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 Threadripper 3970X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.0% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 280W instead of 300W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (13,739 vs 44,869).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.0 vs 17.4 PassMark/$ ($4,491 MSRP vs $3,739 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Xeon w9-3475X moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon w9-3475X

2023

Why buy it

✅+226.6% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $752 less on MSRP ($3,739 MSRP vs $4,491 MSRP).
✅Delivers 24.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 17.4 vs 14.0 PassMark/$ ($3,739 MSRP vs $4,491 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.
✅75% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 64) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 3970X across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

2019

Xeon w9-3475X

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.0% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 280W instead of 300W, a 20W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+226.6% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $752 less on MSRP ($3,739 MSRP vs $4,491 MSRP).
✅Delivers 24.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 17.4 vs 14.0 PassMark/$ ($3,739 MSRP vs $4,491 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.
✅75% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 64) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (13,739 vs 44,869).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.0 vs 17.4 PassMark/$ ($4,491 MSRP vs $3,739 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Xeon w9-3475X moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 3970X across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon w9-3475X better than Ryzen Threadripper 3970X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen Threadripper 3970X is ahead with a 21.0% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon w9-3475X pulls ahead with 226.6% better Geekbench multi-core. Ryzen Threadripper 3970X also has the bigger cache pool with 55.2% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 83 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon w9-3475X is the better fit. You are getting 226.6% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 36 cores and 72 threads.

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

Xeon w9-3475X is the smarter buy today. Xeon w9-3475X is $752 cheaper on MSRP at $3,739 MSRP versus $4,491 MSRP, and it gives you 226.6% better Geekbench multi-core. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 3970X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 21.0% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 24.2% better value on MSRP (17.4 vs 14.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon w9-3475X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of TR4, more multi-core headroom with 36 cores / 72 threads instead of 32/64, 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 Threadripper 3970X Benchmark Check

Xeon w9-3475X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon w9-3475X
1080p
low	270 FPS	316 FPS
medium	222 FPS	306 FPS
high	183 FPS	246 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	207 FPS
1440p
low	211 FPS	274 FPS
medium	164 FPS	237 FPS
high	130 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	98 FPS	186 FPS
medium	81 FPS	159 FPS
high	63 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	108 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Open Xeon w9-3475X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon w9-3475X
1080p
low	806 FPS	384 FPS
medium	681 FPS	332 FPS
high	528 FPS	270 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	236 FPS
1440p
low	652 FPS	308 FPS
medium	565 FPS	273 FPS
high	458 FPS	232 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	190 FPS
4K
low	381 FPS	181 FPS
medium	333 FPS	162 FPS
high	296 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	133 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Open Xeon w9-3475X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon w9-3475X
1080p
low	1025 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	927 FPS	1086 FPS
high	862 FPS	1020 FPS
ultra	765 FPS	875 FPS
1440p
low	776 FPS	1009 FPS
medium	644 FPS	913 FPS
high	580 FPS	839 FPS
ultra	506 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	539 FPS	605 FPS
medium	428 FPS	521 FPS
high	381 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	306 FPS	400 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Open Xeon w9-3475X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon w9-3475X
1080p
low	1325 FPS	1304 FPS
medium	1015 FPS	1015 FPS
high	1073 FPS	1002 FPS
ultra	875 FPS	866 FPS
1440p
low	1031 FPS	1061 FPS
medium	900 FPS	918 FPS
high	778 FPS	800 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	744 FPS	784 FPS
medium	662 FPS	685 FPS
high	579 FPS	583 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	437 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 3970X Open Xeon w9-3475X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon w9-3475X

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

The Ryzen Threadripper 3970X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 25 November 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 280 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 62,946 points. Launch price was $1,999.

Xeon w9-3475X

The Xeon w9-3475X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 February 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 36 cores and 72 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 82.5 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 300 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 65,077 points. Launch price was $3,739.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen Threadripper 3970X packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Xeon w9-3475X offers 36 cores / 72 threads — the Xeon w9-3475X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon w9-3475X — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Xeon w9-3475X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Ryzen Threadripper 3970X uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon w9-3475X uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X scores 62,946 against the Xeon w9-3475X's 65,077 — a 3.3% lead for the Xeon w9-3475X. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,664 vs 1,814, a 8.6% lead for the Xeon w9-3475X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 13,739 vs 44,869 (106.2% advantage for the Xeon w9-3475X). L3 cache: 128 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X vs 82.5 MB on the Xeon w9-3475X.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon w9-3475X
Cores / Threads	32 / 64	36 / 72+13%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	4.8 GHz+7%
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+68%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	128 MB+55%	82.5 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	62,946	65,077+3%
Cinebench R23 Multi	44,510	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,664	1,814+9%
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,739	44,869+227%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen Threadripper 3970X uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon w9-3475X uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X versus DDR5-4800 on the Xeon w9-3475X — the Xeon w9-3475X supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon w9-3475X supports up to 4096 GB of RAM compared to 256 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 3970X) vs 8 (Xeon w9-3475X). PCIe lanes: 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 3970X) vs 112 (Xeon w9-3475X) — the Xeon w9-3475X offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: TRX40 (Ryzen Threadripper 3970X) and W790 (Xeon w9-3475X).

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon w9-3475X
Socket	TR4	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-4800+25%
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	4096 GB+1500%
RAM Channels	4	8+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	64	112+75%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Xeon w9-3475X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support true virtualization. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 3970X rivals Core i9-10980XE; Xeon w9-3475X rivals Threadripper PRO 7965WX.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 3970X	Xeon w9-3475X
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	true	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen Threadripper 3970X launched at $4491 MSRP, while the Xeon w9-3475X debuted at $3739. On MSRP ($4491 vs $3739), the Xeon w9-3475X is $752 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X delivers 14.0 pts/$ vs 17.4 pts/$ for the Xeon w9-3475X — making the Xeon w9-3475X the 21.6% better value option.