AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS vs Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data splits cleanly along generational lines, with each processor claiming two decisive victories in the shared Cinebench tests. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS dominates the older Cinebench R15 suite, while the Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 turns the tables in the more demanding Cinebench R23 workloads.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ryzen 9 5980HS posts 2083 points against the Xeon's 1395, a commanding 49.3% advantage. That gap nearly doubles in single-core R15 testing, where the AMD part scores 243 versus 196—a 24% lead. These are not marginal wins; the Ryzen 9 simply outclasses the Xeon in legacy rendering tasks, likely reflecting the massive clock-speed and architectural advantages the newer Zen 3 design holds.

The picture reverses in Cinebench R23. The Xeon E5-2698B v3 takes the multi-core test with 13843 points versus 12629 for the Ryzen—an 8.8% margin. The single-core R23 result is even more lopsided: the Xeon scores 1954 against 1529, a 21.8% swing in Intel's favor. This inversion is striking. The Xeon, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, flexes its parallel muscle in the newer benchmark, while its unexpectedly strong single-core R23 showing suggests that the older Haswell architecture benefits from the workload's characteristics in ways the R15 suite does not capture.

Looking at average benchmark scores across all tested workloads, the two are remarkably close. The Ryzen 9 5980HS averages 4121 points, while the Xeon averages 4004—a difference of roughly 3%. Both processors sit at the 57th percentile of all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy nearly identical overall performance tiers despite their vastly different designs. The Ryzen's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X (4114, +0.2%), Intel Core i5-12500TE (4083, +0.9%), and Intel Core i9-9900 (4163, -1%). The Xeon's nearest rivals cluster around the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655G (4010, -0.2%), Intel Core i5-12400T (4019, -0.4%), and Intel Xeon E-2336 (3985, +0.5%). The head-to-head win count is dead even at two apiece, making this a genuine split decision.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 9 5980HS is the clear choice for legacy benchmark compatibility and single-threaded responsiveness in older workloads. Its 49.3% multi-core and 24% single-core wins in Cinebench R15 indicate that applications built around that era's rendering engine will see substantial performance gains on the AMD chip. For users running software that scales well with high clock speeds and modern instruction-level parallelism, the 4.80 GHz boost clock on the Ryzen provides a significant edge over the Xeon's 3.40 GHz ceiling.

The Xeon E5-2698B v3, by contrast, wins in the more modern Cinebench R23 workloads. Its 8.8% multi-core advantage suggests that current-generation rendering and compute tasks that fully utilize 16 cores and 32 threads will favor the Intel part. The 21.8% single-core lead in R23 is harder to explain from raw specifications alone, but the data is unambiguous: in this benchmark generation, the Xeon delivers better per-thread performance. For server and workstation deployments running contemporary multi-threaded applications, the Xeon's higher core count and R23 performance make it the stronger candidate.

The Ryzen's 35W TDP versus the Xeon's 135W TDP also points to different deployment scenarios. The mobile-focused Ryzen 9 5980HS is designed for power-constrained environments like high-end laptops, while the Xeon E5-2698B v3 targets server racks and workstations where power budgets are less restrictive. The Ryzen's active production status and 2021 release date mean it remains a current part, whereas the Xeon's end-of-life status suggests it is a legacy option for existing infrastructure.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent radically different design philosophies separated by several architectural generations. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS uses the Zen 3 architecture on TSMC's 7 nm process node, with a codename of Cezanne. It packs 10,700 million transistors into a 180 mm² die. The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 uses the much older Haswell architecture—specifically Haswell-EP—on Intel's 22 nm process, with just 2,600 million transistors spread across a 356 mm² die. The transistor density difference is stark: the Ryzen crams over four times as many transistors into roughly half the silicon area.

Core and cache configurations differ substantially. The Ryzen offers 8 cores and 16 threads, with 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Xeon doubles the core count to 16 and threads to 32, but halves the per-core L2 to 256 KB, while its L3 cache balloons to 40 MB shared. This makes sense for a server part designed to feed many cores from a large shared pool. The Ryzen's smaller L3 reflects its focus on lower latency per-thread access in a mobile form factor.

Memory architecture also diverges. Both support DDR4, and both list 68.3 GB/s memory bandwidth, but the Ryzen uses a dual-channel bus while the Xeon uses quad-channel. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, which the Ryzen does not—a critical differentiator for server reliability. PCIe connectivity favors the Xeon with 40 Gen 3 lanes versus the Ryzen's 16 Gen 3 lanes, again reflecting their target markets. The Ryzen includes integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics, while the Xeon has no integrated GPU. The Ryzen uses AMD Socket FP6, while the Xeon uses Intel Socket 2011-3.

Clock speeds tell a story of specialization. The Ryzen runs at a 3.00 GHz base and boosts to 4.80 GHz, prioritizing high single-thread performance. The Xeon's base clock is listed at 2000.00 MHz (2.00 GHz) with a 3.40 GHz boost—far lower, but paired with double the cores. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not officially supported.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmarks in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The split is exactly even. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS wins Cinebench R15 multi-core (2083 vs 1395) and single-core (243 vs 196), while the Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 wins Cinebench R23 multi-core (13843 vs 12629) and single-core (1954 vs 1529). Each takes two wins.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare between the two CPUs?

A: The Ryzen 9 5980HS has an average benchmark score of 4121, while the Xeon E5-2698B v3 averages 4004. That is a difference of about 3%, placing both at the 57th percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 has 16 cores and 32 threads—exactly double.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: Only the Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 supports ECC memory. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS does not offer ECC support.

Q: What are the production statuses of these two CPUs?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS is listed as active production. The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 is end-of-life. The Ryzen was released on 2021-01-11; the Xeon has no release date listed.

Q: How do the cache configurations differ?

A: Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core. The Ryzen has 512 KB of L2 per core and 16 MB of shared L3. The Xeon has 256 KB of L2 per core and 40 MB of shared L3.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS | Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 8 | 16 |

| Threads | 16 | 32 |

| Base Clock | 3.00 GHz | 2.00 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.80 GHz | 3.40 GHz |

| TDP | 35 W | 135 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP6 | Intel Socket 2011-3 |

| Architecture | Zen 3 | Haswell |

| Codename | Cezanne | Haswell-EP |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 22 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Transistors | 10,700 million | 2,600 million |

| Die Size | 180 mm² | 356 mm² |

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

| L3 Cache | 16 MB (shared) | 40 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Quad-channel |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe Lanes | 16 (Gen 3) | 40 (Gen 3) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon Vega 8 | None |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Server/Workstation |

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

| Release Date | 2021-01-11 | Not listed |

| Part Number | 100-000000474 | SR21T |