AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X vs Intel Core 3 305 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a complete and one-sided performance hierarchy between these two processors. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins all 17 recorded head-to-head benchmarks, with the Intel Core 3 305 recording zero wins. The average benchmark score for the AMD part is 321753, placing it in the 99th percentile of all CPUs tested, while the Intel part averages 18302, placing it in the 72nd percentile. The Threadripper 9980X sits within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9985WX, its closest rival, and leads the Intel Xeon 6781P by 2%, the AMD EPYC 9575F by 3.2%, and the AMD EPYC 9734 by 3.6%. The Core 3 305 is effectively tied with its nearest rivals: it trails the Intel Core i3-14100 by 0.1%, the Intel Core 5 330 by 0.2%, and the Intel Core 7 360 by 0.4%, while leading the AMD Ryzen 5 2600E by 0.4%.

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is for workloads that demand massive parallel throughput. Its 64 cores and 128 threads, paired with 256 MB of L3 cache and 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth, deliver benchmark results that exceed the Intel part by factors of 5.7x to 27x across multi-threaded tests. The Intel Core 3 305, with 6 cores and 6 threads, a 15 W TDP, and integrated Intel Xe3 Graphics, is designed for constrained mobile environments where power draw and physical footprint matter more than raw compute. The data shows no scenario where the Intel part wins a performance comparison, so the choice is dictated entirely by platform requirements, power envelope, and the need for integrated graphics.

Architecture Differences

The two processors share almost nothing in their underlying designs. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X uses the Zen 5 architecture under the Shimada Peak codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It contains 66,520 million transistors across 8 chiplets, each with a die size of 70.6 mm². The Intel Core 3 305 uses the Wildcat Lake codename on a 3 nm process at Intel, with no transistor count or die size recorded in the database.

Core counts diverge sharply. AMD provides 64 cores and 128 threads, while Intel provides 6 cores and 6 threads, meaning the Core 3 305 has no hyperthreading support. Base clocks are 3.20 GHz for AMD versus 1.50 GHz for Intel, and boost clocks are 5.40 GHz versus 4.30 GHz. The TDP figures reflect their market positions: AMD draws 350 W, Intel draws 15 W.

Cache hierarchies show different philosophies. AMD allocates 64 KB of L1 per core and 1 MB of L2 per core, plus a shared 256 MB L3 pool. Intel provides 192 KB of L1 total, 2.5 MB of L2, and 6 MB of shared L3. Memory support differs as well: AMD uses DDR5 across a quad-channel bus delivering 204.8 GB/s, while Intel supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X across a single-channel bus delivering 59.7 GB/s. AMD supports ECC memory; Intel does not.

Platform connectivity separates them further. AMD uses Socket sTR5 with PCIe Gen 5 and 80 CPU-only lanes. Intel uses BGA 1516 with PCIe Gen 4 and 6 CPU-only lanes. AMD has no integrated graphics; Intel includes Intel Xe3 Graphics with 1 Xe core. AMD is unlocked for overclocking, while Intel is locked. The AMD part number is 100-000001593, and the Intel part number is SAE3L.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins every recorded benchmark, so the practical question is which workloads see the largest margins. The widest lead appears in passmark_integer_math, where AMD scores 872071 against Intel's 32295, a delta of 2600.3%. This indicates integer-heavy computation scales almost linearly with core count. The passmark_data_compression test shows a 1925.5% delta, with AMD at 2974534 and Intel at 146857. The passmark_extended_instructions test shows a 1590.6% delta, and passmark_random_string_sorting shows a 1557.4% delta. These results confirm that the Threadripper 9980X is the choice for data processing, compression, encryption, and instruction-heavy parallel workloads.

The Cinebench suite, which measures rendering performance, shows consistent deltas around 895%. The R15 multicore score is 13157 for AMD versus 1322 for Intel, R20 multicore is 54822 versus 5511, and R23 multicore is 130529 versus 13123. These results indicate the Threadripper 9980X delivers roughly a 10x advantage in multi-threaded rendering workloads.

