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: +7.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 32EUs, while Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360.

Trade-offs

❌60.7% higher power demand at 45W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360

2025

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 45W, a 17W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,051 vs 22,244).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 24 MB).
❌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 AI 7 PRO 360

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 32EUs, while Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360.

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 45W, a 17W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌60.7% higher power demand at 45W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,051 vs 22,244).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 24 MB).
❌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 AI 7 PRO 360?

Yes. Core i9-11980HK is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 7.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.9% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-11980HK is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.5% 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 i9-11980HK is the better fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Core i9-11980HK still looks like the safer overall buy. Core i9-11980HK is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 7.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021) and a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1787. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 AI 7 PRO 360 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360
1080p
low	247 FPS	244 FPS
medium	230 FPS	228 FPS
high	193 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	167 FPS
1440p
low	220 FPS	212 FPS
medium	185 FPS	180 FPS
high	150 FPS	147 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	154 FPS	146 FPS
medium	131 FPS	124 FPS
high	101 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	84 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360
1080p
low	556 FPS	241 FPS
medium	533 FPS	206 FPS
high	450 FPS	187 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	544 FPS	216 FPS
medium	484 FPS	190 FPS
high	411 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	147 FPS
4K
low	322 FPS	162 FPS
medium	291 FPS	148 FPS
high	277 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	119 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360
1080p
low	556 FPS	551 FPS
medium	556 FPS	551 FPS
high	488 FPS	551 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	461 FPS
1440p
low	556 FPS	551 FPS
medium	501 FPS	551 FPS
high	426 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	345 FPS	410 FPS
4K
low	430 FPS	493 FPS
medium	369 FPS	408 FPS
high	325 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	260 FPS	303 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360
1080p
low	556 FPS	551 FPS
medium	556 FPS	551 FPS
high	556 FPS	551 FPS
ultra	556 FPS	551 FPS
1440p
low	556 FPS	551 FPS
medium	556 FPS	551 FPS
high	556 FPS	551 FPS
ultra	484 FPS	526 FPS
4K
low	515 FPS	543 FPS
medium	462 FPS	496 FPS
high	410 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	352 FPS	388 FPS

Open Core i9-11980HK Open Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-11980HK and Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360

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 AI 7 PRO 360

The Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Strix Point (Zen 5) (2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 AMD Zen 5 AMD Zen 5c threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 22,051 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i9-11980HK and Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-11980HK versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i9-11980HK uses the Tiger Lake-HK (2021) architecture (10 nm SuperFin), while the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 uses Strix Point (Zen 5) (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-11980HK scores 22,244 against the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360's 22,051 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i9-11980HK. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-11980HK vs 8 MB on the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360.

Feature	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16 AMD Zen 5 AMD Zen 5c
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz+30%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)+200%	8 MB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm SuperFin	4 nm-60%
Architecture	Tiger Lake-HK (2021)	Strix Point (Zen 5) (2025)
PassMark	22,244	22,051
Cinebench R23 Multi	14,029	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,129	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,766	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-11980HK uses the FCBGA1787 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-11980HK	Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360
Socket	FCBGA1787	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i9-11980HK) / not specified (Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360). The Core i9-11980HK includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 32EUs), while the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-11980HK targets Enthusiast Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i9-11980HK rivals Ryzen 9 5900HX.