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: +5.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 180W, a 135W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 32EUs, while Ryzen Threadripper 1950 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen Threadripper 1950.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (14,029 vs 18,780).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1950, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

2017

Why buy it

✅+33.9% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $999 MSRP, while Core i9-11980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌300% higher power demand at 180W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-11980HK can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i9-11980HK.

Core i9-11980HK

2021

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 180W, a 135W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 32EUs, while Ryzen Threadripper 1950 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen Threadripper 1950.

Why buy it

✅+33.9% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (14,029 vs 18,780).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1950, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $999 MSRP, while Core i9-11980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌300% higher power demand at 180W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-11980HK can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i9-11980HK.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-11980HK better than Ryzen Threadripper 1950?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 1950 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 streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper 1950 is the better fit. You are getting 33.9% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).

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

Core i9-11980HK is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen Threadripper 1950 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-11980HK is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and it gives you a 5.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 1950 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 33.9% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Ryzen Threadripper 1950 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (22.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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) and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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.

Core i9-11980HK Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 1950 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	247 FPS	173 FPS
medium	230 FPS	153 FPS
high	193 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	220 FPS	139 FPS
medium	185 FPS	117 FPS
high	150 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	154 FPS	65 FPS
medium	131 FPS	59 FPS
high	101 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	556 FPS	336 FPS
medium	533 FPS	304 FPS
high	450 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	210 FPS
1440p
low	544 FPS	287 FPS
medium	484 FPS	264 FPS
high	411 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	182 FPS
4K
low	322 FPS	184 FPS
medium	291 FPS	169 FPS
high	277 FPS	147 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	115 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	556 FPS	552 FPS
medium	556 FPS	505 FPS
high	488 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	407 FPS
1440p
low	556 FPS	531 FPS
medium	501 FPS	439 FPS
high	426 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	345 FPS	341 FPS
4K
low	430 FPS	401 FPS
medium	369 FPS	318 FPS
high	325 FPS	281 FPS
ultra	260 FPS	234 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	556 FPS	552 FPS
medium	556 FPS	552 FPS
high	556 FPS	552 FPS
ultra	556 FPS	487 FPS
1440p
low	556 FPS	552 FPS
medium	556 FPS	535 FPS
high	556 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	484 FPS	391 FPS
4K
low	515 FPS	416 FPS
medium	462 FPS	382 FPS
high	410 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	352 FPS	295 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-11980HK and Ryzen Threadripper 1950

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 1950

The Ryzen Threadripper 1950 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 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,077 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-11980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-11980HK versus 3.2 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 — a 43.9% 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 1950 uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-11980HK scores 22,244 against the Ryzen Threadripper 1950's 22,077 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i9-11980HK. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 14,029 vs 18,780 (29% advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 1950). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,129 vs 1,961, a 8.2% lead for the Core i9-11980HK that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 9,766 vs 10,100 (3.4% advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 1950). L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-11980HK vs 32 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 1950.

Feature	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+56%	3.2 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	22,077
Cinebench R23 Multi	14,029	18,780+34%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,129+9%	1,961
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,766	10,100+3%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-11980HK uses the FCBGA1787 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 uses SP3r2 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Core i9-11980HK) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i9-11980HK) vs 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950) — the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 offers 44 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: HM570,WM590 (Core i9-11980HK) and X399 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950).

Feature	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
Socket	FCBGA1787	SP3r2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	64+220%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-11980HK supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i9-11980HK) vs AMD-V (Ryzen Threadripper 1950). The Core i9-11980HK includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 32EUs), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-11980HK targets Enthusiast Gaming Laptop, Ryzen Threadripper 1950 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i9-11980HK rivals Ryzen 9 5900HX; Ryzen Threadripper 1950 rivals Core i9-7960X.

Feature	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 32EUs	—
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Enthusiast Gaming Laptop	Workstation