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 Ultra 9 288V

2024

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 30W instead of 35W, a 5W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5980HS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $600 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Ryzen 9 5980HS

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.1% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,257 vs 20,280).
❌16.7% higher power demand at 35W vs 30W.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 9 288V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 9 288V

2024

Ryzen 9 5980HS

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 30W instead of 35W, a 5W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.1% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5980HS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $600 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,257 vs 20,280).
❌16.7% higher power demand at 35W vs 30W.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 9 288V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 9 288V better than Ryzen 9 5980HS?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 5980HS is ahead with a 5.1% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 9 288V pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark. Ryzen 9 5980HS also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 9 288V is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core Ultra 9 288V is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 9 288V is at an unclear MSRP at $600 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.1% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 9 5980HS is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 5.1% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (33.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Core Ultra 9 288V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2021), a healthier platform with FCBGA2833 and DDR5 instead of FP6, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 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 Ultra 9 288V Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5980HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	278 FPS	277 FPS
medium	246 FPS	250 FPS
high	207 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	178 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	241 FPS
medium	187 FPS	195 FPS
high	153 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	163 FPS	168 FPS
medium	132 FPS	138 FPS
high	102 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 288V Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	481 FPS	506 FPS
medium	383 FPS	464 FPS
high	337 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	342 FPS
1440p
low	426 FPS	485 FPS
medium	352 FPS	407 FPS
high	312 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	267 FPS	294 FPS
4K
low	311 FPS	334 FPS
medium	269 FPS	288 FPS
high	251 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	227 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 288V Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	507 FPS	506 FPS
medium	507 FPS	506 FPS
high	507 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	507 FPS	506 FPS
1440p
low	507 FPS	506 FPS
medium	507 FPS	506 FPS
high	507 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	477 FPS	463 FPS
4K
low	507 FPS	506 FPS
medium	473 FPS	469 FPS
high	419 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	348 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 288V Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	507 FPS	506 FPS
medium	507 FPS	506 FPS
high	507 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	507 FPS	506 FPS
1440p
low	507 FPS	506 FPS
medium	507 FPS	506 FPS
high	507 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	507 FPS	477 FPS
4K
low	507 FPS	506 FPS
medium	507 FPS	463 FPS
high	496 FPS	410 FPS
ultra	433 FPS	346 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 288V Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 9 288V and Ryzen 9 5980HS

Core Ultra 9 288V

The Core Ultra 9 288V is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 September 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2.5 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2833. Thermal design power (TDP): 30 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 20,280 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 9 5980HS

The Ryzen 9 5980HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 20,257 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 9 288V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 9 5980HS's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core Ultra 9 288V versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5980HS — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 9 288V (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core Ultra 9 288V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5980HS uses Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 9 288V scores 20,280 against the Ryzen 9 5980HS's 20,257 — a 0.1% lead for the Core Ultra 9 288V. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 9 288V vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5980HS.

Feature	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 9 5980HS
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+6%	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+10%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	2.5 MB (per core)+400%	512K (per core)
Process	3 nm-57%	7 nm
Architecture	Lunar Lake (2024)	Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	20,280	20,257
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,300	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,800	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 9 288V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 5980HS uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5X-8533 on the Core Ultra 9 288V versus LPDDR4-4266 on the Ryzen 9 5980HS — the Core Ultra 9 288V supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Core Ultra 9 288V) vs 16 (Ryzen 9 5980HS) — the Ryzen 9 5980HS offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 9 5980HS
Socket	FCBGA2833	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5X-8533+25%	LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: true (Core Ultra 9 288V) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5980HS). Both include integrated graphics — Intel Arc 140V (Core Ultra 9 288V) and Radeon Graphics (8CU) (Ryzen 9 5980HS) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5980HS targets Mobile High-End.