xeon Gold 5520+). PCIe lanes: 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 3970X) vs 80 (Xeon Gold 5520+) — the Xeon Gold 5520+ offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: TRX40 (Ryzen Threadripper 3970X) and C741 (Xeon Gold 5520+).

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon Gold 5520+
Socket	TR4	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-4800+25%
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	4096 GB+1500%
RAM Channels	4	8+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	64	80+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon Gold 5520+ supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: true (Ryzen Threadripper 3970X) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 5520+). Primary use case: Xeon Gold 5520+ targets Enterprise Server. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 3970X rivals Core i9-10980XE; Xeon Gold 5520+ rivals EPYC 9354.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon Gold 5520+
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Enterprise Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen Threadripper 3970X launched at $4491 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 5520+ debuted at $1083. On MSRP ($4491 vs $1083), the Xeon Gold 5520+ is $3408 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X delivers 14.0 pts/$ vs 56.5 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 5520+ — making the Xeon Gold 5520+ the 120.5% better value option.