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 8945HS

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 180W, a 135W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Ryzen Threadripper 2950X needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen Threadripper 2950X.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (17,200 vs 21,444).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 2950X, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

2018

Why buy it

✅+24.7% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 8945HS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $899 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8945HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌300% higher power demand at 180W vs 45W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 8945HS moves to FP8 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 8945HS can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 8945HS

2023

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 180W, a 135W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Ryzen Threadripper 2950X needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen Threadripper 2950X.

Why buy it

✅+24.7% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (17,200 vs 21,444).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 2950X, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 8945HS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $899 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8945HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌300% higher power demand at 180W vs 45W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 8945HS moves to FP8 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 8945HS can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 8945HS better than Ryzen Threadripper 2950X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 2950X makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 8945HS 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, Ryzen Threadripper 2950X is the better fit. You are getting 24.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 8945HS is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen Threadripper 2950X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 8945HS is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $899 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 2950X is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 24.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Ryzen Threadripper 2950X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (32.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 8945HS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with FP8 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.

Ryzen 9 8945HS Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 8945HS	Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
1080p
low	265 FPS	200 FPS
medium	240 FPS	175 FPS
high	202 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	174 FPS	115 FPS
1440p
low	234 FPS	157 FPS
medium	192 FPS	131 FPS
high	156 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	162 FPS	83 FPS
medium	135 FPS	74 FPS
high	104 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	46 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 8945HS Open Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 8945HS	Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
1080p
low	488 FPS	532 FPS
medium	401 FPS	463 FPS
high	343 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	305 FPS	351 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	471 FPS
medium	369 FPS	417 FPS
high	316 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	269 FPS	307 FPS
4K
low	281 FPS	302 FPS
medium	255 FPS	267 FPS
high	239 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	205 FPS	213 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 8945HS Open Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 8945HS	Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
1080p
low	740 FPS	737 FPS
medium	740 FPS	630 FPS
high	729 FPS	584 FPS
ultra	623 FPS	509 FPS
1440p
low	740 FPS	632 FPS
medium	644 FPS	525 FPS
high	544 FPS	471 FPS
ultra	467 FPS	410 FPS
4K
low	540 FPS	461 FPS
medium	474 FPS	371 FPS
high	421 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	274 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 8945HS Open Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 8945HS	Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
1080p
low	740 FPS	737 FPS
medium	740 FPS	737 FPS
high	740 FPS	714 FPS
ultra	740 FPS	636 FPS
1440p
low	740 FPS	737 FPS
medium	740 FPS	667 FPS
high	657 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	500 FPS
4K
low	574 FPS	515 FPS
medium	511 FPS	468 FPS
high	455 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	393 FPS	364 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 8945HS Open Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 8945HS and Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

Ryzen 9 8945HS

The Ryzen 9 8945HS 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 (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 29,584 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

The Ryzen Threadripper 2950X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 August 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the ZEN+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 29,462 points. Launch price was $899.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 8945HS packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 8945HS versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X — a 16.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945HS (base: 4 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 9 8945HS uses the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X uses ZEN+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 8945HS scores 29,584 against the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X's 29,462 — a 0.4% lead for the Ryzen 9 8945HS. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 17,200 vs 21,444 (22% advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,686 vs 1,255, a 72.6% lead for the Ryzen 9 8945HS that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 13,283 vs 8,814 (40.4% advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945HS). L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 8945HS vs 32 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X.

Feature	Ryzen 9 8945HS	Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+18%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	4 GHz+14%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	4 nm-67%	12 nm
Architecture	Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024)	ZEN+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	29,584	29,462
Cinebench R23 Multi	17,200	21,444+25%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,686+114%	1,255
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,283+51%	8,814

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 8945HS uses the FP8 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5x-7500, DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen 9 8945HS versus DDR4-2933 on the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X — the Ryzen 9 8945HS supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 256 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 9 8945HS) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 2950X). PCIe lanes: 20 (Ryzen 9 8945HS) vs 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 2950X) — the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X offers 44 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: FP7,FP8 (Ryzen 9 8945HS) and Socket TR4 / X399 (Ryzen Threadripper 2950X).

Feature	Ryzen 9 8945HS	Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
Socket	FP8	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5x-7500, DDR5-5600+25%	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	256 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	64+220%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen 9 8945HS supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support AMD-V virtualization. The Ryzen 9 8945HS includes integrated graphics (Radeon 780M), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 8945HS targets Premium Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 8945HS rivals Core Ultra 9 185H.