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 9555P

2024

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $3,869 less on MSRP ($7,983 MSRP vs $11,852 MSRP).
✅Delivers 28.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 17.0 vs 13.2 PassMark/$ ($7,983 MSRP vs $11,852 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,815 vs 2,830).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (256 MB vs 384 MB).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

EPYC 9655

2024

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (384 MB vs 256 MB).
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (29,329 vs 29,406).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.2 vs 17.0 PassMark/$ ($11,852 MSRP vs $7,983 MSRP).

EPYC 9555P

2024

EPYC 9655

2024

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $3,869 less on MSRP ($7,983 MSRP vs $11,852 MSRP).
✅Delivers 28.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 17.0 vs 13.2 PassMark/$ ($7,983 MSRP vs $11,852 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (384 MB vs 256 MB).
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,815 vs 2,830).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (256 MB vs 384 MB).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (29,329 vs 29,406).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.2 vs 17.0 PassMark/$ ($11,852 MSRP vs $7,983 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9655 better than EPYC 9555P?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, EPYC 9655 is ahead with a 0.8% average FPS lead across 25 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 9555P pulls ahead with 0.3% better Geekbench multi-core. EPYC 9655 also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (384 MB vs 256 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 9555P is the better fit. You are getting 0.3% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 64 cores and 128 threads.

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

EPYC 9655 is the better pure gaming CPU, but EPYC 9555P is probably the smarter buy for most balanced builds. EPYC 9655 is 48.5% more expensive on MSRP at $11,852 MSRP versus $7,983 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.8% average FPS lead across 25 shared CPU game tests in our data. In practice, most of the premium is paying for the extra gaming cache advantage, while EPYC 9555P keeps the platform cost lower and stays stronger for more general mixed workloads.

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

EPYC 9655 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 50% larger total L3 cache (384 MB vs 256 MB) and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That extra cache should hold up really well in CPU-limited games and high-refresh builds.

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 9555P Benchmark Check

EPYC 9655 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9555P	EPYC 9655
1080p
low	171 FPS	170 FPS
medium	142 FPS	143 FPS
high	122 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	149 FPS
medium	121 FPS	121 FPS
high	99 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	83 FPS
medium	73 FPS	73 FPS
high	57 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	47 FPS

Open EPYC 9555P Open EPYC 9655

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9555P	EPYC 9655
1080p
low	655 FPS	696 FPS
medium	566 FPS	602 FPS
high	459 FPS	475 FPS
ultra	397 FPS	411 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	566 FPS
medium	483 FPS	501 FPS
high	404 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	336 FPS
4K
low	331 FPS	331 FPS
medium	295 FPS	295 FPS
high	268 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	236 FPS	235 FPS

Open EPYC 9555P Open EPYC 9655

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9555P	EPYC 9655
1080p
low	747 FPS	746 FPS
medium	634 FPS	633 FPS
high	590 FPS	589 FPS
ultra	519 FPS	519 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	561 FPS
medium	474 FPS	474 FPS
high	434 FPS	434 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	376 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	411 FPS
medium	326 FPS	331 FPS
high	288 FPS	299 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	238 FPS

Open EPYC 9555P Open EPYC 9655

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9555P	EPYC 9655
1080p
low	1005 FPS	1047 FPS
medium	902 FPS	939 FPS
high	778 FPS	821 FPS
ultra	702 FPS	744 FPS
1440p
low	809 FPS	839 FPS
medium	704 FPS	733 FPS
high	603 FPS	641 FPS
ultra	533 FPS	562 FPS
4K
low	574 FPS	605 FPS
medium	510 FPS	539 FPS
high	447 FPS	477 FPS
ultra	392 FPS	416 FPS

Open EPYC 9555P Open EPYC 9655

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9555P and EPYC 9655

EPYC 9555P

The EPYC 9555P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 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): 360 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 135,441 points. Launch price was $7,983.

EPYC 9655

The EPYC 9655 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 96 cores and 192 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 384 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 400 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 156,110 points. Launch price was $11,852.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 9555P packs 64 cores / 128 threads, while the EPYC 9655 offers 96 cores / 192 threads — the EPYC 9655 has 32 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the EPYC 9555P versus 4.5 GHz on the EPYC 9655 — a 2.2% clock advantage for the EPYC 9655 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). Both are built on the Turin (2024) architecture using a 4 nm process. In PassMark, the EPYC 9555P scores 135,441 against the EPYC 9655's 156,110 — a 14.2% lead for the EPYC 9655. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,815 vs 2,830, a 0.5% lead for the EPYC 9655 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 29,406 vs 29,329 (0.3% advantage for the EPYC 9555P). L3 cache: 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 9555P vs 384 MB (total) on the EPYC 9655.

Feature	EPYC 9555P	EPYC 9655
Cores / Threads	64 / 128	96 / 192+50%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+23%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	256 MB (total)	384 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	4 nm	4 nm
Architecture	Turin (2024)	Turin (2024)
PassMark	135,441	156,110+15%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,815	2,830
Geekbench 6 Multi	29,406	29,329

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the SP5 socket with PCIe 5.0. Both support up to DDR5-6000 memory speed. The EPYC 9655 supports up to 9 TB of RAM compared to 6 TB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 12-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 128 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9555P) and SP5 (EPYC 9655).

Feature	EPYC 9555P	EPYC 9655
Socket	SP5	SP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6000	DDR5-6000
Max RAM Capacity	6 TB	9 TB+50%
RAM Channels	12	12
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128	128

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support AMD-V, SEV-SNP virtualization. Primary use case: EPYC 9555P targets Data Center / Single Socket, EPYC 9655 targets Data Center. Direct competitor: EPYC 9555P rivals Xeon 6979P; EPYC 9655 rivals Xeon 6979P.

Feature	EPYC 9555P	EPYC 9655
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	AMD-V, SEV-SNP
Target Use	Data Center / Single Socket	Data Center

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9555P launched at $7983 MSRP, while the EPYC 9655 debuted at $11852. On MSRP ($7983 vs $11852), the EPYC 9555P is $3869 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9555P delivers 17.0 pts/$ vs 13.2 pts/$ for the EPYC 9655 — making the EPYC 9555P the 25.2% better value option.