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 9900X

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB).
✅Costs $4,108 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $4,607 MSRP).
✅Delivers 825.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 109.3 vs 11.8 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $4,607 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 250W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Platinum 8358, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Platinum 8358

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅166.7% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (54,416 vs 54,530).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (48 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.8 vs 109.3 PassMark/$ ($4,607 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
❌108.3% higher power demand at 250W vs 120W.

Ryzen 9 9900X

2024

Xeon Platinum 8358

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB).
✅Costs $4,108 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $4,607 MSRP).
✅Delivers 825.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 109.3 vs 11.8 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $4,607 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 250W, a 130W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅166.7% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Platinum 8358, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (54,416 vs 54,530).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (48 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.8 vs 109.3 PassMark/$ ($4,607 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
❌108.3% higher power demand at 250W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 9900X better than Xeon Platinum 8358?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Platinum 8358 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 gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 9900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 12.5% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 9900X is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 9900X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 9900X is $4,108 cheaper on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $4,607 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 825.2% better value on MSRP (109.3 vs 11.8 PassMark/$), 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 2021), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA4189, 33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 32/64. 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 9900X Benchmark Check

Xeon Platinum 8358 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 9900X	Xeon Platinum 8358
1080p
low	287 FPS	185 FPS
medium	259 FPS	149 FPS
high	218 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	154 FPS
medium	218 FPS	120 FPS
high	170 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	152 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	186 FPS	72 FPS
medium	151 FPS	60 FPS
high	112 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 9900X Open Xeon Platinum 8358

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 9900X	Xeon Platinum 8358
1080p
low	766 FPS	416 FPS
medium	624 FPS	364 FPS
high	465 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	392 FPS	237 FPS
1440p
low	629 FPS	356 FPS
medium	531 FPS	317 FPS
high	410 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	203 FPS
4K
low	353 FPS	221 FPS
medium	301 FPS	200 FPS
high	265 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	136 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 9900X Open Xeon Platinum 8358

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 9900X	Xeon Platinum 8358
1080p
low	899 FPS	984 FPS
medium	711 FPS	858 FPS
high	618 FPS	811 FPS
ultra	526 FPS	720 FPS
1440p
low	726 FPS	787 FPS
medium	577 FPS	676 FPS
high	492 FPS	639 FPS
ultra	418 FPS	567 FPS
4K
low	517 FPS	504 FPS
medium	432 FPS	397 FPS
high	388 FPS	353 FPS
ultra	322 FPS	288 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 9900X Open Xeon Platinum 8358

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 9900X	Xeon Platinum 8358
1080p
low	1126 FPS	911 FPS
medium	989 FPS	828 FPS
high	862 FPS	714 FPS
ultra	766 FPS	615 FPS
1440p
low	891 FPS	712 FPS
medium	774 FPS	625 FPS
high	677 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	580 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	644 FPS	514 FPS
medium	569 FPS	459 FPS
high	502 FPS	403 FPS
ultra	433 FPS	351 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 9900X Open Xeon Platinum 8358

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 9900X and Xeon Platinum 8358

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.

Xeon Platinum 8358

The Xeon Platinum 8358 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2021-04-06. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 250 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 54,416 points. Launch price was $3,950.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 9900X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8358 offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8358 has 20 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 9900X versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8358 — a 48.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 9900X (base: 4.4 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Ryzen 9 9900X uses the Granite Ridge (2024−2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon Platinum 8358 uses Ice Lake-SP (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 9900X scores 54,530 against the Xeon Platinum 8358's 54,416 — a 0.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 9900X. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 9900X vs 48 MB (total) on the Xeon Platinum 8358.

Feature	Ryzen 9 9900X	Xeon Platinum 8358
Cores / Threads	12 / 24	32 / 64+167%
Boost Clock	5.6 GHz+65%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	4.4 GHz+69%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+33%	48 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	4 nm-60%	10 nm
Architecture	Granite Ridge (2024−2025)	Ice Lake-SP (2021)
PassMark	54,530	54,416
Cinebench R23 Multi	33,003	—
Geekbench 6 Single	3,401	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	19,756	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 9900X uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Platinum 8358 uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen 9 9900X versus 3200 on the Xeon Platinum 8358 — the Xeon Platinum 8358 supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Platinum 8358 supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 256 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 9 9900X) vs 8 (Xeon Platinum 8358). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 9 9900X) vs 64 (Xeon Platinum 8358) — the Xeon Platinum 8358 offers 40 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A620,B650,X670,X870 (Ryzen 9 9900X) and C621A (Xeon Platinum 8358).

Feature	Ryzen 9 9900X	Xeon Platinum 8358
Socket	AM5	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	3200+63900%
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB+6553500%	4096
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	64+167%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 9900X 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. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 9 9900X) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Platinum 8358). The Ryzen 9 9900X includes integrated graphics (Radeon 610M), while the Xeon Platinum 8358 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Xeon Platinum 8358 rivals EPYC 7543.

Feature	Ryzen 9 9900X	Xeon Platinum 8358
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Radeon 610M	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 9 9900X launched at $499 MSRP, while the Xeon Platinum 8358 debuted at $4607. On MSRP ($499 vs $4607), the Ryzen 9 9900X is $4108 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 9900X delivers 109.3 pts/$ vs 11.8 pts/$ for the Xeon Platinum 8358 — making the Ryzen 9 9900X the 161% better value option.