Core i9-10980HK vs Ryzen 5 5600

Core i9-10980HK vs Ryzen 5 5600 Performance Spectrum

Core i9-10980HK

8 / 16

17,037

0.0%

21,550

+26.5%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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.

Core i9-10980HK vs Ryzen 5 5600 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 i9-10980HK vs Ryzen 5 5600: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i9-10980HK

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,037 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅+26.5% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Core i9-10980HK.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Core i9-10980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Core i9-10980HK?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i9-10980HK is ahead with a 2.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600 pulls ahead with 26.5% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 5600 also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600 is the stronger fit. You are getting 26.5% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600 is the better buy right now. Ryzen 5 5600 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $199 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 26.5% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i9-10980HK is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 2.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 5600 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i9-10980HK vs Ryzen 5 5600 Technical Specifications

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

Core i9-10980HK

The Core i9-10980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,037 points. Launch price was $583.

Ryzen 5 5600

The Ryzen 5 5600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 21,550 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-10980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-10980HK has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10980HK versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980HK (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i9-10980HK uses the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10980HK scores 17,037 against the Ryzen 5 5600's 21,550 — a 23.4% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980HK vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i9-10980HK	Ryzen 5 5600
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+16%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.5 GHz+46%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake-H (2020)	Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark	17,037	21,550+26%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	11,077
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,052
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	8,600

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10980HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.