AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX vs Intel Core i9-11900 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear overall win for the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX, which takes 12 of the 17 head-to-head comparisons. The AMD part’s largest advantage comes in data encryption, where it scores 19221 against the Intel Core i9-11900’s 13942, a 27.5% gap. This is the single biggest delta in the entire comparison and suggests the AMD chip has a substantial edge in cryptographic workloads. The AMD processor also wins data compression by 8.2%, scoring 310694 versus 285159, and extended instructions by 7.3% (21209 versus 19654). These are meaningful differences for workloads that rely on SIMD and data-handling instructions.

In the Cinebench suite, the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX wins every single test, but the margins are narrow. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD part scores 19850 against Intel’s 18985, a 4.4% lead. Single-core in R23 shows the same 4.4% advantage, with AMD at 2802 and Intel at 2680. The pattern repeats in R20 and R15: AMD leads by 4.3% to 4.4% across both multi-core and single-core tests. These consistent margins indicate that the AMD chip has a small but reliable performance advantage in rendering and CPU-agnostic compute tasks.

The Intel Core i9-11900 does have its own victories, and they are worth examining. The most striking Intel win is in the find prime numbers test, where it scores 63 against AMD’s 53, a 18.9% advantage. This is the largest Intel margin in the entire dataset, and it suggests the Intel architecture handles this particular integer workload far more efficiently. Intel also wins the physics test by 10.9% (977 versus 881) and random string sorting by 2.5% (33054 versus 32238). In single-threaded PassMark, Intel edges out AMD by 1.4% (3373 versus 3326), which is a notable result given that the AMD chip wins every single-core Cinebench test.

The overall benchmark average tells a similar story. The Intel Core i9-11900 has an average benchmark score of 32226, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX sits at 31495. This means Intel holds a 2.3% higher average, despite losing most head-to-head tests. The reason is the magnitude of Intel’s wins in prime numbers and physics, which are large enough to pull the average up. The AMD chip’s wins are more numerous but many are in the 2.5% to 8.2% range, so they do not shift the average as much.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher single-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX scores 2802 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the Intel Core i9-11900 scores 2680. The AMD part leads by 4.4%.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-11900 ever ahead in multi-threaded workloads?

A: Yes, in PassMark’s physics test, Intel scores 977 against AMD’s 881, a 10.9% advantage. However, AMD wins the multi-thread PassMark test overall (23356 versus 22456) and every Cinebench multi-core test.

Q: How large is the AMD lead in data encryption?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX scores 19221 in PassMark data encryption, versus 13942 for the Intel Core i9-11900. That is a 27.5% gap, the largest difference in any recorded benchmark.

Q: Does the Intel chip win any benchmark by double digits?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i9-11900 wins the PassMark find prime numbers test by 18.9%, scoring 63 versus AMD’s 53. It also wins physics by 10.9%.

Q: Which CPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i9-11900 has an average benchmark score of 32226, compared to 31495 for the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX. Intel’s average is 2.3% higher.

Q: Are both CPUs in the same performance percentile?

A: Both the Intel Core i9-11900 and the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX are in the 82nd percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they rank at the same level overall.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX is the clear choice for rendering and content creation workloads. It wins every Cinebench test across R15, R20, and R23, with multi-core leads of 4.3% to 4.4%. For users running video encoding, 3D rendering, or other heavily threaded tasks, the AMD part consistently delivers higher scores. The AMD chip also dominates in data processing tasks: data compression (310694 versus 285159), data encryption (19221 versus 13942), extended instructions (21209 versus 19654), integer math (89772 versus 83893), and floating point math (50223 versus 48948). If the workload involves large datasets, cryptographic operations, or SIMD-heavy code, the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX is the stronger performer.

The Intel Core i9-11900 wins in a narrower set of workloads, but the wins are meaningful. The 18.9% advantage in find prime numbers points to a strong showing in prime-number generation and related integer loops. The 10.9% lead in physics suggests better performance in physics simulation or game physics calculations. Intel also wins random string sorting by 2.5%, which matters for sorting algorithms and text processing. In the single-threaded PassMark test, Intel scores 3373 versus AMD’s 3326, a 1.4% edge. This means for lightly threaded applications that are not Cinebench-based, the Intel chip can be slightly faster per core.

