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.

EPYC 7401

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅433.3% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.9 vs 109.3 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
❌29.2% higher power demand at 155W vs 120W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 9900X moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 9900X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 9900X

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,001 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 196.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 109.3 vs 36.9 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 155W, a 35W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (54,530 vs 55,280).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7401, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7401

2017

Ryzen 9 9900X

2024

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅433.3% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,001 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 196.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 109.3 vs 36.9 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 155W, a 35W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.9 vs 109.3 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
❌29.2% higher power demand at 155W vs 120W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 9900X moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 9900X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (54,530 vs 55,280).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7401, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 9900X better than EPYC 7401?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7401 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 9900X is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7401 is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 9900X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 9900X is $1,001 cheaper on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $1,500 MSRP, and it gives you a 31.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 7401 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.4% better PassMark. It is also 196.5% better value on MSRP (109.3 vs 36.9 PassMark/$), 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 9900X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2017), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of TR4, 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.

EPYC 7401 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 9900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9900X
1080p
low	187 FPS	287 FPS
medium	165 FPS	259 FPS
high	132 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	270 FPS
medium	127 FPS	218 FPS
high	97 FPS	170 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	152 FPS
4K
low	71 FPS	186 FPS
medium	63 FPS	151 FPS
high	48 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	100 FPS

Open EPYC 7401 Open Ryzen 9 9900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9900X
1080p
low	207 FPS	772 FPS
medium	188 FPS	625 FPS
high	160 FPS	467 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	393 FPS
1440p
low	178 FPS	635 FPS
medium	163 FPS	534 FPS
high	141 FPS	412 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	321 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	356 FPS
medium	103 FPS	303 FPS
high	92 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	224 FPS

Open EPYC 7401 Open Ryzen 9 9900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9900X
1080p
low	620 FPS	899 FPS
medium	518 FPS	711 FPS
high	466 FPS	618 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	526 FPS
1440p
low	517 FPS	726 FPS
medium	432 FPS	577 FPS
high	378 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	418 FPS
4K
low	383 FPS	517 FPS
medium	308 FPS	432 FPS
high	270 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	220 FPS	322 FPS

Open EPYC 7401 Open Ryzen 9 9900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9900X
1080p
low	834 FPS	1126 FPS
medium	758 FPS	989 FPS
high	651 FPS	862 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	766 FPS
1440p
low	667 FPS	891 FPS
medium	584 FPS	774 FPS
high	500 FPS	677 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	580 FPS
4K
low	475 FPS	644 FPS
medium	427 FPS	569 FPS
high	375 FPS	502 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	433 FPS

Open EPYC 7401 Open Ryzen 9 9900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7401 and Ryzen 9 9900X

EPYC 7401

The EPYC 7401 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Naples (2017−2018) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 55,280 points. Launch price was $1,850.

Ryzen 9 9900X

The Ryzen 9 9900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 15 August 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Granite Ridge (2024−2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.6 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 54,530 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7401 packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Ryzen 9 9900X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the EPYC 7401 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the EPYC 7401 versus 5.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 9900X — a 60.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 9900X (base: 2 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The EPYC 7401 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 9900X uses Granite Ridge (2024−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7401 scores 55,280 against the Ryzen 9 9900X's 54,530 — a 1.4% lead for the EPYC 7401. Both processors carry 64 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9900X
Cores / Threads	24 / 48+100%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	3 GHz	5.6 GHz+87%
Base Clock	2 GHz	4.4 GHz+120%
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)	64 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Granite Ridge (2024−2025)
PassMark	55,280+1%	54,530
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	33,003
Geekbench 6 Single	—	3,401
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	19,756

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7401 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 9900X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 2666 on the EPYC 7401 versus DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen 9 9900X — the EPYC 7401 supports 199.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7401 supports up to 2048 of RAM compared to 256 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (EPYC 7401) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 9900X). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7401) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 9900X) — the EPYC 7401 offers 104 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7401) and A620,B650,X670,X870 (Ryzen 9 9900X).

Feature	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9900X
Socket	TR4	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	2666+53220%	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	2048	256 GB+13107100%
RAM Channels	8+300%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+433%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 9900X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 9 9900X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (EPYC 7401) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 9900X). The Ryzen 9 9900X includes integrated graphics (Radeon 610M), while the EPYC 7401 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: EPYC 7401 rivals Xeon Silver 4114.

Feature	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9900X
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	None	Radeon 610M
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 7401 launched at $1500 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 9900X debuted at $499. On MSRP ($1500 vs $499), the Ryzen 9 9900X is $1001 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 7401 delivers 36.9 pts/$ vs 109.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 9900X — making the Ryzen 9 9900X the 99.1% better value option.