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 9455P

2024

Why buy it

✅+300% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 64 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 48 cores / 96 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on SP5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅433.3% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (1,898 vs 11,888).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 24.3 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($4,819 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌185.7% higher power demand at 300W vs 105W.

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $4,270 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $4,819 MSRP).
✅Delivers 192.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 24.3 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $4,819 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 300W, a 195W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (64 MB vs 256 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9455P, which brings 48 cores / 96 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while EPYC 9455P moves to SP5 and DDR5.

EPYC 9455P

2024

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅+300% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 64 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 48 cores / 96 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on SP5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅433.3% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $4,270 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $4,819 MSRP).
✅Delivers 192.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 24.3 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $4,819 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 300W, a 195W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (1,898 vs 11,888).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 24.3 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($4,819 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌185.7% higher power demand at 300W vs 105W.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (64 MB vs 256 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9455P, which brings 48 cores / 96 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while EPYC 9455P moves to SP5 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900X better than EPYC 9455P?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 9455P 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 13.9% more average FPS across 50 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 526.3% better Geekbench multi-core, 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 $4,270 cheaper on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $4,819 MSRP, and it gives you a 13.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 192.4% better value on MSRP (71.0 vs 24.3 PassMark/$), 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 9455P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2020), a healthier platform with SP5 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and 300% larger total L3 cache (256 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 9455P Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9455P	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	171 FPS	323 FPS
medium	142 FPS	291 FPS
high	122 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	193 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	307 FPS
medium	121 FPS	248 FPS
high	99 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	193 FPS
medium	73 FPS	156 FPS
high	57 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	103 FPS

Open EPYC 9455P Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9455P	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	655 FPS	772 FPS
medium	566 FPS	647 FPS
high	459 FPS	508 FPS
ultra	397 FPS	450 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	619 FPS
medium	483 FPS	536 FPS
high	404 FPS	443 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	364 FPS
4K
low	331 FPS	365 FPS
medium	295 FPS	318 FPS
high	268 FPS	289 FPS
ultra	236 FPS	255 FPS

Open EPYC 9455P Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9455P	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	747 FPS	832 FPS
medium	634 FPS	645 FPS
high	590 FPS	558 FPS
ultra	519 FPS	459 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	721 FPS
medium	474 FPS	565 FPS
high	434 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	407 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	511 FPS
medium	326 FPS	421 FPS
high	288 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	308 FPS

Open EPYC 9455P Open Ryzen 9 5900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9455P	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	993 FPS	974 FPS
medium	892 FPS	974 FPS
high	767 FPS	934 FPS
ultra	692 FPS	826 FPS
1440p
low	799 FPS	959 FPS
medium	696 FPS	843 FPS
high	594 FPS	726 FPS
ultra	525 FPS	617 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	694 FPS
medium	503 FPS	621 FPS
high	441 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	387 FPS	437 FPS

Open EPYC 9455P Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9455P and Ryzen 9 5900X

EPYC 9455P

The EPYC 9455P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 48 cores and 96 threads. Base frequency is 3.15 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 300 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 116,926 points. Launch price was $4,819.

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 9455P packs 48 cores / 96 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5900X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the EPYC 9455P has 36 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the EPYC 9455P versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X — a 8.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 3.15 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The EPYC 9455P uses the Turin (2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5900X uses Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9455P scores 116,926 against the Ryzen 9 5900X's 38,955 — a 100% lead for the EPYC 9455P. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,962 vs 2,174, a 10.3% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,898 vs 11,888 (144.9% advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X). L3 cache: 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 9455P vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X.

Feature	EPYC 9455P	Ryzen 9 5900X
Cores / Threads	48 / 96+300%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.8 GHz+9%
Base Clock	3.15 GHz	3.7 GHz+17%
L3 Cache	256 MB (total)+300%	64 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	4 nm-43%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Turin (2024)	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	116,926+200%	38,955
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	21,000
Geekbench 6 Single	1,962	2,174+11%
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898	11,888+526%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9455P uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 5900X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-6000 on the EPYC 9455P versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 9 5900X — the EPYC 9455P supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 9 5900X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 9 TB — 173.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9455P) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 5900X). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9455P) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 5900X) — the EPYC 9455P offers 104 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9455P) and A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,B550,X570 (Ryzen 9 5900X).

Feature	EPYC 9455P	Ryzen 9 5900X
Socket	SP5	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6000+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	9 TB+7100%	128 GB
RAM Channels	12+500%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+433%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9455P) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5900X). Primary use case: EPYC 9455P targets Data Center / Single Socket, Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: EPYC 9455P rivals Xeon 6766E; Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	EPYC 9455P	Ryzen 9 5900X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	AMD-V
Target Use	Data Center / Single Socket	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9455P launched at $4819 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 5900X debuted at $549. On MSRP ($4819 vs $549), the Ryzen 9 5900X is $4270 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9455P delivers 24.3 pts/$ vs 71.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 5900X — making the Ryzen 9 5900X the 98.1% better value option.