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

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 128 MB).
✅Draws 280W instead of 350W, a 70W reduction.
✅45.5% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 88) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9960X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (84,786 vs 92,808).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.7 vs 61.9 PassMark/$ ($7,890 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Ryzen Threadripper 9960X moves to sTR5 and DDR5.

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +29.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $6,391 less on MSRP ($1,499 MSRP vs $7,890 MSRP).
✅Delivers 476.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.9 vs 10.7 PassMark/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $7,890 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on sTR5 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (128 MB vs 256 MB).
❌25% higher power demand at 350W vs 280W.

EPYC 7J13

2021

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

2025

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 128 MB).
✅Draws 280W instead of 350W, a 70W reduction.
✅45.5% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 88) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +29.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $6,391 less on MSRP ($1,499 MSRP vs $7,890 MSRP).
✅Delivers 476.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.9 vs 10.7 PassMark/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $7,890 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on sTR5 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9960X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (84,786 vs 92,808).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.7 vs 61.9 PassMark/$ ($7,890 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Ryzen Threadripper 9960X moves to sTR5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (128 MB vs 256 MB).
❌25% higher power demand at 350W vs 280W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper 9960X better than EPYC 7J13?

Yes. Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 29.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 9.5% 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, Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 29.4% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the better fit. You are getting 9.5% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads.

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

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is $6,391 cheaper on MSRP at $1,499 MSRP versus $7,890 MSRP, and it gives you a 29.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 476.2% better value on MSRP (61.9 vs 10.7 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021), a healthier platform with sTR5 and DDR5 instead of SP3, more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 threads instead of 64/128, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7J13	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
1080p
low	190 FPS	314 FPS
medium	155 FPS	290 FPS
high	123 FPS	241 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	203 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	278 FPS
medium	123 FPS	231 FPS
high	94 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	158 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	191 FPS
medium	60 FPS	158 FPS
high	46 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	107 FPS

Open EPYC 7J13 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7J13	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
1080p
low	422 FPS	826 FPS
medium	371 FPS	704 FPS
high	301 FPS	548 FPS
ultra	237 FPS	474 FPS
1440p
low	347 FPS	677 FPS
medium	313 FPS	601 FPS
high	261 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	390 FPS
4K
low	213 FPS	378 FPS
medium	196 FPS	341 FPS
high	164 FPS	311 FPS
ultra	132 FPS	272 FPS

Open EPYC 7J13 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7J13	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
1080p
low	836 FPS	893 FPS
medium	696 FPS	724 FPS
high	649 FPS	650 FPS
ultra	573 FPS	553 FPS
1440p
low	602 FPS	716 FPS
medium	500 FPS	581 FPS
high	458 FPS	509 FPS
ultra	400 FPS	428 FPS
4K
low	430 FPS	509 FPS
medium	335 FPS	420 FPS
high	300 FPS	376 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	312 FPS

Open EPYC 7J13 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7J13	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
1080p
low	977 FPS	1116 FPS
medium	886 FPS	1002 FPS
high	762 FPS	879 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	792 FPS
1440p
low	746 FPS	873 FPS
medium	649 FPS	769 FPS
high	555 FPS	675 FPS
ultra	477 FPS	588 FPS
4K
low	532 FPS	637 FPS
medium	473 FPS	568 FPS
high	415 FPS	505 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	437 FPS

Open EPYC 7J13 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7J13 and Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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.

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 30 July 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Shimada Peak (2025) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: sTR5. Thermal design power (TDP): 350 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 92,808 points. Launch price was $1,499.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 7J13 packs 64 cores / 128 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the EPYC 7J13 has 40 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the EPYC 7J13 versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X — a 40.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X (base: 2.55 GHz vs 4.2 GHz). The EPYC 7J13 uses the Milan (2021−2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X uses Shimada Peak (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7J13 scores 84,786 against the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X's 92,808 — a 9% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X. L3 cache: 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 7J13 vs 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X.

Feature	EPYC 7J13	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
Cores / Threads	64 / 128+167%	24 / 48
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	5.3 GHz+51%
Base Clock	2.55 GHz	4.2 GHz+65%
L3 Cache	256 MB (total)+100%	128 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Milan (2021−2023)	Shimada Peak (2025)
PassMark	84,786	92,808+9%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	41,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	3,200
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	26,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7J13 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X uses sTR5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 3200 on the EPYC 7J13 versus DDR5-6400 on the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X — 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 1024 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (EPYC 7J13) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 9960X). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7J13) vs 88 (Ryzen Threadripper 9960X) — the EPYC 7J13 offers 40 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7J13) and TRX50 (Ryzen Threadripper 9960X).

Feature	EPYC 7J13	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
Socket	SP3	sTR5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	3200+63900%	DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	4096	1024 GB+26214300%
RAM Channels	8+100%	4
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+45%	88

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, SEV (EPYC 7J13) vs true (Ryzen Threadripper 9960X). Primary use case: Ryzen Threadripper 9960X targets Content Creation / Rendering. Direct competitor: EPYC 7J13 rivals Xeon Platinum 8380; Ryzen Threadripper 9960X rivals Xeon w7-3555.

Feature	EPYC 7J13	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, SEV	true
Target Use	—	Content Creation / Rendering

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 7J13 launched at $7890 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X debuted at $1499. On MSRP ($7890 vs $1499), the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is $6391 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 7J13 delivers 10.7 pts/$ vs 61.9 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X — making the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X the 140.8% better value option.