CPU Showdown

Core i5-9500FvsRyzen Threadripper 9980X

The Core i5-9500F is a modest six-core desktop chip for everyday computing and light gaming, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is a massive 64-core workstation monster built for heavy rendering and multi-threaded tasks.

Intel Core i5-9500F
6C / 6T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
64C / 128T · 350W
Intel

Core i5-9500F

Coffee Lake · 14 nm · 2019

6score
4.1/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
6 / 6
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
4.4 GHz
L3 Cache
9 MB

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AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025

86score
3.9/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
64 / 128
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.4 GHz
L3 Cache
256 MB

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Aggregate Performance

Overall Performance Score

A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest desktop CPU available.

Core i5-9500F
6
Ryzen Threadripper 9980XWinner
86
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X leads by 1333.3% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#1EPYC 9755100
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#373Ryzen 3 4300G6
#374Core i5-9500F6
#375Core i3-103206
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.

SpecsCore i5-9500FRyzen Threadripper 9980X
Cores
Total Cores664
Threads6128
Base Clock3.0 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock4.4 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache1.5 MB64 MB
L3 Cache9 MB256 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
Power
Base TDP65W350W
General
Process14 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins decisively for heavy workloads, leaving the Core i5-9500F far behind in multi-threaded tasks.

Best value

Budget buyers should pick the Core i5-9500F for basic computing, but the Threadripper 9980X offers far more processing power for the price.

When the other wins

The Core i5-9500F is the right choice for a simple office PC where extreme multi-core performance is unnecessary.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i5-9500F better than the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (86 vs 6 out of 100), so it leads the Core i5-9500F in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X than the Core i5-9500F?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is roughly 1333% faster than the Core i5-9500F overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i5-9500F or the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X. If the Core i5-9500F is meaningfully cheaper where you shop, it can be the better value for similar real-world results — check current prices and the full spec comparison above before deciding.