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.

Ryzen 9 7900X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.2% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (50,213 vs 51,161).
❌Launch MSRP is still $599 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8940HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌118.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 55W.

Ryzen 9 8940HX

2025

Why buy it

✅+1.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 55W instead of 120W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7900X3D across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen 9 7900X3D

2023

Ryzen 9 8940HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.2% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅+1.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 55W instead of 120W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (50,213 vs 51,161).
❌Launch MSRP is still $599 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8940HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌118.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 55W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7900X3D across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 8940HX better than Ryzen 9 7900X3D?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 7900X3D is ahead with a 27.2% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 8940HX pulls ahead with 1.9% better PassMark. Ryzen 9 7900X3D also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 64 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 8940HX is the better fit. You are getting 1.9% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 8940HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 9 7900X3D makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 8940HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $599 MSRP, and it gives you 1.9% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 9 7900X3D is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 27.2% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 9 7900X3D is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (83.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 8940HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023) and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 12/24. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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.

Ryzen 9 7900X3D Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 8940HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 7900X3D	Ryzen 9 8940HX
1080p
low	272 FPS	283 FPS
medium	249 FPS	260 FPS
high	212 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	260 FPS
medium	217 FPS	217 FPS
high	172 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	147 FPS
4K
low	183 FPS	181 FPS
medium	150 FPS	150 FPS
high	113 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	102 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7900X3D Open Ryzen 9 8940HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 7900X3D	Ryzen 9 8940HX
1080p
low	845 FPS	653 FPS
medium	689 FPS	564 FPS
high	511 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	423 FPS	361 FPS
1440p
low	679 FPS	553 FPS
medium	578 FPS	493 FPS
high	445 FPS	380 FPS
ultra	345 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	379 FPS	312 FPS
medium	326 FPS	282 FPS
high	286 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	241 FPS	210 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7900X3D Open Ryzen 9 8940HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 7900X3D	Ryzen 9 8940HX
1080p
low	1025 FPS	848 FPS
medium	1164 FPS	678 FPS
high	1101 FPS	600 FPS
ultra	875 FPS	514 FPS
1440p
low	972 FPS	677 FPS
medium	878 FPS	542 FPS
high	805 FPS	468 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	397 FPS
4K
low	597 FPS	482 FPS
medium	518 FPS	399 FPS
high	465 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	393 FPS	301 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7900X3D Open Ryzen 9 8940HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 7900X3D	Ryzen 9 8940HX
1080p
low	1255 FPS	1071 FPS
medium	1015 FPS	966 FPS
high	993 FPS	843 FPS
ultra	865 FPS	759 FPS
1440p
low	1037 FPS	840 FPS
medium	899 FPS	746 FPS
high	774 FPS	651 FPS
ultra	649 FPS	564 FPS
4K
low	761 FPS	618 FPS
medium	664 FPS	553 FPS
high	578 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	420 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7900X3D Open Ryzen 9 8940HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 7900X3D and Ryzen 9 8940HX

Ryzen 9 7900X3D

The Ryzen 9 7900X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.6 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 50,213 points. Launch price was $599.

Ryzen 9 8940HX

The Ryzen 9 8940HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 April 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Dragon Range (2025) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: FL1. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 51,161 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 7900X3D packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 9 8940HX offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen 9 8940HX has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7900X3D versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 9 8940HX — a 5.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7900X3D (base: 4.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Ryzen 9 7900X3D uses the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture (5 nm, 6 nm), while the Ryzen 9 8940HX uses Dragon Range (2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 7900X3D scores 50,213 against the Ryzen 9 8940HX's 51,161 — a 1.9% lead for the Ryzen 9 8940HX. L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7900X3D vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 8940HX.

Feature	Ryzen 9 7900X3D	Ryzen 9 8940HX
Cores / Threads	12 / 24	16 / 32+33%
Boost Clock	5.6 GHz+6%	5.3 GHz
Base Clock	4.4 GHz+83%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)+100%	64 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	5 nm, 6 nm	5 nm
Architecture	Raphael (2023−2025)	Dragon Range (2025)
PassMark	50,213	51,161+2%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,800
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	16,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 7900X3D uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 8940HX uses FL1 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 5200 on the Ryzen 9 7900X3D versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 9 8940HX — the Ryzen 9 7900X3D supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 9 7900X3D supports up to 128 of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 28 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: AM5 (Ryzen 9 7900X3D) and AMD FL1 (Ryzen 9 8940HX).

Feature	Ryzen 9 7900X3D	Ryzen 9 8940HX
Socket	AM5	FL1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	5200+103900%	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	128	64 GB+52428700%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	28	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 7900X3D 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 (Ryzen 9 7900X3D) vs true (Ryzen 9 8940HX). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Graphics (Ryzen 9 7900X3D) and Radeon 610M (Ryzen 9 8940HX) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 7900X3D rivals Core i7-14700K.