CPU Showdown

Core Ultra 5 235TvsRyzen Threadripper 9980X

The Core Ultra 5 235T is a sensible, power-sipping chip for everyday computing and light productivity, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is a workstation monster built for heavy multi-threaded tasks like 3D rendering and video encoding.

Intel Core Ultra 5 235T
14C / 14T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
64C / 128T · 350W
Intel

Core Ultra 5 235T

Arrow Lake-S · 3 nm · 2025

19score
3.2/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
14 / 14
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
5.0 GHz
L3 Cache
24 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 Ultra 5 235T
19
Ryzen Threadripper 9980XWinner
86
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X leads by 352.6% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#1EPYC 9755100
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#94Core i9-9980XE19
#95Core Ultra 5 235T19
#96Core i5-1360019
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsCore Ultra 5 235TRyzen Threadripper 9980X
Cores
Total Cores1464
Threads14128
Base Clock2.2 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock5.0 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache42 MB64 MB
L3 Cache24 MB256 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 5.0 and 4.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel® Graphics
Power
Base TDP65W350W
General
Process3 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins for raw performance, but the Core Ultra 5 235T is the smarter choice for most users.

Best value

The Core Ultra 5 235T offers better value for everyday tasks, costing far less while using much less power.

When the other wins

Choose the Core Ultra 5 235T for a quiet, energy-efficient office PC where extreme multi-core power isn't needed.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core Ultra 5 235T 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 19 out of 100), so it leads the Core Ultra 5 235T in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X than the Core Ultra 5 235T?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is roughly 353% faster than the Core Ultra 5 235T overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core Ultra 5 235T or the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X. If the Core Ultra 5 235T 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.