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 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +169.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 119.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 40.6 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 130W, a 10W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011 and older memory support.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics, while Xeon E5-2667 v2 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2667 v2, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.
❌
133% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$300 MSRP

Xeon E5-2667 v2

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅Costs $399 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅42.9% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (12,186 vs 62,323).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 40.6 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA2011, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Xeon E5-2667 v2

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +169.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 119.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 40.6 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 130W, a 10W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011 and older memory support.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics, while Xeon E5-2667 v2 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅Costs $399 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅42.9% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2667 v2, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.
❌
133% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$300 MSRP

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (12,186 vs 62,323).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 40.6 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA2011, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7950X3D better than Xeon E5-2667 v2?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2667 v2 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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 169.0% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 20 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 411.4% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 540% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 20 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 133.0% more expensive on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $300 MSRP, and it gives you a 169.0% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 119.5% better value on MSRP (89.2 vs 40.6 PassMark/$), 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 a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2013), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA2011, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 20 MB, more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 8/16, 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.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2667 v2 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon E5-2667 v2
1080p
low	291 FPS	170 FPS
medium	265 FPS	145 FPS
high	219 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	275 FPS	145 FPS
medium	227 FPS	120 FPS
high	177 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	190 FPS	66 FPS
medium	156 FPS	59 FPS
high	120 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D Open Xeon E5-2667 v2

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon E5-2667 v2
1080p
low	734 FPS	305 FPS
medium	627 FPS	305 FPS
high	465 FPS	276 FPS
ultra	393 FPS	232 FPS
1440p
low	602 FPS	305 FPS
medium	536 FPS	288 FPS
high	413 FPS	245 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	203 FPS
4K
low	338 FPS	204 FPS
medium	305 FPS	187 FPS
high	268 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	139 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D Open Xeon E5-2667 v2

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon E5-2667 v2
1080p
low	1025 FPS	305 FPS
medium	1122 FPS	305 FPS
high	1062 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	875 FPS	305 FPS
1440p
low	936 FPS	305 FPS
medium	845 FPS	305 FPS
high	775 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	305 FPS
4K
low	574 FPS	305 FPS
medium	498 FPS	305 FPS
high	447 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	305 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D Open Xeon E5-2667 v2

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon E5-2667 v2
1080p
low	1082 FPS	305 FPS
medium	973 FPS	305 FPS
high	854 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	766 FPS	305 FPS
1440p
low	853 FPS	305 FPS
medium	751 FPS	305 FPS
high	659 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	569 FPS	305 FPS
4K
low	623 FPS	305 FPS
medium	555 FPS	305 FPS
high	493 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	305 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D Open Xeon E5-2667 v2

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Xeon E5-2667 v2

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.

Xeon E5-2667 v2

The Xeon E5-2667 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 12,186 points. Launch price was $2,300.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Xeon E5-2667 v2 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 7950X3D has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D versus 4 GHz on the Xeon E5-2667 v2 — a 35.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D (base: 4.2 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture (5 nm, 6 nm), while the Xeon E5-2667 v2 uses Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D scores 62,323 against the Xeon E5-2667 v2's 12,186 — a 134.6% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2667 v2.

Feature	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon E5-2667 v2
Cores / Threads	16 / 32+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.7 GHz+43%	4 GHz
Base Clock	4.2 GHz+27%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)+540%	20 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+300%	256 kB (per core)
Process	5 nm, 6 nm-77%	22 nm
Architecture	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)	Ivy Bridge-EP (2013)
PassMark	62,323+411%	12,186
Cinebench R23 Multi	38,581	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,926	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	19,643	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E5-2667 v2 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D versus DDR3-1866 on the Xeon E5-2667 v2 — the Ryzen 9 7950X3D supports 50% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E5-2667 v2 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) vs 4 (Xeon E5-2667 v2). PCIe lanes: 28 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) vs 40 (Xeon E5-2667 v2) — the Xeon E5-2667 v2 offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD X670E,AMD X670,AMD B650E,AMD B650 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) and Intel X79,Intel C602 (Xeon E5-2667 v2).

Feature	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon E5-2667 v2
Socket	AM5	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5200+67%	DDR3-1866
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	768 GB+500%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	28	40+43%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) / not specified (Xeon E5-2667 v2). The Ryzen 9 7950X3D includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics), while the Xeon E5-2667 v2 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 7950X3D rivals Core i9-13900K.

Feature	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon E5-2667 v2
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Radeon Graphics	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	true	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D launched at $699 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2667 v2 debuted at $300. On MSRP ($699 vs $300), the Xeon E5-2667 v2 is $399 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 7950X3D delivers 89.2 pts/$ vs 40.6 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2667 v2 — making the Ryzen 9 7950X3D the 74.8% better value option.