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 i9-9980XE

2018

Why buy it

✅57.1% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (22,000 vs 38,581).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.7 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($1,979 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌37.5% higher power demand at 165W vs 120W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +45.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,280 less on MSRP ($699 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Delivers 505.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 14.7 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 165W, a 45W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i9-9980XE

2018

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅57.1% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +45.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,280 less on MSRP ($699 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Delivers 505.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 14.7 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 165W, a 45W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (22,000 vs 38,581).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.7 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($1,979 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌37.5% higher power demand at 165W vs 120W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7950X3D better than Core i9-9980XE?

Yes. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 45.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 75.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 114.0% higher 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 45.2% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 25 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 75.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 417.2% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 25 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 $1,280 cheaper on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $1,979 MSRP, and it gives you a 45.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 505.8% better value on MSRP (89.2 vs 14.7 PassMark/$), 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 a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 25 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 18/36. 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 i9-9980XE Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7950X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	168 FPS	291 FPS
medium	148 FPS	265 FPS
high	119 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	140 FPS	275 FPS
medium	120 FPS	227 FPS
high	96 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	190 FPS
medium	70 FPS	156 FPS
high	55 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	107 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	498 FPS	734 FPS
medium	429 FPS	627 FPS
high	370 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	335 FPS	393 FPS
1440p
low	430 FPS	602 FPS
medium	377 FPS	536 FPS
high	329 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	286 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	268 FPS	338 FPS
medium	234 FPS	305 FPS
high	222 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	728 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	728 FPS	1122 FPS
high	728 FPS	1062 FPS
ultra	645 FPS	875 FPS
1440p
low	728 FPS	936 FPS
medium	659 FPS	845 FPS
high	624 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	554 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	492 FPS	574 FPS
medium	414 FPS	498 FPS
high	371 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	306 FPS	378 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	728 FPS	1082 FPS
medium	728 FPS	973 FPS
high	728 FPS	854 FPS
ultra	679 FPS	766 FPS
1440p
low	728 FPS	853 FPS
medium	728 FPS	751 FPS
high	639 FPS	659 FPS
ultra	558 FPS	569 FPS
4K
low	581 FPS	623 FPS
medium	525 FPS	555 FPS
high	469 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	409 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9980XE and Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Core i9-9980XE

The Core i9-9980XE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 29,127 points. Launch price was $1,979.

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 i9-9980XE packs 18 cores / 36 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Core i9-9980XE has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-9980XE versus 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — a 23.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D (base: 3 GHz vs 4.2 GHz). The Core i9-9980XE uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9980XE scores 29,127 against the Ryzen 9 7950X3D's 62,323 — a 72.6% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 22,000 vs 38,581 (54.7% advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,459 vs 2,926, a 66.9% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 12,177 vs 19,643 (46.9% advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D). L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980XE vs 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

Feature	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Cores / Threads	18 / 36+13%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5.7 GHz+27%
Base Clock	3 GHz	4.2 GHz+40%
L3 Cache	24.75 MB (total)	128 MB (total)+417%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-64%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	29,127	62,323+114%
Cinebench R23 Multi	22,000	38,581+75%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,459	2,926+101%
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,177	19,643+61%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9980XE uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i9-9980XE versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — the Ryzen 9 7950X3D supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 4 (Core i9-9980XE) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D). PCIe lanes: 44 (Core i9-9980XE) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) — the Core i9-9980XE offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-9980XE) and AMD X670E,AMD X670,AMD B650E,AMD B650 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D).

Feature	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Socket	LGA2066	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	44+57%	28

🔧

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 i9-9980XE) vs true (Ryzen 9 7950X3D). The Ryzen 9 7950X3D includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics), while the Core i9-9980XE requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-9980XE targets HEDT / Workstation / Content Creation. Direct competitor: Core i9-9980XE rivals Ryzen Threadripper 2950X; Ryzen 9 7950X3D rivals Core i9-13900K.

Feature	Core i9-9980XE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true
Target Use	HEDT / Workstation / Content Creation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-9980XE launched at $1979 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D debuted at $699. On MSRP ($1979 vs $699), the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is $1280 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-9980XE delivers 14.7 pts/$ vs 89.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — making the Ryzen 9 7950X3D the 143.3% better value option.