Xeon E5-2697A v4 vs Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Aggregate performance score
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X outperforms Xeon E5-2697A v4 by a whopping 157% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and Xeon E5-2697A v4 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 90 | 499 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 25.78 | 11.12 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Server |
| Series | AMD Ryzen Threadripper | Intel Xeon E5 |
| Architecture codename | Matisse (2019−2020) | Broadwell (2015−2019) |
| Release date | 25 November 2019 (4 years ago) | 20 June 2016 (8 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $1,399 | $2,891 |
| Current price | $1200 (0.9x MSRP) | $473 (0.2x MSRP) |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X has 132% better value for money than Xeon E5-2697A v4.
Detailed specifications
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and Xeon E5-2697A v4 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 24 (Tetracosa-Core) | 16 (Hexadeca-Core) |
| Threads | 48 | 32 |
| Base clock speed | 3.8 GHz | 2.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.5 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Bus support | 8 × 16 GT/s | 2 × 9.6 GT/s |
| L1 cache | 96K (per core) | no data |
| L2 cache | 512K (per core) | 4 MB |
| L3 cache | 128 MB | 40 MB |
| Chip lithography | 7 nm, 12 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | no data | 456.12 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 78 °C |
| Number of transistors | 19,200 million | 7200 Million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | + | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | No |
Compatibility
Information on Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and Xeon E5-2697A v4 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | 1 (Uniprocessor) | 2 |
| Socket | TR4 | FCLGA2011 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 280 Watt | 145 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and Xeon E5-2697A v4. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| TSX | no data | + |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | no data | + |
| Flex Memory Access | no data | - |
| Demand Based Switching | no data | + |
| PAE | no data | 46 Bit |
| Status | no data | Discontinued |
Security technologies
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and Xeon E5-2697A v4 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
| EDB | no data | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| Identity Protection | no data | - |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and Xeon E5-2697A v4 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | no data |
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and Xeon E5-2697A v4. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 Eight-channel | DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400 |
| Maximum memory size | 256 GB | 1.5 TB |
| Max memory channels | 4 | 4 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 102.403 GB/s | 76.8 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | + | + |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and Xeon E5-2697A v4.
| PCIe version | no data | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 40 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X outperforms Xeon E5-2697A v4 by 157% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Benchmark coverage: 68%
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X outperforms Xeon E5-2697A v4 by 157% in Passmark.
GeekBench 5 Single-Core
GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X outperforms Xeon E5-2697A v4 by 57% in GeekBench 5 Single-Core.
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X outperforms Xeon E5-2697A v4 by 61% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 35.48 | 13.82 |
| Recency | 25 November 2019 | 20 June 2016 |
| Physical cores | 24 | 16 |
| Threads | 48 | 32 |
| Cost | $1399 | $2891 |
| Chip lithography | 7 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 280 Watt | 145 Watt |
The Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon E5-2697A v4 in performance tests.
Note that Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is a desktop processor while Xeon E5-2697A v4 is a server/workstation one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and Xeon E5-2697A v4, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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