Ryzen 7 4980U vs Xeon E-2288G

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

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2288G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).

Xeon E-2288G

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,465 vs 17,469).
❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.

Ryzen 7 4980U

2021

Xeon E-2288G

2019

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2288G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,465 vs 17,469).
❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 4980U better than Xeon E-2288G?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E-2288G makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 7 4980U is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4980U is the better fit. You are getting 0% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 4980U still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 7 4980U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0% better PassMark.

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 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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.

Ryzen 7 4980U Benchmark Check

Xeon E-2288G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Xeon E-2288G
1080p
low	171 FPS	301 FPS
medium	142 FPS	273 FPS
high	113 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	266 FPS
medium	120 FPS	218 FPS
high	96 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	168 FPS
medium	73 FPS	139 FPS
high	57 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	93 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Xeon E-2288G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Xeon E-2288G
1080p
low	198 FPS	427 FPS
medium	164 FPS	356 FPS
high	150 FPS	311 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	278 FPS
1440p
low	172 FPS	376 FPS
medium	146 FPS	330 FPS
high	136 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	115 FPS	248 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	253 FPS
medium	122 FPS	228 FPS
high	115 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	186 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Xeon E-2288G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Xeon E-2288G
1080p
low	437 FPS	437 FPS
medium	437 FPS	437 FPS
high	437 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	429 FPS
1440p
low	437 FPS	437 FPS
medium	437 FPS	437 FPS
high	437 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	373 FPS
4K
low	437 FPS	437 FPS
medium	388 FPS	401 FPS
high	340 FPS	350 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	283 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Xeon E-2288G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Xeon E-2288G
1080p
low	437 FPS	437 FPS
medium	437 FPS	437 FPS
high	437 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	437 FPS
1440p
low	437 FPS	437 FPS
medium	437 FPS	437 FPS
high	437 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	430 FPS	437 FPS
4K
low	437 FPS	437 FPS
medium	415 FPS	437 FPS
high	363 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	309 FPS	380 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Xeon E-2288G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 4980U and Xeon E-2288G

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.

Xeon E-2288G

The Xeon E-2288G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 May 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 17,465 points. Launch price was $539.

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Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 7 4980U and Xeon E-2288G share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4980U versus 5 GHz on the Xeon E-2288G — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2288G (base: 2 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Ryzen 7 4980U uses the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E-2288G uses Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 4980U scores 17,469 against the Xeon E-2288G's 17,465 — a 0% lead for the Ryzen 7 4980U. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 4980U vs 16 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2288G.

Feature	Ryzen 7 4980U	Xeon E-2288G
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2 GHz	3.7 GHz+85%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)	Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019)
PassMark	17,469	17,465

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 4980U uses the FP6 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E-2288G uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.