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

✅Draws 45W instead of 105W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,966 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +56.7% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while Core i9-9980HK needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 105W vs 45W.

Core i9-9980HK

2019

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 105W, a 60W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +56.7% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while Core i9-9980HK needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,966 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 105W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X better than Core i9-9980HK?

Yes. Ryzen 5 7600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 56.7% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data, 102.8% 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 5 7600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 56.7% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 7600X is the better fit. You are getting 102.8% 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 7600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7600X is at an unclear MSRP at $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 56.7% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 7600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of BGA1440, 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 should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	271 FPS	266 FPS
medium	246 FPS	246 FPS
high	207 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	226 FPS
medium	193 FPS	189 FPS
high	158 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	157 FPS
medium	137 FPS	131 FPS
high	106 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	349 FPS	649 FPS
medium	349 FPS	524 FPS
high	349 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	544 FPS
medium	349 FPS	455 FPS
high	349 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	341 FPS
medium	310 FPS	290 FPS
high	291 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	349 FPS	708 FPS
medium	349 FPS	652 FPS
high	349 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	708 FPS
medium	349 FPS	554 FPS
high	349 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	463 FPS
medium	349 FPS	392 FPS
high	349 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	322 FPS	281 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	349 FPS	708 FPS
medium	349 FPS	708 FPS
high	349 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	708 FPS
medium	349 FPS	708 FPS
high	349 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	560 FPS
medium	349 FPS	502 FPS
high	349 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	391 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9980HK and Ryzen 5 7600X

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 7600X

The Ryzen 5 7600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 28,325 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-9980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-9980HK has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9980HK versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 5.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 2.4 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i9-9980HK uses the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9980HK scores 13,966 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 67.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980HK vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5.3 GHz+6%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+96%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	6 MB+2300%
Process	14 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-64%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	13,966	28,325+103%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	15,300
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	13,800

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9980HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	BGA1440	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-9980HK) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). The Ryzen 5 7600X includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Core i9-9980HK requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.