Xeon Gold 5220 vs Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

Primary details

Comparing Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon Gold 5220 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	54	396
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	24.27	13.16
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	AMD Ryzen Threadripper	Intel Xeon Gold
Architecture codename	Matisse (2019−2020)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
Release date	25 November 2019 (4 years ago)	2 April 2019 (5 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,999	$1,555
Current price	$1675 (0.8x MSRP)	$1256 (0.8x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X has 84% better value for money than Xeon Gold 5220.

Detailed specifications

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon Gold 5220 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	32 (Dotriaconta-Core)	18 (Octadeca-Core)
Threads	64	36
Base clock speed	3.7 GHz	2.2 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.5 GHz	3.9 GHz
Bus support	8 × 16 GT/s	4 × 8 GT/s
L1 cache	96K (per core)	1.125 MB
L2 cache	512K (per core)	18 MB
L3 cache	128 MB	24.75 MB
Chip lithography	7 nm, 12 nm	14 nm
Maximum core temperature	no data	87 °C
Number of transistors	19,200 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	+
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon Gold 5220 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)	4 (Multiprocessor)
Socket	TR4	FCLGA3647
Power consumption (TDP)	280 Watt	125 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon Gold 5220. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	no data	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	no data	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	no data	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	no data	+
TSX	no data	+
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	no data	-
Status	no data	Launched

Security technologies

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon Gold 5220 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	no data	+
EDB	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon Gold 5220 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 3970X and Xeon Gold 5220. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4 Eight-channel	DDR4-2667
Maximum memory size	256 GB	1 TB
Max memory channels	4	6
Maximum memory bandwidth	102.403 GB/s	128.001 GB/s
ECC memory support	+	+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon Gold 5220.

PCIe version	no data	3.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	48

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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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 3970X outperforms Xeon Gold 5220 by 162% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	40.91	15.62
Recency	25 November 2019	2 April 2019
Physical cores	32	18
Threads	64	36
Cost	$1999	$1555
Chip lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	280 Watt	125 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon Gold 5220, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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