Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs Xeon E5-4667 v3

AMD

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

16 Cores32 Thrd120 WWMax: 5.7 GHz2023

Popular choices:

VS
Intel

Xeon E5-4667 v3

16 Cores32 Thrd135 WWMax: 2.9 GHz2015

Popular choices:

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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: +63.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Draws 120W instead of 135W, a 15W reduction.
  • Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011 and DDR4.
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
  • Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics, while Xeon E5-4667 v3 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark per dollar, at 89.2 vs 120.3 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $128 MSRP).

Xeon E5-4667 v3

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $571 less on MSRP ($128 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 34.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.3 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($128 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower PassMark (15,397 vs 62,323).
  • Older platform position on LGA2011 with DDR4, 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 E5-4667 v3?
Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-4667 v3 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 63.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 40 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 304.8% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 220% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 40 MB).
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Ryzen 9 7950X3D is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-4667 v3 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is 446.1% more expensive on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $128 MSRP, and it gives you a 63.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-4667 v3 is also 34.9% better value on MSRP (120.3 vs 89.2 PassMark/$), 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 7950X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2015), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA2011, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 40 MB, more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetRyzen 9 7950X3DXeon E5-4667 v3
1080p
low291 FPS175 FPS
medium265 FPS151 FPS
high219 FPS119 FPS
ultra186 FPS96 FPS
1440p
low275 FPS147 FPS
medium227 FPS123 FPS
high177 FPS94 FPS
ultra156 FPS76 FPS
4K
low190 FPS68 FPS
medium156 FPS61 FPS
high120 FPS47 FPS
ultra107 FPS38 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetRyzen 9 7950X3DXeon E5-4667 v3
1080p
low734 FPS212 FPS
medium627 FPS193 FPS
high465 FPS164 FPS
ultra393 FPS132 FPS
1440p
low602 FPS183 FPS
medium536 FPS166 FPS
high413 FPS143 FPS
ultra326 FPS112 FPS
4K
low338 FPS115 FPS
medium305 FPS106 FPS
high268 FPS94 FPS
ultra229 FPS74 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetRyzen 9 7950X3DXeon E5-4667 v3
1080p
low1025 FPS385 FPS
medium1122 FPS385 FPS
high1062 FPS385 FPS
ultra875 FPS385 FPS
1440p
low936 FPS385 FPS
medium845 FPS385 FPS
high775 FPS385 FPS
ultra656 FPS385 FPS
4K
low574 FPS385 FPS
medium498 FPS359 FPS
high447 FPS324 FPS
ultra378 FPS270 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetRyzen 9 7950X3DXeon E5-4667 v3
1080p
low1082 FPS385 FPS
medium973 FPS385 FPS
high854 FPS385 FPS
ultra766 FPS385 FPS
1440p
low853 FPS385 FPS
medium751 FPS385 FPS
high659 FPS385 FPS
ultra569 FPS385 FPS
4K
low623 FPS385 FPS
medium555 FPS385 FPS
high493 FPS385 FPS
ultra426 FPS358 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Xeon E5-4667 v3

AMD

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.

Intel

Xeon E5-4667 v3

The Xeon E5-4667 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 40 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 15,397 points. Launch price was $800.

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Xeon E5-4667 v3 share an identical 16-core/32-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D versus 2.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-4667 v3 — a 65.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D (base: 4.2 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture (5 nm, 6 nm), while the Xeon E5-4667 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D scores 62,323 against the Xeon E5-4667 v3's 15,397 — a 120.8% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs 40 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-4667 v3.

FeatureRyzen 9 7950X3DXeon E5-4667 v3
Cores / Threads
16 / 32
16 / 32
Boost Clock
5.7 GHz+97%
2.9 GHz
Base Clock
4.2 GHz+110%
2 GHz
L3 Cache
128 MB (total)+220%
40 MB (total)
L2 Cache
1 MB (per core)+300%
256K (per core)
Process
5 nm, 6 nm-77%
22 nm
Architecture
Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark
62,323+305%
15,397
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 E5-4667 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureRyzen 9 7950X3DXeon E5-4667 v3
Socket
AM5
LGA2011
PCIe Generation
PCIe 5.0+67%
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
Yes
PCIe Lanes
28
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) / not specified (Xeon E5-4667 v3). The Ryzen 9 7950X3D includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics), while the Xeon E5-4667 v3 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 7950X3D rivals Core i9-13900K.

FeatureRyzen 9 7950X3DXeon E5-4667 v3
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Radeon Graphics
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
Yes
Virtualization
true
💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D launched at $699 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-4667 v3 debuted at $128. On MSRP ($699 vs $128), the Xeon E5-4667 v3 is $571 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 7950X3D delivers 89.2 pts/$ vs 120.3 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-4667 v3 — making the Xeon E5-4667 v3 the 29.7% better value option.

FeatureRyzen 9 7950X3DXeon E5-4667 v3
MSRP
$699
$128-82%
Performance per Dollar
89.2
120.3+35%
Release Date
2023
2015