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 i9-9980HK

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,966 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅+56.4% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Core i9-9980HK

2019

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+56.4% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,966 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Core i9-9980HK?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-9980HK is ahead with a 3.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600X pulls ahead with 56.4% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 5600X also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 56.4% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600X is at an unclear MSRP at $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 56.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-9980HK is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 3.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019), 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i9-9980HK Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	271 FPS	203 FPS
medium	246 FPS	174 FPS
high	207 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	169 FPS
medium	193 FPS	141 FPS
high	158 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	85 FPS
medium	137 FPS	76 FPS
high	106 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	349 FPS	464 FPS
medium	349 FPS	387 FPS
high	349 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	397 FPS
medium	349 FPS	334 FPS
high	349 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	263 FPS
medium	310 FPS	226 FPS
high	291 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	349 FPS	546 FPS
medium	349 FPS	473 FPS
high	349 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	508 FPS
medium	349 FPS	413 FPS
high	349 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	348 FPS
medium	349 FPS	292 FPS
high	349 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	322 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	349 FPS	546 FPS
medium	349 FPS	546 FPS
high	349 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	546 FPS
medium	349 FPS	546 FPS
high	349 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	529 FPS
medium	349 FPS	484 FPS
high	349 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9980HK and Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i9-9980HK

The Core i9-9980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,966 points. Launch price was $583.

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.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-9980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-9980HK has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9980HK versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-9980HK (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i9-9980HK uses the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9980HK scores 13,966 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 44% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980HK vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5 GHz+9%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.7 GHz+54%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	13,966	21,845+56%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9980HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.