Ryzen 5 5600X vs Ryzen 7 4980U

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.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 4980U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 7 4980U

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,469 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Ryzen 7 4980U

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 4980U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,469 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Ryzen 7 4980U?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 11.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 25.1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 11.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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 25.1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 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 $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 11.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 7 4980U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020). 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.

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 4980U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 4980U
1080p
low	203 FPS	171 FPS
medium	174 FPS	142 FPS
high	140 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	147 FPS
medium	141 FPS	120 FPS
high	113 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	83 FPS
medium	76 FPS	73 FPS
high	60 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	45 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 4980U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 4980U
1080p
low	464 FPS	198 FPS
medium	387 FPS	164 FPS
high	324 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	131 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	172 FPS
medium	334 FPS	146 FPS
high	290 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	115 FPS
4K
low	263 FPS	138 FPS
medium	226 FPS	122 FPS
high	205 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	99 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 4980U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 4980U
1080p
low	546 FPS	437 FPS
medium	473 FPS	437 FPS
high	432 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	437 FPS
1440p
low	508 FPS	437 FPS
medium	413 FPS	437 FPS
high	375 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	420 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	437 FPS
medium	292 FPS	388 FPS
high	255 FPS	340 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	277 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 4980U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 4980U
1080p
low	546 FPS	437 FPS
medium	546 FPS	437 FPS
high	546 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	546 FPS	437 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	437 FPS
medium	546 FPS	437 FPS
high	546 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	524 FPS	430 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	437 FPS
medium	484 FPS	415 FPS
high	435 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	309 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 4980U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600X and Ryzen 7 4980U

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.

Ryzen 7 4980U

The Ryzen 7 4980U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 April 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,469 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 4980U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 4980U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4980U — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 7 4980U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600X scores 21,845 against the Ryzen 7 4980U's 17,469 — a 22.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 4980U.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 4980U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+5%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+85%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+300%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark	21,845+25%	17,469

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 4980U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.