Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
64C/128T · 5.4 GHz · 350 W · sTR5 · PassMark #11
Core Ultra 9 285K
Arrow Lake · 24C · 5.7 GHz · LGA1851
Core Ultra 9 285K takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Ryzen Threadripper 9980X lands at 80 and Core Ultra 9 285K at 89. That puts Core Ultra 9 285K ahead by 9 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Ryzen Threadripper 9980X if…
- ✓PassMark rank #11 — strong productivity throughput
- ✓HEDT platform with abundant PCIe and memory lanes
- ✓Current PassMark-tracked street price around $4,399
Pick Core Ultra 9 285K if…
- ✓Far more efficient than 14900K
- ✓Strong multi-thread productivity
- ✓New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testValue for money
Core Ultra 9 285KSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Core Ultra 9 285K more score per dollar ($589 vs $4,999).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Ryzen Threadripper 9980X | Core Ultra 9 285K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | ▲ 64 | 24 (8P + 16E) |
| Threads | ▲ 128 | 24 |
| Base clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| Boost clock | 5.4 GHz | 5.7 GHz |
| L3 cache | ▲ 256 MB | 36 MB |
| TDP | 350 W | 125 W (PL1) / 250 W (PL2) |
| Socket | sTR5 | LGA1851 |
| Platform | TRX50 | — |
| Memory | 4-channel DDR5-6400 ECC RDIMM, up to 1TB | ▲ DDR5-6400 |
| PCIe | 48x PCIe 5.0 + 32x PCIe 4.0 from CPU (80 CPU lanes) + chipset x4 uplink | — |
| PassMark rank | #11 of 5,901 | — |
| PassMark CPU Mark | 142,812 | — |
| Process | — | TSMC N3B |
| iGPU | — | Intel Graphics (Xe-LPG, 4 Xe cores @ 2.0 GHz) |
| NPU | — | 13 TOPS |
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
- +PassMark rank #11 — strong productivity throughput
- +HEDT platform with abundant PCIe and memory lanes
- +Current PassMark-tracked street price around $4,399
- −HEDT motherboards and cooling raise total platform cost
Core Ultra 9 285K
- +Far more efficient than 14900K
- +Strong multi-thread productivity
- +New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
- −Gaming regresses vs 14900K in some titles
- −No hyper-threading (24 threads from 24 cores)
- −13 TOPS NPU is modest
FAQ: Ryzen Threadripper 9980X vs Core Ultra 9 285K
Which is better, Ryzen Threadripper 9980X or Core Ultra 9 285K? +
Core Ultra 9 285K scores 89 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 9. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Ryzen Threadripper 9980X worth the price? +
At $4,999, Ryzen Threadripper 9980X delivers a Specdex score of 80 — strongest in passmark.
Is Core Ultra 9 285K worth the price? +
At $589, Core Ultra 9 285K delivers a Specdex score of 89 — strongest in multi.
Does Ryzen Threadripper 9980X or Core Ultra 9 285K last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.
Which is the better value, Ryzen Threadripper 9980X or Core Ultra 9 285K? +
Core Ultra 9 285K — more score per dollar ($589 vs $4,999). Specdex score per dollar at MSRP.