Ryzen 5 240 vs Ryzen 9 5980HX

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.

Ryzen 5 240 vs Ryzen 9 5980HX 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.

Ryzen 5 240 vs Ryzen 9 5980HX: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Ryzen 5 240

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,167 vs 23,300).
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5980HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 5980HX

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8CU), while Ryzen 5 240 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 240 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 240 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5980HX better than Ryzen 5 240?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Ryzen 5 240 is ahead with a 6.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 5980HX pulls ahead with 0.6% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 5980HX is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 5980HX still makes the most sense overall. Ryzen 9 5980HX comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.6% better PassMark.

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

Ryzen 5 240 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021) and a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of FP6. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Ryzen 5 240 vs Ryzen 9 5980HX Technical Specifications

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

Ryzen 5 240

The Ryzen 5 240 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point (2024−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.3 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,167 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 9 5980HX

The Ryzen 9 5980HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 23,300 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 240 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5980HX offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 5980HX has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 240 versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5980HX — a 4.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 240 (base: 4.3 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 240 uses the Hawk Point (2024−2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5980HX uses Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 240 scores 23,167 against the Ryzen 9 5980HX's 23,300 — a 0.6% lead for the Ryzen 9 5980HX. Both processors carry 16 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Ryzen 5 240	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+4%	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	4.3 GHz+30%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512 kB (per core)
Process	4 nm-43%	7 nm
Architecture	Hawk Point (2024−2025)	Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	23,167	23,300

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 240 uses the FP8 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 5980HX uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 5 240	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Socket	FP8	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 5 240) / AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5980HX). The Ryzen 9 5980HX includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics (8CU)), while the Ryzen 5 240 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5980HX targets Mobile High-End.