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 9255

2024

Why buy it

✅+121.1% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 96 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 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 7 7800X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 30.4 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($2,495 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌66.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 120W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,046 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $2,495 MSRP).
✅Delivers 151.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 30.4 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $2,495 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 200W, a 80W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while EPYC 9255 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (34,293 vs 75,809).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (96 MB vs 128 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9255, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 9255

2024

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅+121.1% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 96 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 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: +20.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,046 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $2,495 MSRP).
✅Delivers 151.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 30.4 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $2,495 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 200W, a 80W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while EPYC 9255 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 30.4 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($2,495 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌66.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 120W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (34,293 vs 75,809).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (96 MB vs 128 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9255, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9255 better than Ryzen 7 7800X3D?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 9255 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D 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 9255 is the better fit. You are getting 121.1% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 96 MB).

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

EPYC 9255 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 7800X3D makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 9255 is 455.7% more expensive on MSRP at $2,495 MSRP versus $449 MSRP, and it gives you 121.1% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 7800X3D is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 20.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 7 7800X3D is also 151.4% better value on MSRP (76.4 vs 30.4 PassMark/$), 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 9255 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 96 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 threads instead of 8/16. 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 9255 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9255	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	303 FPS	266 FPS
medium	280 FPS	247 FPS
high	231 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	268 FPS	258 FPS
medium	223 FPS	215 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	152 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	186 FPS	179 FPS
medium	154 FPS	149 FPS
high	117 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	100 FPS

Open EPYC 9255 Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9255	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	717 FPS	857 FPS
medium	614 FPS	735 FPS
high	485 FPS	579 FPS
ultra	421 FPS	491 FPS
1440p
low	573 FPS	715 FPS
medium	507 FPS	607 FPS
high	419 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	341 FPS	396 FPS
4K
low	335 FPS	393 FPS
medium	298 FPS	337 FPS
high	270 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	239 FPS	271 FPS

Open EPYC 9255 Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9255	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	850 FPS	857 FPS
medium	691 FPS	857 FPS
high	625 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	530 FPS	857 FPS
1440p
low	677 FPS	857 FPS
medium	548 FPS	851 FPS
high	484 FPS	786 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	483 FPS	558 FPS
medium	399 FPS	479 FPS
high	355 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	293 FPS	362 FPS

Open EPYC 9255 Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9255	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	1083 FPS	857 FPS
medium	982 FPS	857 FPS
high	862 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	777 FPS	782 FPS
1440p
low	859 FPS	857 FPS
medium	761 FPS	760 FPS
high	668 FPS	669 FPS
ultra	582 FPS	576 FPS
4K
low	627 FPS	618 FPS
medium	562 FPS	556 FPS
high	500 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	428 FPS

Open EPYC 9255 Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9255 and Ryzen 7 7800X3D

EPYC 9255

The EPYC 9255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 3.25 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 200 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 75,809 points. Launch price was $2,495.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 34,293 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 9255 packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the EPYC 9255 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the EPYC 9255 versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — a 4.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D (base: 3.25 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The EPYC 9255 uses the Turin (2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9255 scores 75,809 against the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 34,293 — a 75.4% lead for the EPYC 9255. L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the EPYC 9255 vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Feature	EPYC 9255	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cores / Threads	24 / 48+200%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.25 GHz	4.4 GHz+35%
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)+33%	96 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	4 nm-20%	5 nm
Architecture	Turin (2024)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	75,809+121%	34,293
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	18,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9255 uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the EPYC 9255 versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — the EPYC 9255 supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 9255 supports up to 6144 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 191.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9255) vs 2 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9255) vs 28 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D) — the EPYC 9255 offers 100 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9255) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D).

Feature	EPYC 9255	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Socket	SP5	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+95900%	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	6144	128 GB+2184433%
RAM Channels	12+500%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+357%	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 7800X3D has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9255) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). The Ryzen 7 7800X3D includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the EPYC 9255 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 7800X3D targets Gaming. Direct competitor: EPYC 9255 rivals Xeon Platinum 8480+; Ryzen 7 7800X3D rivals Intel Core i7-14700K.

Feature	EPYC 9255	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	None	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, SEV-SNP	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9255 launched at $2495 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D debuted at $449. On MSRP ($2495 vs $449), the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is $2046 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9255 delivers 30.4 pts/$ vs 76.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — making the Ryzen 7 7800X3D the 86.2% better value option.