Recently, AMD’s newly released Ryzen Threadripper 9980X processor set a new multi-threaded performance record in PassMark benchmarks, achieving a score of 147,481, making it the fastest desktop CPU ever tested. This 64-core processor, based on the Zen 5 microarchitecture, is designed for high-end desktop users and fully demonstrates AMD’s technical strength in high-performance computing. However, its single-threaded performance is mediocre, which precisely illustrates the product series’ focus on multi-threaded tasks.
The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X adopts the Shimada Peak design and supports Simultaneous Multi-threading (SMT) technology, featuring 128 threads. It has a base clock of 3.20 GHz, a maximum boost clock of 5.40 GHz, 64MB of L2 cache, and 256MB of L3 cache, with a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 350W. Compared to its predecessor, the 64-core Ryzen Threadripper 7980X (score of 136,517), the 9980X shows a strong performance improvement, even surpassing the 96-core Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7995WX (score of 145,572), which is particularly noteworthy in multi-threaded tests. In contrast, the multi-threaded performance of Apple’s 32-core M3 Ultra (score of 73,785) and AMD’s 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D (score of 70,238) is only about half. The PassMark test covers tasks such as compression, encryption, and physics simulations, which fully utilize the processor’s core and thread count, with the 64-core 9980X performing exceptionally well in these scenarios.
In single-threaded performance tests, the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X scored only 4594, which is comparable to Apple’s 14-core M4 Max (4603 points, max frequency 4.50 GHz) and Intel’s 24-core Core i9-13900KF (4587 points, max frequency 5.80 GHz), but lags behind Apple’s 28-core M3 Ultra (5133 points, max frequency 4.05 GHz) and Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K (5096 points, max frequency 5.70 GHz). Compared to AMD’s own Ryzen 9 9950X (4736 points, max frequency 5.70 GHz) and 9950X3D (4738 points), the single-threaded performance gap of the 9980X is not significant. The limited optimization of single-core efficiency in the Zen 5 architecture, coupled with the relatively lower clock frequency of the 9980X, results in its moderate performance in single-threaded tasks.
The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is aimed at users who require extreme multi-threaded performance, such as in video rendering, 3D modeling, and scientific computing. Its 256MB L3 cache provides ample support for large-scale data processing, while the 350W TDP necessitates an efficient cooling solution. In contrast, the Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX features 96 cores and 192 threads, a base clock of 2.50 GHz, a maximum boost clock of 5.40 GHz, a massive 384MB of L3 cache, and also a 350W TDP, primarily targeting the workstation market. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 9 9950X and 9950X3D, with 16 cores and 32 threads, higher clock speeds (4.30 GHz to 5.70 GHz), and a lower 170W TDP, are suitable for gaming and light professional applications. The 9980X’s 64-core design strikes a balance between multi-threaded performance and clock speed, making it suitable for users who need to handle both professional tasks and some gaming scenarios.
The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 series is expected to launch in late July 2025, with several models including the 9980X. It is reported that the series will also include the 96-core Threadripper Pro 9995WX and potentially 16-core and 12-core versions, further expanding the product line to meet different market demands. The introduction of the Zen 5 architecture brings higher Instructions Per Cycle (IPC) performance and power efficiency optimizations, an increase of approximately 16% compared to the Zen 4 architecture. Additionally, the Threadripper 9000 series supports PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 memory, with up to 128 PCIe lanes and quad-channel DDR5-6400, providing the hardware foundation for high-bandwidth tasks.
Current test data may be based on pre-production versions, and actual performance awaits further verification from independent laboratories. In the future, more test data and real-world application performance will provide a more comprehensive reference for user choices.