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 9555

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $4,930 less on MSRP ($9,826 MSRP vs $14,756 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 13.6 vs 8.3 PassMark/$ ($9,826 MSRP vs $14,756 MSRP).
✅Draws 360W instead of 400W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (256 MB vs 1.1 GB).

EPYC 9684X

2023

Why buy it

✅+350% larger total L3 cache (1.1 GB vs 256 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9555 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (122,017 vs 133,253).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 8.3 vs 13.6 PassMark/$ ($14,756 MSRP vs $9,826 MSRP).

EPYC 9555

2024

EPYC 9684X

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $4,930 less on MSRP ($9,826 MSRP vs $14,756 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 13.6 vs 8.3 PassMark/$ ($9,826 MSRP vs $14,756 MSRP).
✅Draws 360W instead of 400W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+350% larger total L3 cache (1.1 GB vs 256 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (256 MB vs 1.1 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9555 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (122,017 vs 133,253).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 8.3 vs 13.6 PassMark/$ ($14,756 MSRP vs $9,826 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9555 better than EPYC 9684X?

Yes. EPYC 9555 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 16.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 9.2% 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 9555 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 16.0% 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, EPYC 9555 is the better fit. You are getting 9.2% better PassMark, backed by 64 cores and 128 threads.

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

EPYC 9555 is the smarter buy today. EPYC 9555 is $4,930 cheaper on MSRP at $9,826 MSRP versus $14,756 MSRP, and it gives you a 16.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 64.0% better value on MSRP (13.6 vs 8.3 PassMark/$), 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 9555 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023) and more multi-core headroom with 64 cores / 128 threads instead of 96/192. 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 9555 Benchmark Check

EPYC 9684X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9555	EPYC 9684X
1080p
low	171 FPS	169 FPS
medium	142 FPS	140 FPS
high	122 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	147 FPS
medium	121 FPS	119 FPS
high	99 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	69 FPS
medium	73 FPS	59 FPS
high	57 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	38 FPS

Open EPYC 9555 Open EPYC 9684X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9555	EPYC 9684X
1080p
low	655 FPS	506 FPS
medium	566 FPS	442 FPS
high	459 FPS	353 FPS
ultra	397 FPS	287 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	416 FPS
medium	483 FPS	372 FPS
high	404 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	242 FPS
4K
low	331 FPS	256 FPS
medium	295 FPS	233 FPS
high	268 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	236 FPS	170 FPS

Open EPYC 9555 Open EPYC 9684X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9555	EPYC 9684X
1080p
low	747 FPS	668 FPS
medium	634 FPS	558 FPS
high	590 FPS	519 FPS
ultra	519 FPS	452 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	509 FPS
medium	474 FPS	423 FPS
high	434 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	335 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	374 FPS
medium	326 FPS	292 FPS
high	288 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	209 FPS

Open EPYC 9555 Open EPYC 9684X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9555	EPYC 9684X
1080p
low	1005 FPS	902 FPS
medium	902 FPS	822 FPS
high	778 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	702 FPS	623 FPS
1440p
low	809 FPS	721 FPS
medium	704 FPS	628 FPS
high	603 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	533 FPS	459 FPS
4K
low	574 FPS	517 FPS
medium	510 FPS	462 FPS
high	447 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	392 FPS	348 FPS

Open EPYC 9555 Open EPYC 9684X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9555 and EPYC 9684X

EPYC 9555

The EPYC 9555 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: 133,253 points. Launch price was $9,826.

EPYC 9684X

The EPYC 9684X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 June 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Genoa-X (2023) architecture. It features 96 cores and 192 threads. Base frequency is 2.55 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 1152 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 400 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 122,017 points. Launch price was $14,756.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 9555 packs 64 cores / 128 threads, while the EPYC 9684X offers 96 cores / 192 threads — the EPYC 9684X has 32 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the EPYC 9555 versus 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 9684X — a 17.3% clock advantage for the EPYC 9555 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.55 GHz). The EPYC 9555 uses the Turin (2024) architecture (4 nm), while the EPYC 9684X uses Genoa-X (2023) (5 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9555 scores 133,253 against the EPYC 9684X's 122,017 — a 8.8% lead for the EPYC 9555. L3 cache: 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 9555 vs 1152 MB (total) on the EPYC 9684X.

Feature	EPYC 9555	EPYC 9684X
Cores / Threads	64 / 128	96 / 192+50%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+19%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+25%	2.55 GHz
L3 Cache	256 MB (total)	1152 MB (total)+350%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	4 nm-20%	5 nm
Architecture	Turin (2024)	Genoa-X (2023)
PassMark	133,253+9%	122,017

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the SP5 socket with PCIe 5.0. Both support up to DDR5-6000 memory speed. Both support up to 6 TB of RAM. Both feature 12-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 128 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9555) and SP5 (EPYC 9684X).

Feature	EPYC 9555	EPYC 9684X
Socket	SP5	SP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6000	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	6 TB	6 TB
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 9555 targets Data Center, EPYC 9684X targets HPC / Cache Sensitive Workloads. Direct competitor: EPYC 9555 rivals Xeon 6972P; EPYC 9684X rivals Xeon 6979P.

Feature	EPYC 9555	EPYC 9684X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	AMD-V, SEV-SNP
Target Use	Data Center	HPC / Cache Sensitive Workloads

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9555 launched at $9826 MSRP, while the EPYC 9684X debuted at $14756. On MSRP ($9826 vs $14756), the EPYC 9555 is $4930 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9555 delivers 13.6 pts/$ vs 8.3 pts/$ for the EPYC 9684X — making the EPYC 9555 the 48.5% better value option.