Ryzen 7 4980U vs Xeon E5-2687W v4

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 160W, a 145W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2687W v4 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,469 vs 17,640).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2687W v4, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2687W v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+275% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $2,141 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 4980U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌966.7% higher power demand at 160W vs 15W.

Ryzen 7 4980U

2021

Xeon E5-2687W v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 160W, a 145W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+275% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2687W v4 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,469 vs 17,640).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2687W v4, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $2,141 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 4980U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌966.7% higher power demand at 160W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2687W v4 better than Ryzen 7 4980U?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2687W v4 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 gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon E5-2687W v4 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2687W v4 is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 275% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Xeon E5-2687W v4 is the smarter buy today. Xeon E5-2687W v4 is at an unclear MSRP at $2,141 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 7.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (8.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2016). 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

Xeon E5-2687W v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Xeon E5-2687W v4
1080p
low	171 FPS	163 FPS
medium	142 FPS	141 FPS
high	113 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	137 FPS
medium	120 FPS	116 FPS
high	96 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	63 FPS
medium	73 FPS	57 FPS
high	57 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	35 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Xeon E5-2687W v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Xeon E5-2687W v4
1080p
low	198 FPS	326 FPS
medium	164 FPS	295 FPS
high	150 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	210 FPS
1440p
low	172 FPS	282 FPS
medium	146 FPS	258 FPS
high	136 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	115 FPS	183 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	183 FPS
medium	122 FPS	167 FPS
high	115 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	115 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Xeon E5-2687W v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Xeon E5-2687W v4
1080p
low	437 FPS	441 FPS
medium	437 FPS	441 FPS
high	437 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	441 FPS
1440p
low	437 FPS	441 FPS
medium	437 FPS	441 FPS
high	437 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	441 FPS
4K
low	437 FPS	441 FPS
medium	388 FPS	375 FPS
high	340 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	284 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Xeon E5-2687W v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 4980U	Xeon E5-2687W v4
1080p
low	437 FPS	441 FPS
medium	437 FPS	441 FPS
high	437 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	441 FPS
1440p
low	437 FPS	441 FPS
medium	437 FPS	441 FPS
high	437 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	430 FPS	441 FPS
4K
low	437 FPS	441 FPS
medium	415 FPS	441 FPS
high	363 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	309 FPS	348 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 4980U Open Xeon E5-2687W v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 4980U and Xeon E5-2687W v4

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 E5-2687W v4

The Xeon E5-2687W v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 160 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 17,640 points. Launch price was $2,141.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 4980U packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2687W v4 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon E5-2687W v4 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4980U versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2687W v4 — a 22.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 4980U (base: 2 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 7 4980U uses the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E5-2687W v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 4980U scores 17,469 against the Xeon E5-2687W v4's 17,640 — a 1% lead for the Xeon E5-2687W v4. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 4980U vs 30 MB on the Xeon E5-2687W v4.

Feature	Ryzen 7 4980U	Xeon E5-2687W v4
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+26%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	2 GHz	3 GHz+50%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	30 MB+275%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	3 MB+500%
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	17,469	17,640
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,063
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	8,255

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 4980U uses the FP6 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2687W v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.