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 i9-11980HK

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.1% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 140W, a 95W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 32EUs, while Ryzen Threadripper 1920 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen Threadripper 1920.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1920, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.

Ryzen Threadripper 1920

2017

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11980HK across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,066 vs 22,244).
❌Launch MSRP is still $799 MSRP, while Core i9-11980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌211.1% higher power demand at 140W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-11980HK can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i9-11980HK

2021

Ryzen Threadripper 1920

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.1% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 140W, a 95W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 32EUs, while Ryzen Threadripper 1920 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen Threadripper 1920.

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1920, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11980HK across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,066 vs 22,244).
❌Launch MSRP is still $799 MSRP, while Core i9-11980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌211.1% higher power demand at 140W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-11980HK can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-11980HK better than Ryzen Threadripper 1920?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 1920 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i9-11980HK is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-11980HK is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 5.1% more average FPS across 49 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-11980HK 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 i9-11980HK is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen Threadripper 1920 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-11980HK is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $799 MSRP, and it gives you a 5.1% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen Threadripper 1920 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (27.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Core i9-11980HK is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2017), more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 12/24, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i9-11980HK Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 1920 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
1080p
low	247 FPS	175 FPS
medium	230 FPS	156 FPS
high	193 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	220 FPS	143 FPS
medium	185 FPS	121 FPS
high	150 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	154 FPS	65 FPS
medium	131 FPS	59 FPS
high	101 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen Threadripper 1920

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
1080p
low	556 FPS	398 FPS
medium	533 FPS	357 FPS
high	450 FPS	304 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	252 FPS
1440p
low	544 FPS	339 FPS
medium	484 FPS	309 FPS
high	411 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	219 FPS
4K
low	322 FPS	217 FPS
medium	291 FPS	197 FPS
high	277 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	145 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen Threadripper 1920

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
1080p
low	556 FPS	552 FPS
medium	556 FPS	539 FPS
high	488 FPS	501 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	556 FPS	552 FPS
medium	501 FPS	464 FPS
high	426 FPS	418 FPS
ultra	345 FPS	367 FPS
4K
low	430 FPS	420 FPS
medium	369 FPS	334 FPS
high	325 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	260 FPS	252 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen Threadripper 1920

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
1080p
low	556 FPS	552 FPS
medium	556 FPS	552 FPS
high	556 FPS	552 FPS
ultra	556 FPS	528 FPS
1440p
low	556 FPS	552 FPS
medium	556 FPS	552 FPS
high	556 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	484 FPS	423 FPS
4K
low	515 FPS	444 FPS
medium	462 FPS	408 FPS
high	410 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	352 FPS	318 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen Threadripper 1920

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-11980HK and Ryzen Threadripper 1920

Core i9-11980HK

The Core i9-11980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-HK (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 22,244 points. Launch price was $583.

Ryzen Threadripper 1920

The Ryzen Threadripper 1920 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,066 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-11980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-11980HK versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 — a 27.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-11980HK (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i9-11980HK uses the Tiger Lake-HK (2021) architecture (10 nm SuperFin), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-11980HK scores 22,244 against the Ryzen Threadripper 1920's 22,066 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i9-11980HK. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-11980HK vs 32 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 1920.

Feature	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+32%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	3.2 GHz+23%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)	32 MB+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	10 nm SuperFin-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Tiger Lake-HK (2021)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	22,244	22,066
Cinebench R23 Multi	14,029	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,129	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,766	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-11980HK uses the FCBGA1787 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 uses SP3r2 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
Socket	FCBGA1787	SP3r2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i9-11980HK) / not specified (Ryzen Threadripper 1920). The Core i9-11980HK includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 32EUs), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-11980HK targets Enthusiast Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i9-11980HK rivals Ryzen 9 5900HX.