Core i9-9980HK vs Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i9-9980HK vs Ryzen 5 5600X Performance Spectrum

Core i9-9980HK

8 / 16

13,966

0.0%

21,845

+56.4%

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 i9-9980HK vs Ryzen 5 5600X 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 i9-9980HK vs Ryzen 5 5600X: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i9-9980HK

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,966 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅+56.4% 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.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Core i9-9980HK?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i9-9980HK is ahead with a 3.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600X pulls ahead with 56.4% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 5600X 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 5600X is the stronger fit. You are getting 56.4% 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 5600X is the better buy right now. Ryzen 5 5600X comes in at an unclear MSRP at $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 56.4% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i9-9980HK is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 3.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5600X makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019), 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 i9-9980HK vs Ryzen 5 5600X Technical Specifications

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

Core i9-9980HK

The Core i9-9980HK 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 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 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: 13,966 points. Launch price was $583.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-9980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-9980HK has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9980HK versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-9980HK (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i9-9980HK uses the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9980HK scores 13,966 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 44% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980HK vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i9-9980HK	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5 GHz+9%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.7 GHz+54%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	13,966	21,845+56%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9980HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.