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 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 8945H across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,300 vs 17,500).
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8945H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1212.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 8W.

Ryzen 9 8945H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.4% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 105W, a 97W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Ryzen 9 8945H

2023

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.4% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 105W, a 97W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 8945H across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,300 vs 17,500).
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8945H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1212.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 8W.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 8945H better than Ryzen 5 7600X?

Yes. Ryzen 9 8945H is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 13.4% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data, 14.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 6.8% 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 8945H is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 13.4% more average FPS across 45 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 8945H is the better fit. You are getting 14.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 8945H is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 7600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 8945H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 13.4% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 7600X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 8945H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. 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 5 7600X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 8945H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	266 FPS	269 FPS
medium	246 FPS	243 FPS
high	210 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	226 FPS	236 FPS
medium	189 FPS	193 FPS
high	154 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	157 FPS	164 FPS
medium	131 FPS	136 FPS
high	101 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	92 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7600X Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	649 FPS	513 FPS
medium	524 FPS	421 FPS
high	436 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	323 FPS
1440p
low	544 FPS	448 FPS
medium	455 FPS	388 FPS
high	388 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	285 FPS
4K
low	341 FPS	295 FPS
medium	290 FPS	267 FPS
high	271 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	232 FPS	217 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7600X Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	708 FPS	756 FPS
medium	652 FPS	756 FPS
high	571 FPS	647 FPS
ultra	484 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	708 FPS	756 FPS
medium	554 FPS	637 FPS
high	479 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	409 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	463 FPS	541 FPS
medium	392 FPS	473 FPS
high	341 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	281 FPS	355 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7600X Open Ryzen 9 8945H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	708 FPS	756 FPS
medium	708 FPS	756 FPS
high	708 FPS	756 FPS
ultra	708 FPS	754 FPS
1440p
low	708 FPS	756 FPS
medium	708 FPS	756 FPS
high	658 FPS	660 FPS
ultra	571 FPS	573 FPS
4K
low	560 FPS	572 FPS
medium	502 FPS	511 FPS
high	452 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	391 FPS	394 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7600X Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 7600X and Ryzen 9 8945H

Ryzen 5 7600X

The Ryzen 5 7600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 28,325 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 9 8945H

The Ryzen 9 8945H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP7r2/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 30,240 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 7600X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 8945H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 8945H has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 8945H — a 1.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 4.7 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Ryzen 5 7600X uses the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture (5 nm, 6 nm), while the Ryzen 9 8945H uses Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 7600X scores 28,325 against the Ryzen 9 8945H's 30,240 — a 6.5% lead for the Ryzen 9 8945H. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 15,300 vs 17,500 (13.4% advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,900 vs 2,617, a 10.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 13,800 vs 12,662 (8.6% advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 9 8945H.

Feature	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 9 8945H
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	5.3 GHz+2%	5.2 GHz
Base Clock	4.7 GHz+18%	4 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+100%	16 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB	8 MB+33%
Process	5 nm, 6 nm	4 nm-20%
Architecture	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)	Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024)
PassMark	28,325	30,240+7%
Cinebench R23 Multi	15,300	17,500+14%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,900+11%	2,617
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,800+9%	12,662

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 7600X uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 8945H uses FP7/FP7r2/FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-5200 memory speed. The Ryzen 9 8945H supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 28 (Ryzen 5 7600X) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 8945H) — the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 5 7600X) and FP7,FP7r2,FP8 (Ryzen 9 8945H).

Feature	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 9 8945H
Socket	AM5	FP7/FP7r2/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5200	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	28+40%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 7600X 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. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core) (Ryzen 5 7600X) and Radeon 780M (Ryzen 9 8945H) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming, Ryzen 9 8945H targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K; Ryzen 9 8945H rivals Core i9-13900H.