PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

EPYC 7J13

2021

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9454 across 21 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (84,786 vs 87,961).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.7 vs 16.8 PassMark/$ ($7,890 MSRP vs $5,225 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while EPYC 9454 moves to SP5 and DDR5.

EPYC 9454

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.2% higher average FPS across 21 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,665 less on MSRP ($5,225 MSRP vs $7,890 MSRP).
✅Delivers 56.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 16.8 vs 10.7 PassMark/$ ($5,225 MSRP vs $7,890 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on SP5 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

EPYC 7J13

2021

EPYC 9454

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.2% higher average FPS across 21 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,665 less on MSRP ($5,225 MSRP vs $7,890 MSRP).
✅Delivers 56.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 16.8 vs 10.7 PassMark/$ ($5,225 MSRP vs $7,890 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on SP5 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9454 across 21 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (84,786 vs 87,961).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.7 vs 16.8 PassMark/$ ($7,890 MSRP vs $5,225 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while EPYC 9454 moves to SP5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9454 better than EPYC 7J13?

Yes. EPYC 9454 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 16.2% average FPS lead across 21 shared CPU game tests in our data, 3.7% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 9454 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 16.2% more average FPS across 21 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 9454 is the better fit. You are getting 3.7% better PassMark, backed by 48 cores and 96 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

EPYC 9454 is the smarter buy today. EPYC 9454 is $2,665 cheaper on MSRP at $5,225 MSRP versus $7,890 MSRP, and it gives you a 16.2% average FPS lead across 21 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 56.7% better value on MSRP (16.8 vs 10.7 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

EPYC 9454 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021), a healthier platform with SP5 and DDR5 instead of SP3, and more multi-core headroom with 48 cores / 96 threads instead of 64/128. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

EPYC 7J13 Benchmark Check

EPYC 9454 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7J13	EPYC 9454
1080p
low	190 FPS	171 FPS
medium	155 FPS	142 FPS
high	123 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	149 FPS
medium	123 FPS	120 FPS
high	94 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	70 FPS
medium	60 FPS	60 FPS
high	46 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	39 FPS

Open EPYC 7J13 Open EPYC 9454

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7J13	EPYC 9454
1080p
low	422 FPS	533 FPS
medium	371 FPS	465 FPS
high	301 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	237 FPS	303 FPS
1440p
low	347 FPS	438 FPS
medium	313 FPS	392 FPS
high	261 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	255 FPS
4K
low	213 FPS	270 FPS
medium	196 FPS	246 FPS
high	164 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	132 FPS	179 FPS

Open EPYC 7J13 Open EPYC 9454

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7J13	EPYC 9454
1080p
low	836 FPS	672 FPS
medium	696 FPS	561 FPS
high	649 FPS	522 FPS
ultra	573 FPS	455 FPS
1440p
low	602 FPS	511 FPS
medium	500 FPS	426 FPS
high	458 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	400 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	430 FPS	377 FPS
medium	335 FPS	294 FPS
high	300 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	211 FPS

Open EPYC 7J13 Open EPYC 9454

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7J13	EPYC 9454
1080p
low	977 FPS	902 FPS
medium	886 FPS	822 FPS
high	762 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	625 FPS
1440p
low	746 FPS	724 FPS
medium	649 FPS	631 FPS
high	555 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	477 FPS	462 FPS
4K
low	532 FPS	519 FPS
medium	473 FPS	464 FPS
high	415 FPS	407 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	350 FPS

Open EPYC 7J13 Open EPYC 9454

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7J13 and EPYC 9454

EPYC 7J13

The EPYC 7J13 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2021-03-01. It is based on the Milan (2021−2023) architecture. It features 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 2.55 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 280 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 84,786 points. Launch price was $6,000.

EPYC 9454

The EPYC 9454 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 November 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture. It features 48 cores and 96 threads. Base frequency is 2.75 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 290 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 87,961 points. Launch price was $5,225.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 7J13 packs 64 cores / 128 threads, while the EPYC 9454 offers 48 cores / 96 threads — the EPYC 7J13 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the EPYC 7J13 versus 3.8 GHz on the EPYC 9454 — a 8.2% clock advantage for the EPYC 9454 (base: 2.55 GHz vs 2.75 GHz). The EPYC 7J13 uses the Milan (2021−2023) architecture (7 nm), while the EPYC 9454 uses Genoa (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7J13 scores 84,786 against the EPYC 9454's 87,961 — a 3.7% lead for the EPYC 9454. Both processors carry 256 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	EPYC 7J13	EPYC 9454
Cores / Threads	64 / 128+33%	48 / 96
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.55 GHz	2.75 GHz+8%
L3 Cache	256 MB (total)	256 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-29%
Architecture	Milan (2021−2023)	Genoa (2022−2023)
PassMark	84,786	87,961+4%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7J13 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the EPYC 9454 uses SP5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 3200 on the EPYC 7J13 versus DDR5-4800 on the EPYC 9454 — the EPYC 7J13 supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7J13 supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 6 TB — 199.4% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (EPYC 7J13) vs 12 (EPYC 9454). Both provide 128 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7J13) and SP5 (EPYC 9454).

Feature	EPYC 7J13	EPYC 9454
Socket	SP3	SP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	3200+63900%	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	4096	6 TB+157286300%
RAM Channels	8	12+50%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128	128

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, SEV (EPYC 7J13) vs AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9454). Primary use case: EPYC 9454 targets Data Center. Direct competitor: EPYC 7J13 rivals Xeon Platinum 8380; EPYC 9454 rivals Xeon Platinum 8468.

Feature	EPYC 7J13	EPYC 9454
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, SEV	AMD-V, SEV-SNP
Target Use	—	Data Center

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 7J13 launched at $7890 MSRP, while the EPYC 9454 debuted at $5225. On MSRP ($7890 vs $5225), the EPYC 9454 is $2665 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 7J13 delivers 10.7 pts/$ vs 16.8 pts/$ for the EPYC 9454 — making the EPYC 9454 the 44.2% better value option.