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 8324PN

2023

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 64 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads.
✅Newer platform on SP6 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,375 vs 38,955).
❌23.8% higher power demand at 130W vs 105W.

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +162.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 105W instead of 130W, a 25W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (64 MB vs 128 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 8324PN, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $549 MSRP, while EPYC 8324PN mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while EPYC 8324PN moves to SP6 and DDR5.

EPYC 8324PN

2023

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 64 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads.
✅Newer platform on SP6 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +162.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 105W instead of 130W, a 25W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,375 vs 38,955).
❌23.8% higher power demand at 130W vs 105W.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (64 MB vs 128 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 8324PN, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $549 MSRP, while EPYC 8324PN mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while EPYC 8324PN moves to SP6 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900X better than EPYC 8324PN?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 8324PN makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 5900X is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 5900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 162.0% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 5900X is the better fit. You are getting 365.1% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 5900X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 5900X is at an unclear MSRP at $549 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 162.0% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (71.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 8324PN is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with SP6 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and 100% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 64 MB). 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 8324PN Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 8324PN	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	159 FPS	323 FPS
medium	131 FPS	291 FPS
high	110 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	193 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	307 FPS
medium	114 FPS	248 FPS
high	90 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	193 FPS
medium	58 FPS	156 FPS
high	45 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	103 FPS

Open EPYC 8324PN Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 8324PN	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	209 FPS	772 FPS
medium	209 FPS	647 FPS
high	174 FPS	508 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	450 FPS
1440p
low	194 FPS	619 FPS
medium	176 FPS	536 FPS
high	150 FPS	443 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	364 FPS
4K
low	120 FPS	365 FPS
medium	111 FPS	318 FPS
high	97 FPS	289 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	255 FPS

Open EPYC 8324PN Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 8324PN	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	209 FPS	832 FPS
medium	209 FPS	645 FPS
high	209 FPS	558 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	459 FPS
1440p
low	209 FPS	721 FPS
medium	209 FPS	565 FPS
high	209 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	407 FPS
4K
low	209 FPS	511 FPS
medium	209 FPS	421 FPS
high	209 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	308 FPS

Open EPYC 8324PN Open Ryzen 9 5900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 8324PN	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	209 FPS	974 FPS
medium	209 FPS	974 FPS
high	209 FPS	934 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	826 FPS
1440p
low	209 FPS	959 FPS
medium	209 FPS	843 FPS
high	209 FPS	726 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	617 FPS
4K
low	209 FPS	694 FPS
medium	209 FPS	621 FPS
high	209 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	437 FPS

Open EPYC 8324PN Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 8324PN and Ryzen 9 5900X

EPYC 8324PN

The EPYC 8324PN is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 18 September 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Siena (2023−2024) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2.05 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: SP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 8,375 points. Launch price was $2,125.

Ryzen 9 5900X

The Ryzen 9 5900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 38,955 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 8324PN packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5900X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the EPYC 8324PN has 20 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the EPYC 8324PN versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X — a 46.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 2.05 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The EPYC 8324PN uses the Siena (2023−2024) architecture (5 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5900X uses Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 8324PN scores 8,375 against the Ryzen 9 5900X's 38,955 — a 129.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the EPYC 8324PN vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X.

Feature	EPYC 8324PN	Ryzen 9 5900X
Cores / Threads	32 / 64+167%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	3 GHz	4.8 GHz+60%
Base Clock	2.05 GHz	3.7 GHz+80%
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)+100%	64 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	5 nm-29%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Siena (2023−2024)	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	8,375	38,955+365%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	21,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,174
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	11,888

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 8324PN uses the SP6 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 5900X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	EPYC 8324PN	Ryzen 9 5900X
Socket	SP6	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (EPYC 8324PN) / AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5900X). Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.