CPU Showdown

Ryzen 3 2300XvsRyzen Threadripper 9980X

The Ryzen 3 2300X is a budget quad-core chip for everyday computing and light gaming, while the Threadripper 9980X is a high-end 64-core workstation monster built for heavy rendering and professional multitasking.

AMD Ryzen 3 2300X
4C / 4T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
64C / 128T · 350W
AMD

Ryzen 3 2300X

Zen+ · 12 nm · 2018

5score
4.1/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
4.0 GHz
L3 Cache
8 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.

Ryzen 3 2300X
5
Ryzen Threadripper 9980XWinner
86
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X leads by 1620.0% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#1EPYC 9755100
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#415Core i3-9350K5
#416Ryzen 3 2300X5
#417Core i7-7700T5
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

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

SpecsRyzen 3 2300XRyzen Threadripper 9980X
Cores
Total Cores464
Threads4128
Base Clock3.5 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock4.0 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache2 MB64 MB
L3 Cache8 MB256 MB
Platform
SocketAM4sTR5
MemoryDDR4DDR5
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
Power
Base TDP65W350W
General
ArchitectureZen+Shimada Peak
Process12 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins overall for anyone needing massive multi-core power, while the Ryzen 3 2300X is only for basic tasks.

Best value

For budget buyers, the Ryzen 3 2300X is the smarter pick as a low-cost entry option, but the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X offers far more capability for workstation use.

When the other wins

The weaker Ryzen 3 2300X is the right choice for a simple office PC where extreme multi-threaded performance from the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X would be wasteful.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ryzen 3 2300X 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 5 out of 100), so it leads the Ryzen 3 2300X in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X than the Ryzen 3 2300X?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is roughly 1620% faster than the Ryzen 3 2300X overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Ryzen 3 2300X or the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X. If the Ryzen 3 2300X 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.