Ryzen 9 5980HX vs Core i7-12650HX

The Ryzen 9 5980HX packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-12650HX offers 14 cores / 20 threads — the Core i7-12650HX has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5980HX versus 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-12650HX — a 2.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5980HX (base: 3.3 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 9 5980HX uses the Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021) architecture (7 nm), while the Core i7-12650HX uses Alder Lake-HX (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 5980HX scores 23,300 against the Core i7-12650HX's 23,215 — a 0.4% lead for the Ryzen 9 5980HX. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5980HX vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-12650HX.

The Ryzen 9 5980HX uses the FP6 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-12650HX uses FCBGA1964 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR4-4266 on the Ryzen 9 5980HX versus DDR5-4800 on the Core i7-12650HX — the Core i7-12650HX supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-12650HX supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Ryzen 9 5980HX) vs 48 (Core i7-12650HX) — the Core i7-12650HX offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5980HX) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-12650HX). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon Graphics (8CU) (Ryzen 9 5980HX) and Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-12650HX) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5980HX targets Mobile High-End, Core i7-12650HX targets Gaming Laptop.