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 i9-7980XE

2017

Why buy it

✅+35.7% higher PassMark.
✅83.3% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.8 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+29.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $1,700 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 392.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 14.8 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 29,634).

Core i9-7980XE

2017

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅+35.7% higher PassMark.
✅83.3% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+29.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $1,700 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 392.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 14.8 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.8 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 29,634).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Core i9-7980XE?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 5600X is ahead with a 7.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-7980XE pulls ahead with 35.7% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 5600X also has the bigger cache pool with 29.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-7980XE is the better fit. You are getting 35.7% better PassMark, backed by 18 cores and 36 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 5600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600X is $1,700 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $1,999 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i9-7980XE is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 35.7% better PassMark. It is also 392.8% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 14.8 PassMark/$), 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 5 5600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017) and 29.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB). 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 i9-7980XE Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-7980XE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	167 FPS	203 FPS
medium	147 FPS	174 FPS
high	116 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	140 FPS	169 FPS
medium	120 FPS	141 FPS
high	95 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	78 FPS	85 FPS
medium	71 FPS	76 FPS
high	56 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i9-7980XE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-7980XE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	470 FPS	464 FPS
medium	405 FPS	387 FPS
high	355 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	411 FPS	397 FPS
medium	361 FPS	334 FPS
high	319 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	265 FPS	263 FPS
medium	232 FPS	226 FPS
high	220 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i9-7980XE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-7980XE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	636 FPS	546 FPS
medium	530 FPS	473 FPS
high	480 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	417 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	567 FPS	508 FPS
medium	479 FPS	413 FPS
high	432 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	431 FPS	348 FPS
medium	354 FPS	292 FPS
high	319 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	262 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core i9-7980XE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-7980XE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	741 FPS	546 FPS
medium	741 FPS	546 FPS
high	697 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	614 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	741 FPS	546 FPS
medium	680 FPS	546 FPS
high	578 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	501 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	532 FPS	529 FPS
medium	479 FPS	484 FPS
high	422 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	365 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i9-7980XE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-7980XE and Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i9-7980XE

The Core i9-7980XE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 29,634 points. Launch price was $1,999.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-7980XE packs 18 cores / 36 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-7980XE has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i9-7980XE versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i9-7980XE uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-7980XE scores 29,634 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 30.3% lead for the Core i9-7980XE. L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-7980XE vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i9-7980XE	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	18 / 36+200%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.6 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+42%
L3 Cache	24.75 MB (total)	32 MB+29%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	29,634+36%	21,845

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-7980XE uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 4 (Core i9-7980XE) vs 2 (Ryzen 5 5600X). PCIe lanes: 44 (Core i9-7980XE) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 5600X) — the Core i9-7980XE offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i9-7980XE	Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket	LGA2066	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	44+83%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-7980XE supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-7980XE) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). Primary use case: Core i9-7980XE targets Workstation, Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i9-7980XE	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Workstation	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-7980XE launched at $1999 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($1999 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $1700 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-7980XE delivers 14.8 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 132.5% better value option.