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 7303

2023

Why buy it

✅+17.6% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅357.1% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌23.8% higher power demand at 130W vs 105W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 105W instead of 130W, a 25W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while EPYC 7303 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,300 vs 18,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7303, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while EPYC 7303 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

EPYC 7303

2023

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅+17.6% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅357.1% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 105W instead of 130W, a 25W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while EPYC 7303 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌23.8% higher power demand at 130W vs 105W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,300 vs 18,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7303, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while EPYC 7303 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X better than EPYC 7303?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7303 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 7600X 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 7303 is the better fit. You are getting 17.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 7600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7600X is at an unclear MSRP at $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 31.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 7303 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 17.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 5 7600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of SP3 and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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 7303 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7303	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	159 FPS	266 FPS
medium	130 FPS	246 FPS
high	109 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	226 FPS
medium	113 FPS	189 FPS
high	89 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	157 FPS
medium	57 FPS	131 FPS
high	45 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	87 FPS

Open EPYC 7303 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7303	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	390 FPS	649 FPS
medium	346 FPS	524 FPS
high	283 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	544 FPS
medium	297 FPS	455 FPS
high	251 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	203 FPS	341 FPS
medium	186 FPS	290 FPS
high	158 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	127 FPS	232 FPS

Open EPYC 7303 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7303	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	644 FPS	708 FPS
medium	526 FPS	652 FPS
high	469 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	411 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	499 FPS	708 FPS
medium	406 FPS	554 FPS
high	356 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	368 FPS	463 FPS
medium	286 FPS	392 FPS
high	244 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	281 FPS

Open EPYC 7303 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7303	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	714 FPS	708 FPS
medium	714 FPS	708 FPS
high	696 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	610 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	696 FPS	708 FPS
medium	608 FPS	708 FPS
high	521 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	446 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	498 FPS	560 FPS
medium	445 FPS	502 FPS
high	390 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	391 FPS

Open EPYC 7303 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7303 and Ryzen 5 7600X

EPYC 7303

The EPYC 7303 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 September 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Milan (2021−2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 28,572 points. Launch price was $604.

Ryzen 5 7600X

The Ryzen 5 7600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 28,325 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 7303 packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the EPYC 7303 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the EPYC 7303 versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 43.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 2.4 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The EPYC 7303 uses the Milan (2021−2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7303 scores 28,572 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 0.9% lead for the EPYC 7303. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 18,000 vs 15,300 (16.2% advantage for the EPYC 7303). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,960 vs 2,900, a 38.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,000 vs 13,800 (22.6% advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X). L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7303 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	EPYC 7303	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	16 / 32+167%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	5.3 GHz+56%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+96%
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+100%	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	6 MB+1100%
Process	7 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-29%
Architecture	Milan (2021−2023)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	28,572	28,325
Cinebench R23 Multi	18,000+18%	15,300
Geekbench 6 Single	1,960	2,900+48%
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,000	13,800+25%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7303 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the EPYC 7303 versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 5 7600X — the Ryzen 5 7600X supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7303 supports up to 204 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 45.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (EPYC 7303) vs 2 (Ryzen 5 7600X). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7303) vs 28 (Ryzen 5 7600X) — the EPYC 7303 offers 100 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 platform (EPYC 7303) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 5 7600X).

Feature	EPYC 7303	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	SP3	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	204 GB+59%	128 GB
RAM Channels	8+300%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+357%	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen 5 7600X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V, SVM (EPYC 7303) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). The Ryzen 5 7600X includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the EPYC 7303 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: EPYC 7303 targets High-frequency Server Workloads, Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: EPYC 7303 rivals Xeon Gold 6334; Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	EPYC 7303	Ryzen 5 7600X
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V, SVM	AMD-V
Target Use	High-frequency Server Workloads	Gaming