Ryzen 7 4980U vs Ryzen 7 5800X

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 7 4980U

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 105W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,469 vs 27,712).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.3% 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 $449 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 4980U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌600% higher power demand at 105W vs 15W.

Ryzen 7 4980U

2021

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 105W, a 90W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.3% 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

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,469 vs 27,712).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $449 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 4980U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌600% higher power demand at 105W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5800X better than Ryzen 7 4980U?

Yes. Ryzen 7 5800X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 28.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 58.6% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 5800X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 28.3% 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 7 5800X is the better fit. You are getting 58.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 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 7 5800X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 5800X is at an unclear MSRP at $449 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 28.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (61.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 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 7 4980U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 5800X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	171 FPS	206 FPS
medium	142 FPS	178 FPS
high	113 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	170 FPS
medium	120 FPS	142 FPS
high	96 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	83 FPS
medium	73 FPS	74 FPS
high	57 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	46 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	198 FPS	662 FPS
medium	164 FPS	558 FPS
high	150 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	417 FPS
1440p
low	172 FPS	563 FPS
medium	146 FPS	493 FPS
high	136 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	115 FPS	361 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	350 FPS
medium	122 FPS	308 FPS
high	115 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	250 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	437 FPS	693 FPS
medium	437 FPS	651 FPS
high	437 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	464 FPS
1440p
low	437 FPS	693 FPS
medium	437 FPS	573 FPS
high	437 FPS	498 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	413 FPS
4K
low	437 FPS	484 FPS
medium	388 FPS	410 FPS
high	340 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	302 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Ryzen 7 5800X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	437 FPS	693 FPS
medium	437 FPS	693 FPS
high	437 FPS	693 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	693 FPS
1440p
low	437 FPS	693 FPS
medium	437 FPS	693 FPS
high	437 FPS	672 FPS
ultra	430 FPS	593 FPS
4K
low	437 FPS	604 FPS
medium	415 FPS	550 FPS
high	363 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	309 FPS	436 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 4980U and Ryzen 7 5800X

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.

Ryzen 7 5800X

The Ryzen 7 5800X 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 27,712 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 7 4980U and Ryzen 7 5800X share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4980U versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5800X — a 6.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5800X (base: 2 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Ryzen 7 4980U uses the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 4980U scores 17,469 against the Ryzen 7 5800X's 27,712 — a 45.3% lead for the Ryzen 7 5800X. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 4980U vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 5800X.

Feature	Ryzen 7 4980U	Ryzen 7 5800X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2 GHz	3.8 GHz+90%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	32 MB+300%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	17,469	27,712+59%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 4980U uses the FP6 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.