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 7542

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 64 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 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 9 7845HX across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $3,400 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 7845HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌309.1% higher power demand at 225W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 7845HX moves to FL1 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7845HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 7845HX

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +24.1% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 55W instead of 225W, a 170W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FL1 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 610M, while EPYC 7542 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike EPYC 7542.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (44,940 vs 45,359).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (64 MB vs 128 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7542, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7542

2019

Ryzen 9 7845HX

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 64 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 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: +24.1% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 55W instead of 225W, a 170W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FL1 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 610M, while EPYC 7542 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike EPYC 7542.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7845HX across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $3,400 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 7845HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌309.1% higher power demand at 225W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 7845HX moves to FL1 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7845HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (44,940 vs 45,359).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (64 MB vs 128 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7542, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7845HX better than EPYC 7542?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7542 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 7845HX 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 7542 is the better fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 64 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 7845HX is still the faster CPU overall, but EPYC 7542 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 7845HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $3,400 MSRP, and it gives you a 24.1% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 7542 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.9% better PassMark. EPYC 7542 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (13.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 9 7845HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019) and a healthier platform with FL1 and DDR5 instead of SP3. 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 7542 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7845HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7542	Ryzen 9 7845HX
1080p
low	194 FPS	285 FPS
medium	172 FPS	258 FPS
high	138 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	158 FPS	264 FPS
medium	132 FPS	215 FPS
high	101 FPS	168 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	73 FPS	183 FPS
medium	65 FPS	150 FPS
high	50 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	101 FPS

Open EPYC 7542 Open Ryzen 9 7845HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7542	Ryzen 9 7845HX
1080p
low	431 FPS	767 FPS
medium	385 FPS	636 FPS
high	315 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	252 FPS	413 FPS
1440p
low	354 FPS	644 FPS
medium	325 FPS	553 FPS
high	273 FPS	431 FPS
ultra	212 FPS	342 FPS
4K
low	218 FPS	363 FPS
medium	204 FPS	316 FPS
high	172 FPS	280 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	239 FPS

Open EPYC 7542 Open Ryzen 9 7845HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7542	Ryzen 9 7845HX
1080p
low	630 FPS	896 FPS
medium	536 FPS	712 FPS
high	486 FPS	619 FPS
ultra	415 FPS	534 FPS
1440p
low	525 FPS	721 FPS
medium	446 FPS	574 FPS
high	394 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	419 FPS
4K
low	389 FPS	519 FPS
medium	312 FPS	430 FPS
high	274 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	224 FPS	326 FPS

Open EPYC 7542 Open Ryzen 9 7845HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7542	Ryzen 9 7845HX
1080p
low	910 FPS	1124 FPS
medium	830 FPS	1006 FPS
high	716 FPS	873 FPS
ultra	621 FPS	770 FPS
1440p
low	716 FPS	902 FPS
medium	626 FPS	791 FPS
high	536 FPS	690 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	586 FPS
4K
low	506 FPS	649 FPS
medium	456 FPS	579 FPS
high	402 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	348 FPS	437 FPS

Open EPYC 7542 Open Ryzen 9 7845HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7542 and Ryzen 9 7845HX

EPYC 7542

The EPYC 7542 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 August 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 225 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 45,359 points. Launch price was $3,400.

Ryzen 9 7845HX

The Ryzen 9 7845HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Dragon Range-HX (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on CCD = 5 nm, I/O = 6 nm process technology. Socket: FL1. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 44,940 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 7542 packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7845HX offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the EPYC 7542 has 20 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the EPYC 7542 versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7845HX — a 41.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7845HX (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3 GHz). The EPYC 7542 uses the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture (7 nm, 14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7845HX uses Dragon Range-HX (Zen 4) (2023−2024) (CCD = 5 nm, I/O = 6 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7542 scores 45,359 against the Ryzen 9 7845HX's 44,940 — a 0.9% lead for the EPYC 7542. L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the EPYC 7542 vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7845HX.

Feature	EPYC 7542	Ryzen 9 7845HX
Cores / Threads	32 / 64+167%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	5.2 GHz+53%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)+100%	64 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm, 14 nm	CCD = 5 nm, I/O = 6 nm-29%
Architecture	Zen 2 (2017−2020)	Dragon Range-HX (Zen 4) (2023−2024)
PassMark	45,359	44,940
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	26,654
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,697
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,039

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7542 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 7845HX uses FL1 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 3200 on the EPYC 7542 versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 9 7845HX — the EPYC 7542 supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7542 supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 64 GB — 193.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (EPYC 7542) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 7845HX). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7542) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 7845HX) — the EPYC 7542 offers 100 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7542) and FL1 (Ryzen 9 7845HX).

Feature	EPYC 7542	Ryzen 9 7845HX
Socket	SP3	FL1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	3200+63900%	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	4096	64 GB+1638300%
RAM Channels	8+300%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+357%	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 7845HX 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, AMD-V (EPYC 7542) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 7845HX). The Ryzen 9 7845HX includes integrated graphics (Radeon 610M), while the EPYC 7542 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 7845HX targets High-end Gaming / Content Creation. Direct competitor: EPYC 7542 rivals Xeon Gold 6248R; Ryzen 9 7845HX rivals Core i9-13900HX.

Feature	EPYC 7542	Ryzen 9 7845HX
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	None	Radeon 610M
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	—	High-end Gaming / Content Creation