Core i7-5960X vs Core i9-9880H

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.

Core i7-5960X vs Core i9-9880H FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i7-5960X vs Core i9-9880H: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i7-5960X

2014

Why buy it

✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9880H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,382 vs 13,531).
❌Launch MSRP is still $999 MSRP, while Core i9-9880H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌211.1% higher power demand at 140W vs 45W.

Core i9-9880H

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 140W, a 95W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9880H better than Core i7-5960X?

Yes. Core i9-9880H is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 14.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.1% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-9880H is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 14.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9880H is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i9-9880H is still the much better call for a fresh build. Core i9-9880H comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and it still gives you a 14.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-5960X only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2014 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (13.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA2011.

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

Core i9-9880H makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i7-5960X vs Core i9-9880H Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i7-5960X

The Core i7-5960X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell-E (2014) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,382 points. Launch price was $999.

Core i9-9880H

The Core i9-9880H 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 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 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: 13,531 points. Launch price was $556.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i7-5960X and Core i9-9880H share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i7-5960X versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-9880H — a 31.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-9880H (base: 3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i7-5960X uses the Haswell-E (2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i9-9880H uses Coffee Lake-HR (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-5960X scores 13,382 against the Core i9-9880H's 13,531 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i9-9880H. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i7-5960X vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9880H.

Feature	Core i7-5960X	Core i9-9880H
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	4.8 GHz+37%
Base Clock	3 GHz+30%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+25%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-E (2014)	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)
PassMark	13,382	13,531+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,720	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,244	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,412	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-5960X uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-9880H uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.