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.

Core i5-14500HX

2024

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (13,150 vs 19,643).

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +40.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $699 MSRP, while Core i5-14500HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i5-14500HX

2024

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +40.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (13,150 vs 19,643).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $699 MSRP, while Core i5-14500HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7950X3D better than Core i5-14500HX?

Yes. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 40.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 49.4% better Geekbench multi-core, 119.6% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 40.7% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 24 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better fit. You are getting 49.4% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 433.3% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 24 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is at an unclear MSRP at $699 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 40.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (89.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9 7950X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 24 MB and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 14/20. 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.

Core i5-14500HX Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7950X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-14500HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	259 FPS	291 FPS
medium	249 FPS	265 FPS
high	207 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	177 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	221 FPS	275 FPS
medium	190 FPS	227 FPS
high	151 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	132 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	152 FPS	190 FPS
medium	130 FPS	156 FPS
high	99 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	107 FPS

Open Core i5-14500HX Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-14500HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	557 FPS	734 FPS
medium	472 FPS	627 FPS
high	400 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	369 FPS	393 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	602 FPS
medium	403 FPS	536 FPS
high	350 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	306 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	281 FPS	338 FPS
medium	248 FPS	305 FPS
high	234 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	208 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i5-14500HX Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-14500HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	647 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	527 FPS	1122 FPS
high	466 FPS	1062 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	875 FPS
1440p
low	590 FPS	936 FPS
medium	485 FPS	845 FPS
high	424 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	433 FPS	574 FPS
medium	372 FPS	498 FPS
high	334 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	285 FPS	378 FPS

Open Core i5-14500HX Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-14500HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	710 FPS	1082 FPS
medium	710 FPS	973 FPS
high	707 FPS	854 FPS
ultra	628 FPS	766 FPS
1440p
low	710 FPS	853 FPS
medium	682 FPS	751 FPS
high	592 FPS	659 FPS
ultra	515 FPS	569 FPS
4K
low	539 FPS	623 FPS
medium	490 FPS	555 FPS
high	437 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i5-14500HX Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-14500HX and Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Core i5-14500HX

The Core i5-14500HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-HX Refresh (2024) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1964. Thermal design power (TDP): + 24 MB. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 28,383 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D 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 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.7 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: 62,323 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-14500HX packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen 9 7950X3D has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i5-14500HX versus 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — a 15.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D (base: 2.6 GHz vs 4.2 GHz). The Core i5-14500HX uses the Raptor Lake-HX Refresh (2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-14500HX scores 28,383 against the Ryzen 9 7950X3D's 62,323 — a 74.8% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,409 vs 2,926, a 19.4% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 13,150 vs 19,643 (39.6% advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D). L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i5-14500HX vs 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

Feature	Core i5-14500HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Cores / Threads	14 / 20	16 / 32+14%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.7 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	4.2 GHz+62%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)	128 MB (total)+433%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+100%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-29%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-HX Refresh (2024)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	28,383	62,323+120%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	38,581
Geekbench 6 Single	2,409	2,926+21%
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,150	19,643+49%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-14500HX uses the FCBGA1964 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. The Core i5-14500HX supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-14500HX) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) — the Ryzen 9 7950X3D offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: HM770 (Core i5-14500HX) and AMD X670E,AMD X670,AMD B650E,AMD B650 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D).

Feature	Core i5-14500HX	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Socket	FCBGA1964	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+50%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen 9 7950X3D supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-14500HX) vs true (Ryzen 9 7950X3D). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics (Core i5-14500HX) and Radeon Graphics (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-14500HX targets Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 7950X3D rivals Core i9-13900K.