EPYC 7601 vs Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

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 7601

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅540% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌176.9% higher power demand at 180W vs 65W.

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +42.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 180W, a 115W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (34,549 vs 35,059).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7601, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7601

2017

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

2022

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅540% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +42.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 180W, a 115W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌176.9% higher power demand at 180W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (34,549 vs 35,059).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7601, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 better than EPYC 7601?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7601 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 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 7601 is the better fit. You are getting 1.5% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 42.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2017). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 7601 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7601	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
1080p
low	187 FPS	164 FPS
medium	165 FPS	136 FPS
high	132 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	149 FPS
medium	127 FPS	119 FPS
high	97 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	71 FPS	83 FPS
medium	63 FPS	72 FPS
high	48 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	46 FPS

Open EPYC 7601 Open Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7601	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
1080p
low	207 FPS	630 FPS
medium	188 FPS	544 FPS
high	160 FPS	434 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	381 FPS
1440p
low	178 FPS	524 FPS
medium	163 FPS	460 FPS
high	141 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	315 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	307 FPS
medium	103 FPS	271 FPS
high	92 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	221 FPS

Open EPYC 7601 Open Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7601	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
1080p
low	620 FPS	845 FPS
medium	518 FPS	670 FPS
high	466 FPS	586 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	494 FPS
1440p
low	517 FPS	676 FPS
medium	432 FPS	535 FPS
high	378 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	387 FPS
4K
low	383 FPS	480 FPS
medium	308 FPS	398 FPS
high	270 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	220 FPS	293 FPS

Open EPYC 7601 Open Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7601	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
1080p
low	832 FPS	864 FPS
medium	759 FPS	864 FPS
high	652 FPS	836 FPS
ultra	565 FPS	743 FPS
1440p
low	666 FPS	864 FPS
medium	584 FPS	757 FPS
high	500 FPS	661 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	566 FPS
4K
low	474 FPS	626 FPS
medium	427 FPS	557 FPS
high	375 FPS	490 FPS
ultra	322 FPS	423 FPS

Open EPYC 7601 Open Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7601 and Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

EPYC 7601

The EPYC 7601 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 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 35,059 points. Launch price was $4,200.

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

The Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 34,549 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7601 packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the EPYC 7601 has 20 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the EPYC 7601 versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 — a 38% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3 GHz). The EPYC 7601 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7601 scores 35,059 against the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945's 34,549 — a 1.5% lead for the EPYC 7601. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7601 vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945.

Feature	EPYC 7601	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
Cores / Threads	32 / 64+167%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	4.7 GHz+47%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	3 GHz+36%
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)	64 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark	35,059+1%	34,549
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	23,200
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,175
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	12,500

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7601 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 2666 on the EPYC 7601 versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 — the EPYC 7601 supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7601 supports up to 2048 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (EPYC 7601) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7601) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945) — the EPYC 7601 offers 108 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7601) and X570,B550,A520,X470,B450 (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945).

Feature	EPYC 7601	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
Socket	TR4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	2666+66550%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	2048	128 GB+6553500%
RAM Channels	8+300%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+540%	20

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V, SVM (EPYC 7601) vs AMD-V (SVM) (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945). Primary use case: Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 targets High-end Gaming. Direct competitor: EPYC 7601 rivals Xeon Platinum 8180; Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 rivals Core i9-12900.