Ryzen 5 8640U vs Ryzen 9 5980HS

AMD

Ryzen 5 8640U

6 Cores12 Thrd28 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2023
Ryzen family
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VS
AMD

Ryzen 9 5980HS

8 Cores16 Thrd35 WWMax: 4.8 GHz2021
Ryzen family
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Ryzen 5 8640U vs Ryzen 9 5980HS Performance Spectrum

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.

Ryzen 5 8640U vs Ryzen 9 5980HS 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 8640U vs Ryzen 9 5980HS: 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 8640U

2023

Why buy it

  • +0.1% higher PassMark.
  • Draws 28W instead of 35W, a 7W reduction.
  • Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
  • 25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5980HS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen 9 5980HS

2021

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +7.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (20,257 vs 20,274).
  • 25% higher power demand at 35W vs 28W.
  • Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8640U moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 8640U better than Ryzen 9 5980HS?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Ryzen 9 5980HS is ahead with a 7.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 8640U pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 8640U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Ryzen 5 8640U still makes the most sense overall. Ryzen 5 8640U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Ryzen 5 8640U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021), a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of FP6, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Ryzen 5 8640U vs Ryzen 9 5980HS Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Ryzen 5 8640U

The Ryzen 5 8640U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). 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: 20,274 points. Launch price was $299.

AMD

Ryzen 9 5980HS

The Ryzen 9 5980HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 20,257 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 8640U packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5980HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 5980HS has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8640U versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5980HS — a 2.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8640U (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 8640U uses the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5980HS uses Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 8640U scores 20,274 against the Ryzen 9 5980HS's 20,257 — a 0.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 8640U. Both processors carry 16 MB (total) of L3 cache.

FeatureRyzen 5 8640URyzen 9 5980HS
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock
4.9 GHz+2%
4.8 GHz
Base Clock
3.5 GHz+17%
3 GHz
L3 Cache
16 MB (total)
16 MB (total)
L2 Cache
1 MB (per core)
512K (per core)+51100%
Process
4 nm-43%
7 nm
Architecture
Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025)
Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark
20,274
20,257
Cinebench R23 Multi
10,675
Geekbench 6 Single
2,519
Geekbench 6 Multi
10,308
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 8640U uses the FP8 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 5980HS uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5x-7500 on the Ryzen 5 8640U versus LPDDR4-4266 on the Ryzen 9 5980HS — the Ryzen 5 8640U supports 75.8% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 5 8640U supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB 700% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Ryzen 5 8640U) vs 16 (Ryzen 9 5980HS) — the Ryzen 5 8640U offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

FeatureRyzen 5 8640URyzen 9 5980HS
Socket
FP8
FP6
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0+33%
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
LPDDR5x-7500+76%
LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity
256 GB+700%
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
Yes
No
PCIe Lanes
20+25%
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 5980HS has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 5 8640U supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V (SVM) (Ryzen 5 8640U) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5980HS). Both include integrated graphics Radeon 760M (Ryzen 5 8640U) and Radeon Graphics (8CU) (Ryzen 9 5980HS) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 8640U targets Productivity, Ryzen 9 5980HS targets Mobile High-End. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 8640U rivals Core i5-1335U.

FeatureRyzen 5 8640URyzen 9 5980HS
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
Radeon 760M
Radeon Graphics (8CU)
Unlocked
No
Yes
AVX-512
Yes
No
Virtualization
AMD-V (SVM)
AMD-V
Target Use
Productivity
Mobile High-End