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 i9-13980HX

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $31 less on MSRP ($668 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 55W instead of 120W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 42 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (45,950 vs 62,323).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 68.8 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($668 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.3% higher average FPS across 42 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 29.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 68.8 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $668 MSRP).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
4.6% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$668 MSRP
❌118.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 55W.

Core i9-13980HX

2023

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $31 less on MSRP ($668 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 55W instead of 120W, a 65W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.3% higher average FPS across 42 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 29.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 68.8 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $668 MSRP).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 42 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (45,950 vs 62,323).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 68.8 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($668 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
4.6% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$668 MSRP
❌118.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 55W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7950X3D better than Core i9-13980HX?

Yes. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.3% average FPS lead across 42 shared CPU game tests in our data, 35.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.3% more average FPS across 42 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 36 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better fit. You are getting 35.6% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 255.6% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 36 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is 4.6% more expensive on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $668 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.3% average FPS lead across 42 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 29.6% better value on MSRP (89.2 vs 68.8 PassMark/$), 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 7950X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 36 MB and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 24/32. 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 i9-13980HX Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7950X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-13980HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	321 FPS	291 FPS
medium	311 FPS	265 FPS
high	247 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	278 FPS	275 FPS
medium	240 FPS	227 FPS
high	178 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	158 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	192 FPS	190 FPS
medium	164 FPS	156 FPS
high	123 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	107 FPS

Open Core i9-13980HX Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-13980HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	497 FPS	734 FPS
medium	434 FPS	627 FPS
high	354 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	313 FPS	393 FPS
1440p
low	422 FPS	602 FPS
medium	380 FPS	536 FPS
high	316 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	257 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	236 FPS	338 FPS
medium	216 FPS	305 FPS
high	205 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i9-13980HX Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-13980HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	762 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	626 FPS	1122 FPS
high	543 FPS	1062 FPS
ultra	467 FPS	875 FPS
1440p
low	680 FPS	936 FPS
medium	567 FPS	845 FPS
high	485 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	423 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	497 FPS	574 FPS
medium	430 FPS	498 FPS
high	383 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	378 FPS

Open Core i9-13980HX Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-13980HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	1012 FPS	1082 FPS
medium	905 FPS	973 FPS
high	792 FPS	854 FPS
ultra	704 FPS	766 FPS
1440p
low	840 FPS	853 FPS
medium	739 FPS	751 FPS
high	646 FPS	659 FPS
ultra	568 FPS	569 FPS
4K
low	620 FPS	623 FPS
medium	555 FPS	555 FPS
high	491 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	430 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i9-13980HX Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-13980HX and Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Core i9-13980HX

The Core i9-13980HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-HX (2023) architecture. It features 24 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.5 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1964. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 45,950 points. Launch price was $668.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.7 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 62,323 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-13980HX packs 24 cores / 32 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Core i9-13980HX has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.5 GHz on the Core i9-13980HX versus 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — a 3.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D (base: 2.2 GHz vs 4.2 GHz). The Core i9-13980HX uses the Raptor Lake-HX (2023) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-13980HX scores 45,950 against the Ryzen 9 7950X3D's 62,323 — a 30.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. L3 cache: 36 MB (total) on the Core i9-13980HX vs 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

Feature	Core i9-13980HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Cores / Threads	24 / 32+50%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	5.5 GHz	5.7 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	4.2 GHz+91%
L3 Cache	36 MB (total)	128 MB (total)+256%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+100%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-29%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-HX (2023)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	45,950	62,323+36%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	38,581
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,926
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	19,643

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-13980HX uses the FCBGA1964 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 5600 on the Core i9-13980HX versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — the Core i9-13980HX supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i9-13980HX supports up to 192 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i9-13980HX) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) — the Ryzen 9 7950X3D offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Raptor Lake-HX (Core i9-13980HX) and AMD X670E,AMD X670,AMD B650E,AMD B650 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D).

Feature	Core i9-13980HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Socket	FCBGA1964	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	5600+111900%	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	192	128 GB+69904967%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-13980HX) vs true (Ryzen 9 7950X3D). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics (Core i9-13980HX) and Radeon Graphics (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i9-13980HX rivals Ryzen 9 7945HX; Ryzen 9 7950X3D rivals Core i9-13900K.

Feature	Core i9-13980HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics	Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-13980HX launched at $668 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D debuted at $699. On MSRP ($668 vs $699), the Core i9-13980HX is $31 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-13980HX delivers 68.8 pts/$ vs 89.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — making the Ryzen 9 7950X3D the 25.8% better value option.