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 i9-9980XE

2018

Why buy it

✅+43.8% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅57.1% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.7 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($1,979 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌57.1% higher power demand at 165W vs 105W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+29.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $1,680 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Delivers 543.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 14.7 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 165W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,300 vs 22,000).

Core i9-9980XE

2018

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅+43.8% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅57.1% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+29.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $1,680 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Delivers 543.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 14.7 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 165W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.7 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($1,979 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌57.1% higher power demand at 165W vs 105W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,300 vs 22,000).

Quick Answers

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

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 7600X is ahead with a 7.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9980XE pulls ahead with 43.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Ryzen 5 7600X 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 i9-9980XE is the better fit. You are getting 43.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 18 cores and 36 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 7600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7600X is $1,680 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $1,979 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i9-9980XE is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 43.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 543.6% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 14.7 PassMark/$), 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 2018), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066, and 29.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB). 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 i9-9980XE Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	168 FPS	266 FPS
medium	148 FPS	246 FPS
high	119 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	140 FPS	226 FPS
medium	120 FPS	189 FPS
high	96 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	157 FPS
medium	70 FPS	131 FPS
high	55 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	498 FPS	649 FPS
medium	429 FPS	524 FPS
high	370 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	335 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	430 FPS	544 FPS
medium	377 FPS	455 FPS
high	329 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	286 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	268 FPS	341 FPS
medium	234 FPS	290 FPS
high	222 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	728 FPS	708 FPS
medium	728 FPS	652 FPS
high	728 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	645 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	728 FPS	708 FPS
medium	659 FPS	554 FPS
high	624 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	554 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	492 FPS	463 FPS
medium	414 FPS	392 FPS
high	371 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	306 FPS	281 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	728 FPS	708 FPS
medium	728 FPS	708 FPS
high	728 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	679 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	728 FPS	708 FPS
medium	728 FPS	708 FPS
high	639 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	558 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	581 FPS	560 FPS
medium	525 FPS	502 FPS
high	469 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	409 FPS	391 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

Core i9-9980XE

The Core i9-9980XE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 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. Passmark benchmark score: 29,127 points. Launch price was $1,979.

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 i9-9980XE packs 18 cores / 36 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-9980XE has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-9980XE versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 16.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 3 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i9-9980XE uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9980XE scores 29,127 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 2.8% lead for the Core i9-9980XE. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 22,000 vs 15,300 (35.9% advantage for the Core i9-9980XE). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,459 vs 2,900, a 66.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 12,177 vs 13,800 (12.5% advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X). L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980XE vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	18 / 36+200%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5.3 GHz+18%
Base Clock	3 GHz	4.7 GHz+57%
L3 Cache	24.75 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+29%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	6 MB+500%
Process	14 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-64%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	29,127+3%	28,325
Cinebench R23 Multi	22,000+44%	15,300
Geekbench 6 Single	1,459	2,900+99%
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,177	13,800+13%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9980XE uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i9-9980XE versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 5 7600X — the Ryzen 5 7600X supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 4 (Core i9-9980XE) vs 2 (Ryzen 5 7600X). PCIe lanes: 44 (Core i9-9980XE) vs 28 (Ryzen 5 7600X) — the Core i9-9980XE offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-9980XE) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 5 7600X).

Feature	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	LGA2066	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	44+57%	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-9980XE) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). The Ryzen 5 7600X includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Core i9-9980XE requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-9980XE targets HEDT / Workstation / Content Creation, Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i9-9980XE rivals Ryzen Threadripper 2950X; Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 5 7600X
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	HEDT / Workstation / Content Creation	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-9980XE launched at $1979 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($1979 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 7600X is $1680 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-9980XE delivers 14.7 pts/$ vs 94.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7600X — making the Ryzen 5 7600X the 146.2% better value option.