AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX vs Intel Core i7-12700F Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX and Intel Core i7-12700F occupy the same performance percentile (82nd) but achieve it through entirely different strategies. The data shows a stark split: Intel wins 16 of 19 head-to-head benchmarks, yet AMD wins the two most modern Cinebench tests by wide margins. The Ryzen 9 5980HX is a mobile part with 8 cores and 16 threads, a 45W TDP, and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The Core i7-12700F is a desktop part with 12 cores (likely a mix of performance and efficiency cores given its Alder Lake architecture) and 20 threads, a 65W TDP, and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The verdict hinges on workload recency: if the Cinebench R23 results represent the future, AMD has a significant lead; if the broader suite of 16 other tests is more representative, Intel is the clear choice.

The Verdict

The data presents a split decision. For users running Cinebench R23, the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX is the unequivocal winner. It scores 19,850 in multi-core, which is 29.8% ahead of Intel’s 15,291. In single-core R23, AMD’s 2,802 is a massive 47.6% ahead of Intel’s 1,898. These are not marginal gains; they represent a generational leap in that specific benchmark.

However, for virtually every other measured workload, the Intel Core i7-12700F dominates. It wins 16 of the 19 head-to-head tests, including all PassMark sub-tests and Geekbench. The most striking Intel victories are in Geekbench multi-core (13,039 vs 7,723, a 40.8% lead), PassMark physics (1,488 vs 881, a 40.8% lead), and PassMark floating point math (81,804 vs 50,223, a 38.6% lead). The Intel part also leads in more practical tasks like data compression (384,463 vs 310,694, a 19.2% lead) and integer math (107,013 vs 89,772, a 16.1% lead). The AMD part’s only other wins are in Cinebench R15 single-core (282 vs 271, a 4.1% lead) and the R23 tests. The average benchmark scores reflect this overall split: AMD’s average is 31,495, while Intel’s is 31,081, a negligible difference that places them at the same 82nd percentile. The Core i7-12700F has a launch MSRP of $324. The Ryzen 9 5980HX has no listed launch MSRP.

The pragmatic interpretation of the data: the Intel Core i7-12700F is the safer, broader performer for general desktop use, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX shows a specialized strength in the latest Cinebench iteration, which may indicate better architectural efficiency for certain rendering tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX is built on the Zen 3 architecture (codename Cezanne) using a 7 nm process at TSMC, with 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die. It features 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 16 MB of L3. It uses dual-channel DDR4 memory with 68.3 GB/s bandwidth and PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. It integrates Radeon Vega 8 graphics and has an unlocked multiplier. It targets the mobile segment with a 45W TDP and uses the AMD Socket FP6.

The Intel Core i7-12700F is based on the Alder Lake architecture (Alder Lake-S) using a 10 nm process at Intel, with a 215 mm² die size (transistor count is not listed). It has 12 cores and 20 threads, a base clock of 2.10 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The cache layout differs significantly: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory (dual-channel) and uses PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU. It has no integrated graphics (the "F" designation) and the multiplier is locked. It is a desktop part with a 65W TDP on the Intel Socket 1700.

The core count difference is the most obvious architectural split: Intel has 50% more cores and 25% more threads. The L3 cache is also 56% larger on Intel (25 MB vs 16 MB). However, AMD’s smaller process node (7 nm vs 10 nm) and higher base clock (3.30 GHz vs 2.10 GHz) suggest a different power and thermal profile. The transistor density on AMD is notably higher, with 10,700 million transistors in a smaller die area, while Intel’s die is larger but the transistor count is not provided. The memory support is a major divergence: Intel offers DDR5 compatibility, while AMD is limited to DDR4. PCIe Gen 5 on Intel versus Gen 3 on AMD is another significant feature gap. The lack of iGPU on Intel is a clear trade-off, while AMD includes Radeon Vega 8.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic outcome is in Cinebench R23, where the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX posts a 29.8% higher multi-core score (19,850 vs 15,291) and a staggering 47.6% higher single-core score (2,802 vs 1,898). This suggests a substantial efficiency advantage in this specific rendering workload, perhaps due to the Zen 3 architecture’s higher instructions per clock.

Conversely, in Geekbench multi-core, Intel wins decisively with 13,039 vs AMD’s 7,723, a 40.8% margin. This is the largest single deficit for AMD in the entire suite. The Geekbench single-core test also favors Intel (2,169 vs 1,930, an 11% lead), contradicting the Cinebench R23 single-core result. This inconsistency implies the benchmarks measure different aspects of the architecture.

In Cinebench R15, the results are closer. Intel wins multi-core with 2,610 vs 2,000 (a 23.4% lead), but AMD wins single-core with 282 vs 271 (a 4.1% lead). In Cinebench R20, Intel wins both: multi-core 10,767 vs 8,337 (a 22.6% lead) and single-core 1,519 vs 1,176 (a 22.6% lead). The pattern shows that as the Cinebench version gets newer, AMD’s relative performance improves, culminating in the R23 reversal.

