Core i7-980 vs Ryzen 3 1300X

CPU

GPU

Core i7-980

6 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2011

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Ryzen 3 1300X

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2017

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-980

6 / 12

6,890

0.0%

6,923

+0.5%

Athlon 300U

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

About PassMark

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.

Core i7-980

2011

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,890 vs 6,923).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.8 vs 53.7 PassMark/$ ($583 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1300X.

Ryzen 3 1300X

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $454 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $583 MSRP).
✅Delivers 354.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 53.7 vs 11.8 PassMark/$ ($129 MSRP vs $583 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-980.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).

Core i7-980

2011

Ryzen 3 1300X

2017

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $454 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $583 MSRP).
✅Delivers 354.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 53.7 vs 11.8 PassMark/$ ($129 MSRP vs $583 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-980.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,890 vs 6,923).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.8 vs 53.7 PassMark/$ ($583 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1300X.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 1300X better than Core i7-980?

Yes. Ryzen 3 1300X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.5% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 3 1300X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 1300X is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 1300X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 3 1300X is $454 cheaper on MSRP at $129 MSRP versus $583 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 354.1% better value on MSRP (53.7 vs 11.8 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 3 1300X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2011) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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.

Core i7-980 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 1300X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-980	Ryzen 3 1300X
1080p
low	162 FPS	173 FPS
medium	139 FPS	156 FPS
high	112 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	136 FPS	151 FPS
medium	115 FPS	124 FPS
high	91 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	67 FPS
medium	56 FPS	59 FPS
high	44 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i7-980 Open Ryzen 3 1300X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-980	Ryzen 3 1300X
1080p
low	172 FPS	173 FPS
medium	160 FPS	169 FPS
high	149 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	161 FPS	169 FPS
medium	141 FPS	145 FPS
high	132 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	110 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	132 FPS
medium	122 FPS	117 FPS
high	104 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	72 FPS

Open Core i7-980 Open Ryzen 3 1300X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-980	Ryzen 3 1300X
1080p
low	172 FPS	173 FPS
medium	172 FPS	173 FPS
high	172 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	172 FPS	173 FPS
medium	172 FPS	173 FPS
high	172 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	173 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	173 FPS
medium	172 FPS	173 FPS
high	172 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	128 FPS

Open Core i7-980 Open Ryzen 3 1300X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-980	Ryzen 3 1300X
1080p
low	172 FPS	173 FPS
medium	172 FPS	173 FPS
high	172 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	172 FPS	173 FPS
medium	172 FPS	173 FPS
high	172 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	173 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	173 FPS
medium	172 FPS	173 FPS
high	172 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	173 FPS

Open Core i7-980 Open Ryzen 3 1300X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-980 and Ryzen 3 1300X

Core i7-980

The Core i7-980 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.33 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,890 points. Launch price was $1,109.

Ryzen 3 1300X

The Ryzen 3 1300X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 6,923 points. Launch price was $129.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-980 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 3 1300X offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i7-980 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-980 versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 3 1300X — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 3 1300X (base: 3.33 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i7-980 uses the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 3 1300X uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-980 scores 6,890 against the Ryzen 3 1300X's 6,923 — a 0.5% lead for the Ryzen 3 1300X. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-980 vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 1300X.

Feature	Core i7-980	Ryzen 3 1300X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+3%
Base Clock	3.33 GHz	3.4 GHz+2%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Gulftown (2010−2011)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	6,890	6,923
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	3,486
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,120
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	3,155

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-980 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 3 1300X uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-980	Ryzen 3 1300X
Socket	LGA1366	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-980) / AMD-V (Ryzen 3 1300X). Primary use case: Ryzen 3 1300X targets Gaming.

Feature	Core i7-980	Ryzen 3 1300X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-980 launched at $583 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 1300X debuted at $129. On MSRP ($583 vs $129), the Ryzen 3 1300X is $454 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-980 delivers 11.8 pts/$ vs 53.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 1300X — making the Ryzen 3 1300X the 127.8% better value option.