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 7773X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅433.3% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.4 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($8,800 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌330.8% higher power demand at 280W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $8,501 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $8,800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 603.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 10.4 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $8,800 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 280W, a 215W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7773X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 91,340).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7773X, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7773X

2022

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅433.3% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Costs $8,501 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $8,800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 603.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 10.4 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $8,800 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 280W, a 215W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.4 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($8,800 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌330.8% higher power demand at 280W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7773X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 91,340).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7773X, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7773X better than Ryzen 5 5600X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7773X makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 5600X 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, EPYC 7773X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 13.0% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 768 MB vs 32 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7773X is the better fit. You are getting 318.1% better PassMark, backed by 64 cores and 128 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 2300% larger total L3 cache (768 MB vs 32 MB).

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

EPYC 7773X is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 7773X is 2843.1% more expensive on MSRP at $8,800 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 13.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600X is also 603.9% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 10.4 PassMark/$), 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 7773X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), 3D V-Cache and a much larger 768 MB L3 cache instead of 32 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 64 cores / 128 threads instead of 6/12. 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 7773X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7773X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	197 FPS	203 FPS
medium	160 FPS	174 FPS
high	129 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	158 FPS	169 FPS
medium	124 FPS	141 FPS
high	96 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	73 FPS	85 FPS
medium	61 FPS	76 FPS
high	47 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	47 FPS

Open EPYC 7773X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7773X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	257 FPS	464 FPS
medium	228 FPS	387 FPS
high	189 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	150 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	211 FPS	397 FPS
medium	192 FPS	334 FPS
high	164 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	126 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	131 FPS	263 FPS
medium	121 FPS	226 FPS
high	106 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	171 FPS

Open EPYC 7773X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7773X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	850 FPS	546 FPS
medium	708 FPS	473 FPS
high	660 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	582 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	612 FPS	508 FPS
medium	508 FPS	413 FPS
high	466 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	437 FPS	348 FPS
medium	341 FPS	292 FPS
high	305 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	199 FPS

Open EPYC 7773X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7773X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	955 FPS	546 FPS
medium	867 FPS	546 FPS
high	742 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	639 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	738 FPS	546 FPS
medium	642 FPS	546 FPS
high	547 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	525 FPS	529 FPS
medium	468 FPS	484 FPS
high	409 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	379 FPS

Open EPYC 7773X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7773X and Ryzen 5 5600X

EPYC 7773X

The EPYC 7773X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2022-03-22. It is based on the Milan-X (2022) architecture. It features 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 768 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 280 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 91,340 points. Launch price was $8,800.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7773X packs 64 cores / 128 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the EPYC 7773X has 58 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the EPYC 7773X versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 27.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The EPYC 7773X uses the Milan-X (2022) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7773X scores 91,340 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 122.8% lead for the EPYC 7773X. L3 cache: 768 MB (total) on the EPYC 7773X vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	EPYC 7773X	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	64 / 128+967%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	4.6 GHz+31%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	3.7 GHz+68%
L3 Cache	768 MB (total)+2300%	32 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Milan-X (2022)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	91,340+318%	21,845
Geekbench 6 Single	1,536	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	45,000	—

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7773X uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 5600X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 4 TB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (EPYC 7773X) vs 2 (Ryzen 5 5600X). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7773X) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 5600X) — the EPYC 7773X offers 104 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7773X) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 5 5600X).

Feature	EPYC 7773X	Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket	SP3	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	4 TB+3100%	128 GB
RAM Channels	8+300%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+433%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 5600X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Primary use case: EPYC 7773X targets Server, Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop. Direct competitor: EPYC 7773X rivals EPYC 9654.

Feature	EPYC 7773X	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	—
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	Server	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 7773X launched at $8800 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($8800 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $8501 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 7773X delivers 10.4 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 150.2% better value option.