The PassMark suite is a consistent Intel sweep. The most significant wins for Intel are in floating point math (81,804 vs 50,223, a 38.6% lead), physics (1,488 vs 881, a 40.8% lead), and find prime numbers (98 vs 53, a 45.9% lead). Intel also leads in data compression (384,463 vs 310,694, a 19.2% lead), data encryption (20,185 vs 19,221, a 4.8% lead), extended instructions (24,783 vs 21,209, a 14.4% lead), integer math (107,013 vs 89,772, a 16.1% lead), multithread (30,445 vs 23,356, a 23.3% lead), random string sorting (39,852 vs 32,238, a 19.1% lead), and single-thread (3,850 vs 3,326, a 13.6% lead). The data shows no PassMark category where AMD wins, indicating a broad performance gap in these synthetic workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700F has a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX has a boost clock of 4.80 GHz.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX include integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the AMD part includes Radeon Vega 8 integrated graphics, while the Intel Core i7-12700F has no integrated graphics.

Q: What is the memory support difference between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX supports only DDR4 memory, while the Intel Core i7-12700F supports both DDR4 and DDR5. Both use a dual-channel memory bus.

Q: Why does the Intel Core i7-12700F win more benchmarks despite having a lower base clock?

A: The Intel part has 12 cores and 20 threads (vs 8 cores and 16 threads on AMD) and a larger 25 MB L3 cache (vs 16 MB). It also supports PCIe Gen 5, which may contribute to its performance in certain workloads. The higher core count likely drives its wins in multi-threaded tests like Geekbench.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX better in any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core and single-core, and Cinebench R15 single-core. The R23 win is particularly large, with a 47.6% lead in single-core and a 29.8% lead in multi-core.

Q: Which processor is more recent?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700F has a release date of 2022-01-03, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX was released on 2021-01-11. Intel is almost a year newer.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-12700F wins in general desktop multitasking and compute-heavy applications. The data supports this with wins in 16 of 19 benchmarks, including all PassMark tests. The 40.8% lead in Geekbench multi-core suggests a strong advantage in typical productivity software. The 38.6% lead in floating point math and 16.1% lead in integer math indicate superiority in scientific, financial, or engineering calculations. The 19.2% lead in data compression and 19.1% lead in random string sorting point to better performance in file archiving and database operations. For a desktop user running a broad mix of applications, the Intel part is the data-backed choice.

The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX wins in modern rendering workloads as measured by Cinebench R23. The 29.8% multi-core and 47.6% single-core leads are significant. This could be a sign of architectural efficiency in newer rendering engines. The AMD part also wins Cinebench R15 single-core, showing some legacy single-thread strength. For a user whose primary workload is the latest version of Cinebench or similar rendering tasks, the AMD part is clearly superior. However, this strength does not translate to older Cinebench versions (R15 and R20), where Intel wins multi-core by over 22%.

The split suggests a workload-specific decision: Intel for broad, general-purpose performance; AMD for specialized, latest-generation rendering tasks.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX and Intel Core i7-12700F:

• Series: 5000 series (AMD) vs Core 12th Gen (Intel)
• Cores: 8 (AMD) vs 12 (Intel)
• Threads: 16 (AMD) vs 20 (Intel)
• Base Clock: 3.30 GHz (AMD) vs 2.10 GHz (Intel)
• Boost Clock: 4.80 GHz (AMD) vs 4.90 GHz (Intel)
• TDP: 45 W (AMD) vs 65 W (Intel)
• Socket: AMD Socket FP6 vs Intel Socket 1700
• Architecture: Zen 3 vs Alder Lake
• Codename: Cezanne vs Alder Lake-S
• Process Node: 7 nm (AMD, TSMC) vs 10 nm (Intel)
• Foundry: TSMC vs Intel
• Transistors: 10,700 million (AMD) vs not listed (Intel)
• Die Size: 180 mm² (AMD) vs 215 mm² (Intel)
• L1 Cache: 64 KB per core (AMD) vs 80 KB per core (Intel)
• L2 Cache: 512 KB per core (AMD) vs 1.25 MB per core (Intel)
• L3 Cache: 16 MB shared (AMD) vs 25 MB shared (Intel)
• Memory Support: DDR4 (AMD) vs DDR4, DDR5 (Intel)
• Memory Bandwidth: 68.3 GB/s (AMD) vs not listed (Intel)
• PCIe: Gen 3, 16 Lanes (AMD) vs Gen 5, 16 Lanes (Intel)
• Integrated Graphics: Radeon Vega 8 (AMD) vs none (Intel)
• Market Segment: Mobile (AMD) vs Desktop (Intel)
• Release Date: 2021-01-11 (AMD) vs 2022-01-03 (Intel)
• Multiplier Unlocked: true (AMD) vs false (Intel)
• Part Number: 100-000000474 (AMD) vs SRL4R (Intel)