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 9845

2024

Why buy it

✅+765.1% higher PassMark.
✅+900% larger total L3 cache (320 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 160 cores / 320 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

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.3 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($13,564 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌500% higher power demand at 390W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $13,365 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $13,564 MSRP).
✅Delivers 687.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 11.3 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $13,564 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 390W, a 325W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 9845.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 152,985).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 320 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9845, which brings 160 cores / 320 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while EPYC 9845 moves to SP5 and DDR5.

EPYC 9845

2024

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅+765.1% higher PassMark.
✅+900% larger total L3 cache (320 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 160 cores / 320 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

✅Costs $13,365 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $13,564 MSRP).
✅Delivers 687.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 11.3 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $13,564 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 390W, a 325W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 9845.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.3 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($13,564 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌500% higher power demand at 390W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 152,985).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 320 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9845, which brings 160 cores / 320 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while EPYC 9845 moves to SP5 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9845 better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 9845 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 3600 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 9845 is the better fit. You are getting 765.1% better PassMark, backed by 160 cores and 320 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 900% larger total L3 cache (320 MB vs 32 MB).

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

EPYC 9845 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 9845 is 6716.1% more expensive on MSRP at $13,564 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you 765.1% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 3600 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 687.9% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 11.3 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

EPYC 9845 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019), a healthier platform with SP5 and DDR5 instead of AM4, 900% larger total L3 cache (320 MB vs 32 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 160 cores / 320 threads instead of 6/12. 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 9845 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9845	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	192 FPS	200 FPS
medium	156 FPS	161 FPS
high	126 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	158 FPS	154 FPS
medium	124 FPS	119 FPS
high	96 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	70 FPS
medium	60 FPS	58 FPS
high	47 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	36 FPS

Open EPYC 9845 Open Ryzen 5 3600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9845	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	274 FPS	442 FPS
medium	241 FPS	404 FPS
high	198 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	295 FPS
1440p
low	225 FPS	420 FPS
medium	202 FPS	359 FPS
high	171 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	139 FPS	297 FPS
medium	128 FPS	259 FPS
high	115 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	201 FPS

Open EPYC 9845 Open Ryzen 5 3600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9845	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	743 FPS	442 FPS
medium	610 FPS	442 FPS
high	556 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	481 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	594 FPS	442 FPS
medium	494 FPS	442 FPS
high	450 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	390 FPS	432 FPS
4K
low	430 FPS	442 FPS
medium	335 FPS	361 FPS
high	298 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	242 FPS

Open EPYC 9845 Open Ryzen 5 3600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9845	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	958 FPS	442 FPS
medium	869 FPS	442 FPS
high	746 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	646 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	739 FPS	442 FPS
medium	646 FPS	442 FPS
high	552 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	442 FPS
4K
low	530 FPS	442 FPS
medium	474 FPS	442 FPS
high	415 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	357 FPS

Open EPYC 9845 Open Ryzen 5 3600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9845 and Ryzen 5 3600

EPYC 9845

The EPYC 9845 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 160 cores and 320 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 320 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 390 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 152,985 points. Launch price was $13,564.

Ryzen 5 3600

The Ryzen 5 3600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 17,685 points. Launch price was $199.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 9845 packs 160 cores / 320 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the EPYC 9845 has 154 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 9845 versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 — a 12.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The EPYC 9845 uses the Turin (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9845 scores 152,985 against the Ryzen 5 3600's 17,685 — a 158.6% lead for the EPYC 9845. L3 cache: 320 MB (total) on the EPYC 9845 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	EPYC 9845	Ryzen 5 3600
Cores / Threads	160 / 320+2567%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4.2 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.6 GHz+71%
L3 Cache	320 MB (total)+900%	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	3 nm-57%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Turin (2024)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	152,985+765%	17,685
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,295
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9845 uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-6000 on the EPYC 9845 versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 3600 — the EPYC 9845 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 5 3600 supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 6 TB — 182.1% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9845) vs 2 (Ryzen 5 3600). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9845) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 3600) — the EPYC 9845 offers 104 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9845) and AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600).

Feature	EPYC 9845	Ryzen 5 3600
Socket	SP5	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6000+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	6 TB+4700%	128 GB
RAM Channels	12+500%	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	128+433%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9845) vs Yes (Ryzen 5 3600). Primary use case: EPYC 9845 targets Data Center / AI Training, Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: EPYC 9845 rivals Xeon 6972P; Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	EPYC 9845	Ryzen 5 3600
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	Yes
Target Use	Data Center / AI Training	Gaming/Budget Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9845 launched at $13564 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 3600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($13564 vs $199), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $13365 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9845 delivers 11.3 pts/$ vs 88.9 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 3600 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 155% better value option.