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 8224P

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 96 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on SP6 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (96 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5950X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
7% HIGHER MSRP
$855 MSRPvs$799 MSRP
❌52.4% higher power demand at 160W vs 105W.

Ryzen 9 5950X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $56 less on MSRP ($799 MSRP vs $855 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 160W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (45,353 vs 45,421).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 8224P, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 96 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while EPYC 8224P moves to SP6 and DDR5.

EPYC 8224P

2023

Ryzen 9 5950X

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 96 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on SP6 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (96 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $56 less on MSRP ($799 MSRP vs $855 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 160W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5950X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
7% HIGHER MSRP
$855 MSRPvs$799 MSRP
❌52.4% higher power demand at 160W vs 105W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (45,353 vs 45,421).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 8224P, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 96 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while EPYC 8224P moves to SP6 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5950X better than EPYC 8224P?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 8224P makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 5950X 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 8224P is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 5950X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 5950X is $56 cheaper on MSRP at $799 MSRP versus $855 MSRP, and it gives you a 5.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 8224P is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.1% better PassMark. It is also 6.8% better value on MSRP (56.8 vs 53.1 PassMark/$), 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?

EPYC 8224P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with SP6 and DDR5 instead of AM4, more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 threads instead of 16/32, 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 8224P Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5950X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 8224P	Ryzen 9 5950X
1080p
low	157 FPS	317 FPS
medium	129 FPS	288 FPS
high	108 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	192 FPS
1440p
low	140 FPS	285 FPS
medium	112 FPS	236 FPS
high	88 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	195 FPS
medium	57 FPS	162 FPS
high	44 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	110 FPS

Open EPYC 8224P Open Ryzen 9 5950X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 8224P	Ryzen 9 5950X
1080p
low	392 FPS	684 FPS
medium	348 FPS	591 FPS
high	284 FPS	477 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	425 FPS
1440p
low	330 FPS	546 FPS
medium	299 FPS	484 FPS
high	252 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	341 FPS
4K
low	204 FPS	320 FPS
medium	187 FPS	286 FPS
high	159 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	236 FPS

Open EPYC 8224P Open Ryzen 9 5950X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 8224P	Ryzen 9 5950X
1080p
low	858 FPS	746 FPS
medium	771 FPS	595 FPS
high	745 FPS	516 FPS
ultra	668 FPS	409 FPS
1440p
low	662 FPS	658 FPS
medium	576 FPS	532 FPS
high	548 FPS	459 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	374 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	461 FPS
medium	343 FPS	388 FPS
high	306 FPS	344 FPS
ultra	250 FPS	279 FPS

Open EPYC 8224P Open Ryzen 9 5950X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 8224P	Ryzen 9 5950X
1080p
low	1018 FPS	997 FPS
medium	908 FPS	885 FPS
high	770 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	647 FPS	690 FPS
1440p
low	824 FPS	828 FPS
medium	708 FPS	726 FPS
high	597 FPS	636 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	554 FPS
4K
low	597 FPS	609 FPS
medium	521 FPS	545 FPS
high	449 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	372 FPS	419 FPS

Open EPYC 8224P Open Ryzen 9 5950X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 8224P and Ryzen 9 5950X

EPYC 8224P

The EPYC 8224P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 18 September 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Siena (2023−2024) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.55 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: SP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 160 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 45,421 points. Launch price was $855.

Ryzen 9 5950X

The Ryzen 9 5950X 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 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 45,353 points. Launch price was $799.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 8224P packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5950X offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 8224P has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the EPYC 8224P versus 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5950X — a 48.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5950X (base: 2.55 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The EPYC 8224P uses the Siena (2023−2024) architecture (5 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5950X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 8224P scores 45,421 against the Ryzen 9 5950X's 45,353 — a 0.1% lead for the EPYC 8224P. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 8224P vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5950X.

Feature	EPYC 8224P	Ryzen 9 5950X
Cores / Threads	24 / 48+50%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	3 GHz	4.9 GHz+63%
Base Clock	2.55 GHz	3.4 GHz+33%
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)	64 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	5 nm-29%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Siena (2023−2024)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	45,421	45,353

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 8224P uses the SP6 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 5950X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the EPYC 8224P versus 3200 on the Ryzen 9 5950X — the EPYC 8224P supports 40% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 8224P supports up to 1152 of RAM compared to 128 — 160% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 6 (EPYC 8224P) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 5950X). PCIe lanes: 96 (EPYC 8224P) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 5950X) — the EPYC 8224P offers 72 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP6 (EPYC 8224P) and AM4 (Ryzen 9 5950X).

Feature	EPYC 8224P	Ryzen 9 5950X
Socket	SP6	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+50%	3200
Max RAM Capacity	1152+800%	128
RAM Channels	6+200%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	96+300%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 5950X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the EPYC 8224P supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V virtualization. Direct competitor: EPYC 8224P rivals Xeon Platinum 8452Y; Ryzen 9 5950X rivals Core i9-10900K.

Feature	EPYC 8224P	Ryzen 9 5950X
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 8224P launched at $855 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 5950X debuted at $799. On MSRP ($855 vs $799), the Ryzen 9 5950X is $56 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 8224P delivers 53.1 pts/$ vs 56.8 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 5950X — making the Ryzen 9 5950X the 6.6% better value option.