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 9654

2022

Why buy it

✅+44.9% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅+1100% larger total L3 cache (384 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 96 cores / 192 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅357.1% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,250 vs 2,900).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.1 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($11,805 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌242.9% higher power demand at 360W vs 105W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅+132% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $11,506 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $11,805 MSRP).
✅Delivers 837.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 10.1 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $11,805 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 360W, a 255W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while EPYC 9654 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (13,800 vs 20,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 384 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9654, which brings 96 cores / 192 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 9654

2022

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅+44.9% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅+1100% larger total L3 cache (384 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 96 cores / 192 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅357.1% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+132% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $11,506 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $11,805 MSRP).
✅Delivers 837.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 10.1 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $11,805 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 360W, a 255W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while EPYC 9654 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,250 vs 2,900).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.1 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($11,805 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌242.9% higher power demand at 360W vs 105W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (13,800 vs 20,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 384 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9654, which brings 96 cores / 192 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X better than EPYC 9654?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 9654 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 9654 is the better fit. You are getting 44.9% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 96 cores and 192 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 1100% larger total L3 cache (384 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 $11,506 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $11,805 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.6% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 9654 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 44.9% better Geekbench multi-core. It is also 837.8% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 10.1 PassMark/$), 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 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 9654 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9654	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	170 FPS	266 FPS
medium	141 FPS	246 FPS
high	122 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	226 FPS
medium	119 FPS	189 FPS
high	97 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	157 FPS
medium	59 FPS	131 FPS
high	47 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	87 FPS

Open EPYC 9654 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9654	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	524 FPS	649 FPS
medium	457 FPS	524 FPS
high	365 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	431 FPS	544 FPS
medium	385 FPS	455 FPS
high	317 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	250 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	265 FPS	341 FPS
medium	241 FPS	290 FPS
high	211 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	232 FPS

Open EPYC 9654 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9654	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	671 FPS	708 FPS
medium	560 FPS	652 FPS
high	522 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	454 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	511 FPS	708 FPS
medium	425 FPS	554 FPS
high	389 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	376 FPS	463 FPS
medium	293 FPS	392 FPS
high	262 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	210 FPS	281 FPS

Open EPYC 9654 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9654	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	902 FPS	708 FPS
medium	822 FPS	708 FPS
high	708 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	623 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	724 FPS	708 FPS
medium	631 FPS	708 FPS
high	540 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	461 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	519 FPS	560 FPS
medium	464 FPS	502 FPS
high	407 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	350 FPS	391 FPS

Open EPYC 9654 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9654 and Ryzen 5 7600X

EPYC 9654

The EPYC 9654 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 November 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture. It features 96 cores and 192 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 384 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 360 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 119,246 points. Launch price was $11,805.

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 9654 packs 96 cores / 192 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the EPYC 9654 has 90 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 9654 versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 35.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 2.4 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The EPYC 9654 uses the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture (5 nm, 6 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9654 scores 119,246 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 123.2% lead for the EPYC 9654. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,250 vs 2,900, a 79.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 20,000 vs 13,800 (36.7% advantage for the EPYC 9654). L3 cache: 384 MB (total) on the EPYC 9654 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	EPYC 9654	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	96 / 192+1500%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	5.3 GHz+43%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+96%
L3 Cache	384 MB (total)+1100%	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	6 MB+500%
Process	5 nm, 6 nm	5 nm, 6 nm
Architecture	Genoa (2022−2023)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	119,246+321%	28,325
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	15,300
Geekbench 6 Single	1,250	2,900+132%
Geekbench 6 Multi	20,000+45%	13,800

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9654 uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 7600X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 6 TB — 182.1% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9654) vs 2 (Ryzen 5 7600X). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9654) vs 28 (Ryzen 5 7600X) — the EPYC 9654 offers 100 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9654) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 5 7600X).

Feature	EPYC 9654	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	SP5	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	6 TB+4700%	128 GB
RAM Channels	12+500%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+357%	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9654) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). The Ryzen 5 7600X includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the EPYC 9654 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: EPYC 9654 targets Data Center, Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: EPYC 9654 rivals Xeon 8592+; Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	EPYC 9654	Ryzen 5 7600X
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	AMD-V
Target Use	Data Center	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9654 launched at $11805 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($11805 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 7600X is $11506 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9654 delivers 10.1 pts/$ vs 94.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7600X — making the Ryzen 5 7600X the 161.5% better value option.