Ryzen 5 3500XvsRyzen Threadripper 9980X
The Ryzen 5 3500X is a budget-friendly 6-core chip for everyday gaming and light work, while the Threadripper 9980X is a massive 64-core monster built for professional rendering and heavy multitasking.
Ryzen 5 3500X
Matisse · 7 nm · 2019
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Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025
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Overall Performance Score
A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest desktop CPU available.
Side-by-Side Specs
Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.
Which should you buy?
The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins for extreme multi-threaded workloads, but the Ryzen 5 3500X is the better choice for most everyday users.
For budget buyers, the Ryzen 5 3500X offers a much smarter price-to-performance ratio than the overpowered Ryzen Threadripper 9980X.
The Ryzen 5 3500X is the right choice when building a simple office PC or gaming rig, as the Threadripper 9980X would be wasteful overkill.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Ryzen 5 3500X 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 8 out of 100), so it leads the Ryzen 5 3500X in most workloads.
How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X than the Ryzen 5 3500X?
Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is roughly 975% faster than the Ryzen 5 3500X overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.
Which should you buy, the Ryzen 5 3500X or the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?
If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X. If the Ryzen 5 3500X 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.