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 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.8% higher average FPS across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5980HS can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 5980HS

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8CU), while Ryzen 7 3700X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (20,257 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Ryzen 9 5980HS

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.8% higher average FPS across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8CU), while Ryzen 7 3700X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5980HS can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (20,257 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Ryzen 9 5980HS?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 5.8% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data and 10.7% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 5.8% more average FPS across 48 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better fit. You are getting 10.7% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 3700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 3700X is at an unclear MSRP at $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 5.8% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9 5980HS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2019). 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 3700X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5980HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	200 FPS	277 FPS
medium	163 FPS	250 FPS
high	137 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	241 FPS
medium	121 FPS	195 FPS
high	100 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	168 FPS
medium	71 FPS	138 FPS
high	56 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	93 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	561 FPS	506 FPS
medium	525 FPS	464 FPS
high	428 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	342 FPS
1440p
low	545 FPS	485 FPS
medium	471 FPS	407 FPS
high	394 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	294 FPS
4K
low	350 FPS	334 FPS
medium	304 FPS	288 FPS
high	274 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	227 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	561 FPS	506 FPS
medium	561 FPS	506 FPS
high	561 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	506 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	506 FPS
medium	561 FPS	506 FPS
high	538 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	463 FPS
4K
low	499 FPS	506 FPS
medium	394 FPS	469 FPS
high	343 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	348 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	561 FPS	506 FPS
medium	561 FPS	506 FPS
high	561 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	506 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	506 FPS
medium	561 FPS	506 FPS
high	561 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	555 FPS	477 FPS
4K
low	561 FPS	506 FPS
medium	501 FPS	463 FPS
high	447 FPS	410 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	346 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 3700X and Ryzen 9 5980HS

Ryzen 7 3700X

The Ryzen 7 3700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,430 points. Launch price was $329.

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.

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Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 7 3700X and Ryzen 9 5980HS share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5980HS — a 8.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5980HS (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5980HS uses Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 3700X scores 22,430 against the Ryzen 9 5980HS's 20,257 — a 10.2% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5980HS.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen 9 5980HS
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.8 GHz+9%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+20%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+100%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	22,430+11%	20,257

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 5980HS uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen 7 3700X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 7 3700X) vs 16 (Ryzen 9 5980HS) — the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen 9 5980HS
Socket	AM4	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+300%	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	24+50%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 7 3700X) / AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5980HS). The Ryzen 9 5980HS includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics (8CU)), while the Ryzen 7 3700X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5980HS targets Mobile High-End.