Intel Core i9-11980HK vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

Processor comparisons   12-06-2021
   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-11980HK vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X and understand which is better for games or simple use for streaming, machine learning, programming, rendering, video editing. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications such as 7zip, GeekBench 6, 5.2, SuperPi, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, RealBench, AIDA64, PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, Gears 5, PassMark, WPrime, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, UserBenchmark, Prime95, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Fortnite
Watch Dogs Legion
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Borderlands 3
Overwatch
Apex Legends
Valorant
Red Dead Redemption 2
Last Man Standing
DOOM: Eternal
Death Stranding
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Grand Theft Auto V
Valheim
Rainbow Six Siege
Cyberpunk 2077
Halo Infinite
Fallout 76

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 3950X or Intel Core i9-11980HK.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i9-11980HK

58%

Ryzen 9 3950X

61%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 3950X is 4% better than Core i9-11980HK. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-11980HK

55%

Ryzen 9 3950X

58%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Ghostrunner, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Half-Life: Alyx, Control, Metro Exodus, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, League of Legends (LOL), Monster Hunter World, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), NBA 2K20, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	98.4	103.7
Valorant	111.8	117.9
Cyberpunk 2077	62.6	66.0
Apex Legends	105.1	110.8
Call of Duty Warzone	83.9	88.4
Overwatch	90.6	95.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.2	81.3
DOOM Eternal	55.9	58.9
Warzone	87.2	91.9
Assassin's Creed	93.9	99.0
Valheim	92.8	97.8

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-11980HK

82%

Ryzen 9 3950X

40%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i9-11980HK is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 9 3950X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 105W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i9-11980HK	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	217
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2704	3897
Cinbench 20 Single-core	668	531
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6009	9148
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1735	1371
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17294	24050

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i9-11980HK	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Single-Core	3989	2718
Multi-Core	29565	39170

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i9-11980HK	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Single-Core	1599	1286
Multi-Core	10219	15407

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-11980HK	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Announcement date	February 21, 2021	October 01, 2019
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1787	AM4
Core name	Tiger Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	11	3
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.5 MHz
Cores	8	16
Threads	16	32
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	10 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	105 W
Memory type	Up to 3200 MT/s	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth	51.2 GB/s
L1 cache		1MB
L2 cache	4 MB	8MB
L3 cache	24 MB	64MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000051 100-100000051WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 9 3950X is 5% better than Core i9-11980HK in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 3950X has 8 more core than Core i9-11980HK. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-11980HK is better: 13
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is better: 24
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-11980HK and AMD Ryzen 9 3950X before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i9-11980HK - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i9-11980HK specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3950X specs and review.