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 9960X

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +24.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $5,715 less on MSRP ($1,499 MSRP vs $7,214 MSRP).
✅Delivers 385.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.9 vs 12.8 PassMark/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $7,214 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on sTR5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA4189 and DDR4.
✅37.5% more PCIe lanes (88 vs 64) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌29.6% higher power demand at 350W vs 270W.

Xeon Platinum 8368

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 270W instead of 350W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9960X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (20,000 vs 41,000).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.8 vs 61.9 PassMark/$ ($7,214 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA4189 with DDR4, while Ryzen Threadripper 9960X moves to sTR5 and DDR5.

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

2025

Xeon Platinum 8368

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +24.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $5,715 less on MSRP ($1,499 MSRP vs $7,214 MSRP).
✅Delivers 385.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.9 vs 12.8 PassMark/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $7,214 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on sTR5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA4189 and DDR4.
✅37.5% more PCIe lanes (88 vs 64) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 270W instead of 350W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌29.6% higher power demand at 350W vs 270W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9960X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (20,000 vs 41,000).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.8 vs 61.9 PassMark/$ ($7,214 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA4189 with DDR4, while Ryzen Threadripper 9960X moves to sTR5 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper 9960X better than Xeon Platinum 8368?

Yes. Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 24.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 105% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 0.8% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 24.7% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 57 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the better fit. You are getting 105% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 124.6% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 57 MB).

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

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is $5,715 cheaper on MSRP at $1,499 MSRP versus $7,214 MSRP, and it gives you a 24.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 385.2% better value on MSRP (61.9 vs 12.8 PassMark/$), 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 Threadripper 9960X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021), a healthier platform with sTR5 and DDR5 instead of LGA4189, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 57 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 threads instead of 38/76. 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 9960X Benchmark Check

Xeon Platinum 8368 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon Platinum 8368
1080p
low	314 FPS	185 FPS
medium	290 FPS	149 FPS
high	241 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	203 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	278 FPS	154 FPS
medium	231 FPS	120 FPS
high	179 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	158 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	191 FPS	72 FPS
medium	158 FPS	60 FPS
high	121 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X Open Xeon Platinum 8368

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon Platinum 8368
1080p
low	826 FPS	412 FPS
medium	704 FPS	361 FPS
high	548 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	474 FPS	235 FPS
1440p
low	677 FPS	353 FPS
medium	601 FPS	314 FPS
high	482 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	390 FPS	203 FPS
4K
low	378 FPS	219 FPS
medium	341 FPS	198 FPS
high	311 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	135 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X Open Xeon Platinum 8368

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon Platinum 8368
1080p
low	893 FPS	935 FPS
medium	724 FPS	817 FPS
high	650 FPS	766 FPS
ultra	553 FPS	680 FPS
1440p
low	716 FPS	746 FPS
medium	581 FPS	643 FPS
high	509 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	428 FPS	535 FPS
4K
low	509 FPS	479 FPS
medium	420 FPS	378 FPS
high	376 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	272 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X Open Xeon Platinum 8368

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon Platinum 8368
1080p
low	1116 FPS	911 FPS
medium	1002 FPS	828 FPS
high	879 FPS	714 FPS
ultra	792 FPS	613 FPS
1440p
low	873 FPS	712 FPS
medium	769 FPS	625 FPS
high	675 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	588 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	637 FPS	514 FPS
medium	568 FPS	459 FPS
high	505 FPS	403 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	351 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X Open Xeon Platinum 8368

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen Threadripper 9960X and Xeon Platinum 8368

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 30 July 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Shimada Peak (2025) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: sTR5. Thermal design power (TDP): 350 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 92,808 points. Launch price was $1,499.

Xeon Platinum 8368

The Xeon Platinum 8368 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2021-04-06. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 38 cores and 76 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 57 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 270 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 92,054 points. Launch price was $7,214.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8368 offers 38 cores / 76 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8368 has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8368 — a 43.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X (base: 4.2 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X uses the Shimada Peak (2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon Platinum 8368 uses Ice Lake-SP (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X scores 92,808 against the Xeon Platinum 8368's 92,054 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 41,000 vs 20,000 (68.9% advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 3,200 vs 1,961, a 48% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 26,000 vs 25,000 (3.9% advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X). L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X vs 57 MB (total) on the Xeon Platinum 8368.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon Platinum 8368
Cores / Threads	24 / 48	38 / 76+58%
Boost Clock	5.3 GHz+56%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	4.2 GHz+75%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)+125%	57 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	4 nm-60%	10 nm
Architecture	Shimada Peak (2025)	Ice Lake-SP (2021)
PassMark	92,808	92,054
Cinebench R23 Multi	41,000+105%	20,000
Geekbench 6 Single	3,200+63%	1,961
Geekbench 6 Multi	26,000+4%	25,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X uses the sTR5 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Platinum 8368 uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-6400 on the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X versus DDR4-3200 on the Xeon Platinum 8368 — the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X supports up to 1024 GB of RAM compared to 6 TB — 197.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 9960X) vs 8 (Xeon Platinum 8368). PCIe lanes: 88 (Ryzen Threadripper 9960X) vs 64 (Xeon Platinum 8368) — the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: TRX50 (Ryzen Threadripper 9960X) and C621A (Xeon Platinum 8368).

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon Platinum 8368
Socket	sTR5	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	1024 GB	6 TB+500%
RAM Channels	4	8+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	88+38%	64

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: true (Ryzen Threadripper 9960X) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Platinum 8368). Primary use case: Ryzen Threadripper 9960X targets Content Creation / Rendering, Xeon Platinum 8368 targets Server. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 9960X rivals Xeon w7-3555; Xeon Platinum 8368 rivals EPYC 7543.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon Platinum 8368
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Content Creation / Rendering	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X launched at $1499 MSRP, while the Xeon Platinum 8368 debuted at $7214. On MSRP ($1499 vs $7214), the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is $5715 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X delivers 61.9 pts/$ vs 12.8 pts/$ for the Xeon Platinum 8368 — making the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X the 131.6% better value option.