Core i7-980 vs Ryzen 5 3500U

CPU

GPU

Core i7-980

6 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2011

Popular choices:

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Ryzen 5 3500U

4 Cores8 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2019

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-980

6 / 12

6,890

+0.8%

6,836

0.0%

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

✅Better for gaming: +6.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $583 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3500U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌766.7% higher power demand at 130W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 3500U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 3500U

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 130W, a 115W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 8, while Core i7-980 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-980 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (6,836 vs 6,890).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).

Core i7-980

2011

Ryzen 5 3500U

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 130W, a 115W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 8, while Core i7-980 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $583 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3500U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌766.7% higher power demand at 130W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 3500U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-980 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (6,836 vs 6,890).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-980 better than Ryzen 5 3500U?

Yes. Core i7-980 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-980 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.8% 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, Core i7-980 is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Core i7-980 is the smarter buy today. Core i7-980 is at an unclear MSRP at $583 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 6.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (11.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 5 3500U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2011). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 5 3500U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-980	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	162 FPS	169 FPS
medium	139 FPS	149 FPS
high	112 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	136 FPS	142 FPS
medium	115 FPS	121 FPS
high	91 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	67 FPS
medium	56 FPS	61 FPS
high	44 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i7-980 Open Ryzen 5 3500U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-980	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	172 FPS	120 FPS
medium	160 FPS	105 FPS
high	149 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	78 FPS
1440p
low	161 FPS	103 FPS
medium	141 FPS	90 FPS
high	132 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	77 FPS
medium	122 FPS	69 FPS
high	104 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	42 FPS

Open Core i7-980 Open Ryzen 5 3500U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-980	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i7-980 Open Ryzen 5 3500U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-980	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i7-980 Open Ryzen 5 3500U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-980 and Ryzen 5 3500U

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 5 3500U

The Ryzen 5 3500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,836 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-980 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3500U offers 4 cores / 8 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 5 3500U — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3500U (base: 3.33 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i7-980 uses the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-980 scores 6,890 against the Ryzen 5 3500U's 6,836 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-980. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-980 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3500U.

Feature	Core i7-980	Ryzen 5 3500U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+3%
Base Clock	3.33 GHz+59%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+200%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	32 nm	12 nm-63%
Architecture	Gulftown (2010−2011)	Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020)
PassMark	6,890	6,836
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	3,545
Geekbench 6 Single	—	876
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-980 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-980	Ryzen 5 3500U
Socket	LGA1366	FP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-980) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 3500U). The Ryzen 5 3500U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8), while the Core i7-980 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3500U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3500U rivals Core i5-10210U.