For mixed workloads, the average benchmark score favors Intel, but the margin is small. Intel’s 32226 average versus AMD’s 31495 is a 2.3% difference, driven largely by the two big Intel wins. However, in most real-world multi-threaded tasks, the AMD chip’s consistent 4% to 8% leads across a wider range of tests will be more noticeable. The data suggests that AMD wins more often, but Intel wins by larger amounts in specific niches.

Specification Differences

The Intel Core i9-11900 and AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX share the same core and thread counts: 8 cores and 16 threads each. Both have identical L1 cache (64 KB per core) and L2 cache (512 KB per core), and both have 16 MB of shared L3 cache. Neither supports ECC memory, and both use DDR4 memory. The similarities end there.

The Intel chip has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, while the AMD part has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Intel has the higher boost ceiling, but AMD starts from a higher base. The TDP figures differ substantially: the Intel Core i9-11900 has a 65 W TDP, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX is rated at 45 W. This reflects their different market segments, with Intel targeting desktop and AMD targeting mobile.

The sockets are incompatible: Intel uses Socket 1200, AMD uses Socket FP6. Memory bandwidth also differs, with AMD rated at 68.3 GB/s versus Intel’s 51.2 GB/s. PCIe support is another split, with Intel offering Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only) and AMD offering Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics differ as well: Intel has UHD Graphics 750, AMD has Radeon Vega 8. The Intel chip is end-of-life, while the AMD chip is still active in production. Intel has a launch MSRP of $439; the AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i9-11900 is built on Rocket Lake architecture using a 14 nm process at Intel’s foundry. The die size is 276 mm². In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX uses Zen 3 architecture (codename Cezanne) on a 7 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 180 mm² and a transistor count of 10,700 million. The AMD chip has a smaller die and a more advanced process node, which likely contributes to its lower TDP despite a higher base clock.

Both are 8-core, 16-thread parts, but the architectural approaches differ. Intel pairs Rocket Lake with the Socket 1200 platform, while AMD uses the FP6 socket for mobile. The Intel chip has a locked multiplier (multiplierUnlocked is false), while the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX has an unlocked multiplier, allowing overclocking on supported platforms. The AMD part also has higher memory bandwidth (68.3 GB/s versus 51.2 GB/s), which could explain some of its advantages in data-heavy workloads.

The cache hierarchy is identical in capacity, but the underlying implementations differ due to the different architectures. Intel’s Rocket Lake is a desktop-oriented design with a 5.20 GHz boost clock, while AMD’s Cezanne is a mobile-oriented design with a lower 4.80 GHz boost but a higher 3.30 GHz base clock. The process node difference (14 nm versus 7 nm) and the transistor count difference (Intel has no recorded transistor count, AMD has 10,700 million) point to fundamentally different design philosophies. Intel pushes clock speed on a mature process, while AMD uses a denser, more efficient process to achieve performance at a lower TDP.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split based on workload type. If the primary use case is rendering, data compression, encryption, or any heavily threaded compute task, the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX is the better choice. It wins every Cinebench test by 4.3% to 4.4%, and its leads in data encryption (27.5%), data compression (8.2%), and extended instructions (7.3%) are too large to ignore. For users who spend most of their time in video rendering, database work, or scientific computing, the AMD chip delivers consistently higher scores.

If the workload is more specialized, the Intel Core i9-11900 has its own territory. The 18.9% win in find prime numbers and the 10.9% win in physics indicate that Intel’s architecture handles certain integer and simulation workloads significantly better. The 1.4% lead in PassMark single-thread (3373 versus 3326) also shows that Intel can be slightly faster in single-threaded tasks that are not Cinebench-based. Users running physics simulations, prime-number generation, or sorting-heavy applications may prefer the Intel chip.

The average benchmark score favors Intel by 2.3% (32226 versus 31495), which suggests that in a balanced mix of workloads, Intel holds a slight edge. However, the AMD chip wins 12 of 17 head-to-head tests, meaning it is more consistently ahead across the board. For most users, the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX is the safer pick because its wins cover a broader range of common tasks. The Intel chip is the specialist choice for niche workloads where its large margins matter more than the AMD chip’s numerous smaller wins.

Both CPUs sit in the 82nd percentile, so neither is a slouch. The decision hinges on what the system will actually run. For general multi-threaded productivity, choose AMD. For specific integer-heavy or physics-heavy workloads, choose Intel. The data supports both conclusions, but the AMD part wins more often.