Core i9-9980HK vs Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

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 i9-9980HK

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +36.8% higher average FPS across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 45W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Ryzen Embedded V3C18I moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 45W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9980HK across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,856 vs 13,966).
❌Launch MSRP is still $500 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i9-9980HK

2019

Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +36.8% higher average FPS across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 45W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 45W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Ryzen Embedded V3C18I moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9980HK across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,856 vs 13,966).
❌Launch MSRP is still $500 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9980HK better than Ryzen Embedded V3C18I?

Yes. Core i9-9980HK is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 36.8% average FPS lead across 34 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-9980HK is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 36.8% more average FPS across 34 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9980HK is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i9-9980HK is the smarter buy by a wide margin for any fresh desktop build. Core i9-9980HK is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $500 MSRP, and it gives you a 36.8% average FPS lead across 34 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen Embedded V3C18I only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop CPU, not because it is a serious desktop gaming option. It simply cannot keep up with modern games, especially when the gap is already 36.8% in the shared gaming data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen Embedded V3C18I is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019) and a healthier platform with FP7 and DDR5 instead of BGA1440. 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 i9-9980HK Benchmark Check

Ryzen Embedded V3C18I Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
1080p
low	271 FPS	172 FPS
medium	246 FPS	138 FPS
high	207 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	142 FPS
medium	193 FPS	112 FPS
high	158 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	66 FPS
medium	137 FPS	55 FPS
high	106 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
1080p
low	349 FPS	173 FPS
medium	349 FPS	151 FPS
high	349 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	109 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	149 FPS
medium	349 FPS	134 FPS
high	349 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	98 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	108 FPS
medium	310 FPS	100 FPS
high	291 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	74 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
1080p
low	349 FPS	346 FPS
medium	349 FPS	346 FPS
high	349 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	346 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	346 FPS
medium	349 FPS	346 FPS
high	349 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	346 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	346 FPS
medium	349 FPS	317 FPS
high	349 FPS	280 FPS
ultra	322 FPS	225 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
1080p
low	349 FPS	346 FPS
medium	349 FPS	346 FPS
high	349 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	346 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	346 FPS
medium	349 FPS	346 FPS
high	349 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	346 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	346 FPS
medium	349 FPS	346 FPS
high	349 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	326 FPS

Open Core i9-9980HK Open Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9980HK and Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

Core i9-9980HK

The Core i9-9980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,966 points. Launch price was $583.

Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

The Ryzen Embedded V3C18I is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Rembrandt (2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 13,856 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i9-9980HK and Ryzen Embedded V3C18I share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9980HK versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I — a 27.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-9980HK (base: 2.4 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Core i9-9980HK uses the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I uses Rembrandt (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9980HK scores 13,966 against the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I's 13,856 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i9-9980HK. Both processors carry 16 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz+32%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+26%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	6 nm-57%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)	Rembrandt (2022)
PassMark	13,966	13,856

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9980HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.