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

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅357.1% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9955HX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (55,280 vs 55,711).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,500 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 9955HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌181.8% higher power demand at 155W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 9955HX moves to FL1 and DDR5.

Ryzen 9 9955HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +52.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 55W instead of 155W, a 100W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FL1 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 610M, while EPYC 7401 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7401, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7401

2017

Ryzen 9 9955HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅357.1% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +52.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 55W instead of 155W, a 100W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FL1 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 610M, while EPYC 7401 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9955HX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (55,280 vs 55,711).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,500 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 9955HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌181.8% higher power demand at 155W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 9955HX moves to FL1 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌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 9955HX 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 9955HX 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 9955HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 52.4% 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 9955HX is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 9955HX is still the faster CPU overall, but EPYC 7401 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 9955HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,500 MSRP, and it gives you a 52.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. EPYC 7401 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (36.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9955HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2017), a healthier platform with FL1 and DDR5 instead of TR4, more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 24/48, 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 9955HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9955HX
1080p
low	187 FPS	284 FPS
medium	165 FPS	261 FPS
high	132 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	260 FPS
medium	127 FPS	217 FPS
high	97 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	147 FPS
4K
low	71 FPS	181 FPS
medium	63 FPS	151 FPS
high	48 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	102 FPS

Open EPYC 7401 Open Ryzen 9 9955HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9955HX
1080p
low	207 FPS	666 FPS
medium	188 FPS	577 FPS
high	160 FPS	433 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	369 FPS
1440p
low	178 FPS	564 FPS
medium	163 FPS	503 FPS
high	141 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	305 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	318 FPS
medium	103 FPS	288 FPS
high	92 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	214 FPS

Open EPYC 7401 Open Ryzen 9 9955HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9955HX
1080p
low	620 FPS	848 FPS
medium	518 FPS	678 FPS
high	466 FPS	600 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	515 FPS
1440p
low	517 FPS	678 FPS
medium	432 FPS	542 FPS
high	378 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	397 FPS
4K
low	383 FPS	482 FPS
medium	308 FPS	399 FPS
high	270 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	220 FPS	301 FPS

Open EPYC 7401 Open Ryzen 9 9955HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9955HX
1080p
low	834 FPS	1071 FPS
medium	758 FPS	966 FPS
high	651 FPS	843 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	759 FPS
1440p
low	667 FPS	840 FPS
medium	584 FPS	746 FPS
high	500 FPS	651 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	564 FPS
4K
low	475 FPS	618 FPS
medium	427 FPS	553 FPS
high	375 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	420 FPS

Open EPYC 7401 Open Ryzen 9 9955HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7401 and Ryzen 9 9955HX

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 9955HX

The Ryzen 9 9955HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2025-01-01. It is based on the Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FL1. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 55,711 points. Launch price was $650.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7401 packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Ryzen 9 9955HX offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7401 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the EPYC 7401 versus 5.4 GHz on the Ryzen 9 9955HX — a 57.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 9955HX (base: 2 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The EPYC 7401 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 9955HX uses Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7401 scores 55,280 against the Ryzen 9 9955HX's 55,711 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen 9 9955HX. Both processors carry 64 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9955HX
Cores / Threads	24 / 48+50%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	3 GHz	5.4 GHz+80%
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.5 GHz+25%
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)	Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025)
PassMark	55,280	55,711
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	38,010
Geekbench 6 Single	—	3,219
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	19,563

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7401 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 9955HX uses FL1 (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 9955HX — 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 96 GB — 182.1% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (EPYC 7401) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 9955HX). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7401) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 9955HX) — the EPYC 7401 offers 100 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7401) and AMD FL1 (Ryzen 9 9955HX).

Feature	EPYC 7401	Ryzen 9 9955HX
Socket	TR4	FL1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	2666+53220%	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	2048	96 GB+4915100%
RAM Channels	8+300%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+357%	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 9955HX has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 9 9955HX supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (EPYC 7401) vs true (Ryzen 9 9955HX). The Ryzen 9 9955HX includes integrated graphics (Radeon 610M), while the EPYC 7401 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: EPYC 7401 rivals Xeon Silver 4114; Ryzen 9 9955HX rivals Core Ultra 9 275HX.