AMD Ryzen 7 5825C vs Intel Core i9-9980HK Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 5825C and Intel Core i9-9980HK are both 8-core, 16-thread mobile processors, yet they represent fundamentally different design philosophies from different eras. Benchmark data shows the Ryzen 7 5825C winning every single head-to-head Cinebench test, with margins between 4.2% and 4.6%. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical at 3579 for the AMD part versus 3577 for the Intel part, a difference of just 0.1%, placing both at the 55th percentile of all CPUs. This makes the choice less about raw peak performance and more about platform longevity, power efficiency, and specific workload characteristics.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear, though narrow, victory for the AMD Ryzen 7 5825C in compute benchmarks. It wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, with the largest margin being 4.6% in both Cinebench R20 multi-core and R23 multi-core. The smallest advantage is 4.2% in Cinebench R15 single-core. This consistent lead across both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads indicates a fundamentally more efficient architecture, not just a clock-speed advantage. The Ryzen 7 5825C achieves this while having a 15W TDP, compared to the Intel part's 45W TDP.

For a user prioritizing sustained performance in a thin-and-light chassis, the Ryzen 7 5825C is the clear choice. Its significantly lower power draw means it can maintain boost clocks for longer periods without thermal throttling, a factor the raw scores do not fully capture. The Intel Core i9-9980HK, however, still holds relevance in specific scenarios. Its unlocked multiplier allows for overclocking, which the Ryzen 7 5825C does not support. In a thick gaming laptop with robust cooling, an overclocked i9-9980HK could potentially close or reverse the gap in heavily multi-threaded tasks, though the data provided does not include such overclocked results. For any stock configuration, the Ryzen 7 5825C is the superior performer per benchmark results, and its active production status suggests continued driver and firmware support.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are separated by several generations of design. The AMD Ryzen 7 5825C is built on the Zen 3 architecture, using the Cezanne-U codename, and is fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It contains 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die. The Intel Core i9-9980HK uses the older Coffee Lake architecture (Coffee Lake-HR codename) on a 14 nm process at Intel, with a die size of 149 mm² and no transistor count listed.

These process differences have profound implications. The 7 nm node allows AMD to pack more transistors into a smaller area, but the larger 180 mm² die for the AMD part suggests a more complex design with integrated memory controllers and I/O. The core layouts also differ: the AMD processor features 512 KB of L2 cache per core, while the Intel part has 256 KB per core. Both share 16 MB of L3 cache. The AMD part's larger L2 cache is a significant architectural advantage, reducing latency for frequently accessed data. Furthermore, the Ryzen 7 5825C has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost of 4.5 GHz, while the Intel part has a higher base of 2.4 GHz and boost of 5.0 GHz. Despite the Intel part's higher clock speeds, the AMD part wins on performance, demonstrating the IPC (instructions per clock) advantage of Zen 3 over Coffee Lake.

The platform support is also a major divider. The AMD Ryzen 7 5825C uses the AMD Socket FP6 and supports PCIe Gen 3 with 8 CPU lanes. The Intel part uses Intel BGA 1440 and supports PCIe Gen 3, though the lane count is not specified. Memory bandwidth differs, with the AMD part rated at 51.2 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s for Intel. Both support DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode, but the AMD part's higher bandwidth is a tangible benefit for memory-sensitive workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5825C has an average benchmark score of 3579, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i9-9980HK's score of 3577. This places both at the 55th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: How large is the performance lead in multi-core Cinebench tests?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Ryzen 7 5825C scores 12376 versus the i9-9980HK's 11836, a 4.6% advantage. The margin is consistent at 4.5% in both Cinebench R15 and R20 multi-core tests, with scores of 1247 vs 1193 and 5197 vs 4971, respectively.

Q: Does the Intel processor have any performance advantages?

A: In the provided head-to-head benchmark data, the Intel Core i9-9980HK wins zero tests. The AMD processor wins all six Cinebench tests. However, the Intel part has an unlocked multiplier, allowing for overclocking, which is not a feature of the AMD part.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5825C has a TDP of 15W, while the Intel Core i9-9980HK has a TDP of 45W. This is a threefold difference, indicating the AMD part is significantly more power-efficient.

Q: Are both processors from the same production generation?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen 7 5825C is from the 5000 series, released on 2022-05-04, and its production status is Active. The Intel Core i9-9980HK was released on 2019-04-22 and its production status is End-of-life.

Q: Which processor has better integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5825C features Radeon Vega 8 integrated graphics, while the Intel Core i9-9980HK features UHD 630. The benchmark data does not provide direct comparison scores for these iGPU units.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 7 5825C | Intel Core i9-9980HK |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | Zen 3 | Coffee Lake |

| Codename | Cezanne-U | Coffee Lake-HR |

| Process Node | 7 nm (TSMC) | 14 nm (Intel) |

| Base Clock | 2000 MHz | 2400 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 4500 MHz | 5000 MHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 45 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP6 | Intel BGA 1440 |

| L2 Cache | 512 KB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | 42.7 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 8 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3 (lane count not specified) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon Vega 8 | UHD 630 |

| Multiplier Unlocked | No | Yes |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2022-05-04 | 2019-04-22 |

| Transistors | 10,700 million | Not specified |

| Die Size | 180 mm² | 149 mm² |

| Part Number | 100-000000xxx | SRFD0 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are unambiguous: the AMD Ryzen 7 5825C dominates the Intel Core i9-9980HK across every Cinebench iteration. The data shows a complete sweep, with the AMD part winning all six tests and the Intel part winning none.

The most significant win for the AMD processor is in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, where it scores 12376 against the Intel's 11836, a 4.6% delta. This is a heavy, sustained workload that stresses all cores and threads, and the margin here is indicative of the Zen 3 architecture's efficiency. The Ryzen 7 5825C also wins Cinebench R20 multi-core by 4.5%, scoring 5197 versus 4971. In single-core tests, the AMD part also leads, winning Cinebench R23 single-core by 4.5% (1747 vs 1671) and Cinebench R20 single-core by 4.6% (733 vs 701). The smallest margin is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the AMD part wins 175 to 168, a 4.2% advantage.

These consistent margins are notable because the Intel processor has a higher boost clock of 5.0 GHz compared to the AMD's 4.5 GHz. The fact that the AMD part wins despite a 500 MHz clock deficit highlights the superior instructions-per-clock (IPC) of the Zen 3 architecture. The AMD part's larger L2 cache and higher memory bandwidth likely contribute to this efficiency. Even in the oldest test, Cinebench R15, the AMD part wins by 4.5% in multi-core (1247 vs 1193), showing that the performance advantage is not an artifact of newer software optimizations but a fundamental architectural superiority. The data suggests that for any stock-configuration workload, the AMD Ryzen 7 5825C is the faster processor, and its 15W TDP makes that performance far more sustainable in a mobile form factor.