Core i9-10980HK vs Xeon Gold 5117

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 i9-10980HK

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 105W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 19 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 5117, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Gold 5117

2017

Why buy it

✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,897 vs 17,037).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,286 MSRP, while Core i9-10980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 105W vs 45W.

Core i9-10980HK

2020

Xeon Gold 5117

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 105W, a 60W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 19 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 5117, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,897 vs 17,037).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,286 MSRP, while Core i9-10980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 105W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-10980HK better than Xeon Gold 5117?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 5117 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i9-10980HK 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 i9-10980HK is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 21.7% 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 i9-10980HK 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 i9-10980HK is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Gold 5117 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-10980HK is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,286 MSRP, and it gives you a 21.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon Gold 5117 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (13.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i9-10980HK is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 14/28. 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 i9-10980HK Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 5117 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10980HK	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	267 FPS	175 FPS
medium	239 FPS	140 FPS
high	201 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	229 FPS	139 FPS
medium	185 FPS	109 FPS
high	151 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	160 FPS	66 FPS
medium	130 FPS	55 FPS
high	100 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i9-10980HK Open Xeon Gold 5117

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10980HK	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	426 FPS	189 FPS
medium	359 FPS	168 FPS
high	312 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	273 FPS	119 FPS
1440p
low	406 FPS	163 FPS
medium	335 FPS	149 FPS
high	288 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	243 FPS	104 FPS
4K
low	271 FPS	106 FPS
medium	232 FPS	97 FPS
high	219 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	184 FPS	68 FPS

Open Core i9-10980HK Open Xeon Gold 5117

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10980HK	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	426 FPS	422 FPS
medium	426 FPS	422 FPS
high	426 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	406 FPS
1440p
low	426 FPS	422 FPS
medium	426 FPS	422 FPS
high	426 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	335 FPS
4K
low	426 FPS	401 FPS
medium	426 FPS	310 FPS
high	393 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	213 FPS

Open Core i9-10980HK Open Xeon Gold 5117

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10980HK	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	426 FPS	422 FPS
medium	426 FPS	422 FPS
high	426 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	422 FPS
1440p
low	426 FPS	422 FPS
medium	426 FPS	422 FPS
high	426 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	415 FPS
4K
low	426 FPS	422 FPS
medium	426 FPS	401 FPS
high	426 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	306 FPS

Open Core i9-10980HK Open Xeon Gold 5117

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10980HK and Xeon Gold 5117

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.

Xeon Gold 5117

The Xeon Gold 5117 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB. L2 cache: 14 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 16,897 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-10980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5117 offers 14 cores / 28 threads — the Xeon Gold 5117 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10980HK versus 2.8 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5117 — a 58.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980HK (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i9-10980HK uses the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5117 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10980HK scores 17,037 against the Xeon Gold 5117's 16,897 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i9-10980HK. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980HK vs 19.25 MB on the Xeon Gold 5117.

Feature	Core i9-10980HK	Xeon Gold 5117
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	14 / 28+75%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+82%	2.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	19.25 MB+20%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	14 MB+5500%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake-H (2020)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	17,037	16,897

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10980HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 5117 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.