The narrowest margin is in passmark_single_thread, where AMD scores 4537 and Intel scores 3977, a delta of 14.1%. This is the only benchmark where the Intel part comes within a meaningful distance. The data shows that for single-threaded tasks, the Core 3 305 is not completely outclassed, though it still loses. The Intel part's 4.30 GHz boost clock and 3 nm process help it remain competitive in lightly threaded scenarios, but the AMD part's higher 5.40 GHz boost clock still prevails.

For mobile or low-power deployments, the Intel Core 3 305 has no benchmark wins, but its 15 W TDP, integrated graphics, and single-channel memory indicate a design target of efficiency and minimal footprint. The data does not include any power efficiency benchmarks, so no quantitative comparison is possible, but the TDP figures alone indicate a 23x difference in thermal design power.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X has 64 cores and 128 threads. The Intel Core 3 305 has 6 cores and 6 threads.

Q: How much larger is the AMD processor's L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X has 256 MB of L3 cache. The Intel Core 3 305 has 6 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X provides 204.8 GB/s over a quad-channel DDR5 bus. The Intel Core 3 305 provides 59.7 GB/s over a single-channel bus supporting DDR5 and LPDDR5X.

Q: Does either processor include integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core 3 305 includes Intel Xe3 Graphics with 1 Xe core. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X has no integrated graphics.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X supports ECC memory. The Intel Core 3 305 does not.

Q: What is the largest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: The largest margin is in passmark_integer_math, where the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X scores 872071 against the Intel Core 3 305's 32295, a delta of 2600.3%.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results establish the overall pattern. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X scores 13157 against the Intel Core 3 305's 1322, a delta of 895.2%. The R15 singlecore test shows AMD at 1857 versus Intel at 186, a delta of 898.4%. Cinebench R20 multicore shows AMD at 54822 versus Intel at 5511, a delta of 894.8%. The R20 singlecore test shows AMD at 7739 versus Intel at 777, a delta of 896%. Cinebench R23 multicore shows AMD at 130529 versus Intel at 13123, a delta of 894.7%. The R23 singlecore test shows AMD at 18427 versus Intel at 1852, a delta of 895%. Across all six Cinebench tests, the deltas cluster tightly between 894.7% and 898.4%, showing that the AMD part's advantage is consistent regardless of workload size or rendering complexity.

The Passmark suite shows more variation. The passmark_multithread test gives AMD 141641 and Intel 15439, a delta of 817.4%. The passmark_physics test gives AMD 8001 and Intel 1233, a delta of 548.9%. The passmark_find_prime_numbers test gives AMD 769 and Intel 115, a delta of 568.7%. These three tests show lower deltas than the Cinebench suite, indicating that some parallel workloads do not scale perfectly with the AMD part's core count.

The data-heavy tests show the largest deltas. Passmark_data_compression gives AMD 2974534 and Intel 146857, a delta of 1925.5%. Passmark_data_encryption gives AMD 157137 and Intel 11019, a delta of 1326.1%. Passmark_extended_instructions gives AMD 228959 and Intel 13543, a delta of 1590.6%. Passmark_floating_point_math gives AMD 559003 and Intel 42284, a delta of 1222%. Passmark_integer_math gives AMD 872071 and Intel 32295, a delta of 2600.3%. Passmark_random_string_sorting gives AMD 292083 and Intel 17623, a delta of 1557.4%. These results confirm that the AMD part's advantage grows with memory bandwidth and cache capacity, which are essential for data manipulation tasks.

The single-threaded tests provide the only close comparison. Passmark_single_thread gives AMD 4537 and Intel 3977, a delta of 14.1%. The passmark_singlethread test shows identical scores, confirming the result. This 14.1% margin is the smallest in the entire head-to-head set, showing that the Intel Core 3 305's 4.30 GHz boost clock and 3 nm process allow it to approach the AMD part's single-core performance, though it does not surpass it.

The aggregate data shows 17 wins for the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X and 0 wins for the Intel Core 3 305. The average benchmark score of 321753 for the AMD part versus 18302 for the Intel part represents a 17.6x difference in overall performance. The percentile rankings confirm the gap: the AMD part sits in the 99th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel part sits in the 72nd percentile. The AMD part's nearest rivals are all high-core-count workstation or server processors, while the Intel part's nearest rivals are mainstream desktop and mobile parts.