Core i7-980 vs Ryzen 5 3500U
Core i7-980
Ryzen 5 3500U
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i7-980 is positioned at rank 966 and the Ryzen 5 3500U is on rank 614, so the Ryzen 5 3500U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-980
Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 5 3500U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-980 | Ryzen 5 3500U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Gulftown (2010−2011) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) / 12 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-980 | Ryzen 5 3500U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-980 and Ryzen 5 3500U
Core i7-980
The Core i7-980 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.33 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,890 points. Launch price was $1,109.
Ryzen 5 3500U
The Ryzen 5 3500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,836 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i7-980 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3500U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-980 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-980 versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3500U — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3500U (base: 3.33 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i7-980 uses the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-980 scores 6,890 against the Ryzen 5 3500U's 6,836 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-980. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-980 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3500U.
| Feature | Core i7-980 | Ryzen 5 3500U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12+50% | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 3.6 GHz | 3.7 GHz+3% |
| Base Clock | 3.33 GHz+59% | 2.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB (total)+200% | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512K (per core)+100% |
| Process | 32 nm | 12 nm-63% |
| Architecture | Gulftown (2010−2011) | Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) |
| PassMark | 6,890 | 6,836 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | — | 3,545 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 876 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,898 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-980 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i7-980 | Ryzen 5 3500U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | FP5 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 12 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-980) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 3500U). The Ryzen 5 3500U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8), while the Core i7-980 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3500U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3500U rivals Core i5-10210U.
| Feature | Core i7-980 | Ryzen 5 3500U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon Vega 8 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Budget |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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