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 9745

2024

Why buy it

✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9980X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (130,698 vs 142,069).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.8 vs 28.4 PassMark/$ ($12,141 MSRP vs $4,999 MSRP).

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $7,142 less on MSRP ($4,999 MSRP vs $12,141 MSRP).
✅Delivers 164.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 28.4 vs 10.8 PassMark/$ ($4,999 MSRP vs $12,141 MSRP).
✅Draws 350W instead of 400W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

EPYC 9745

2024

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

2025

Why buy it

✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $7,142 less on MSRP ($4,999 MSRP vs $12,141 MSRP).
✅Delivers 164.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 28.4 vs 10.8 PassMark/$ ($4,999 MSRP vs $12,141 MSRP).
✅Draws 350W instead of 400W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9980X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (130,698 vs 142,069).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.8 vs 28.4 PassMark/$ ($12,141 MSRP vs $4,999 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper 9980X better than EPYC 9745?

Yes. Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 35.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 8.7% better 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 9980X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 35.7% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is the better fit. You are getting 8.7% better PassMark, backed by 64 cores and 128 threads.

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

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is $7,142 cheaper on MSRP at $4,999 MSRP versus $12,141 MSRP, and it gives you a 35.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 164.0% better value on MSRP (28.4 vs 10.8 PassMark/$), 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 9980X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2024), more multi-core headroom with 64 cores / 128 threads instead of 128/256, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That extra cache should hold up really well in CPU-limited games and high-refresh builds.

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 9745 Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9745	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
1080p
low	192 FPS	303 FPS
medium	156 FPS	281 FPS
high	126 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	158 FPS	268 FPS
medium	124 FPS	224 FPS
high	96 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	152 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	186 FPS
medium	60 FPS	155 FPS
high	47 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	105 FPS

Open EPYC 9745 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9745	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
1080p
low	525 FPS	803 FPS
medium	450 FPS	687 FPS
high	358 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	468 FPS
1440p
low	431 FPS	662 FPS
medium	379 FPS	590 FPS
high	310 FPS	477 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	386 FPS
4K
low	267 FPS	370 FPS
medium	239 FPS	334 FPS
high	208 FPS	308 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	269 FPS

Open EPYC 9745 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9745	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
1080p
low	743 FPS	889 FPS
medium	610 FPS	728 FPS
high	556 FPS	654 FPS
ultra	481 FPS	556 FPS
1440p
low	594 FPS	693 FPS
medium	494 FPS	567 FPS
high	450 FPS	498 FPS
ultra	390 FPS	419 FPS
4K
low	430 FPS	490 FPS
medium	335 FPS	407 FPS
high	298 FPS	365 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	303 FPS

Open EPYC 9745 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9745	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
1080p
low	974 FPS	1131 FPS
medium	884 FPS	1014 FPS
high	761 FPS	889 FPS
ultra	658 FPS	802 FPS
1440p
low	750 FPS	890 FPS
medium	656 FPS	783 FPS
high	561 FPS	688 FPS
ultra	482 FPS	599 FPS
4K
low	538 FPS	649 FPS
medium	481 FPS	579 FPS
high	422 FPS	514 FPS
ultra	365 FPS	437 FPS

Open EPYC 9745 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9745 and Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

EPYC 9745

The EPYC 9745 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 128 cores and 256 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 400 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 130,698 points. Launch price was $12,141.

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X 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 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 256 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: 142,069 points. Launch price was $4,999.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 9745 packs 128 cores / 256 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X offers 64 cores / 128 threads — the EPYC 9745 has 64 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 9745 versus 5.4 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X — a 37.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The EPYC 9745 uses the Turin (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X uses Shimada Peak (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9745 scores 130,698 against the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X's 142,069 — a 8.3% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X. Both processors carry 256 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	EPYC 9745	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
Cores / Threads	128 / 256+100%	64 / 128
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	5.4 GHz+46%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.2 GHz+33%
L3 Cache	256 MB (total)	256 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-25%	4 nm
Architecture	Turin (2024)	Shimada Peak (2025)
PassMark	130,698	142,069+9%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	115,098
Geekbench 6 Single	—	3,220
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	28,666

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9745 uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X uses sTR5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6000 memory speed. The EPYC 9745 supports up to 6 TB of RAM compared to 1 TB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9745) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 9980X). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9745) vs 80 (Ryzen Threadripper 9980X) — the EPYC 9745 offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9745) and sTR5,TRX50 (Ryzen Threadripper 9980X).

Feature	EPYC 9745	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
Socket	SP5	sTR5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6000	DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	6 TB+500%	1 TB
RAM Channels	12+200%	4
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+60%	80

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9745) vs AMD-V, SVM (Ryzen Threadripper 9980X). Primary use case: EPYC 9745 targets Data Center / High Density, Ryzen Threadripper 9980X targets HEDT / Enthusiast Workstation. Direct competitor: EPYC 9745 rivals Xeon 6980P; Ryzen Threadripper 9980X rivals Xeon w9-3495X.

Feature	EPYC 9745	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	AMD-V, SVM
Target Use	Data Center / High Density	HEDT / Enthusiast Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9745 launched at $12141 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X debuted at $4999. On MSRP ($12141 vs $4999), the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is $7142 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9745 delivers 10.8 pts/$ vs 28.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X — making the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X the 90.1% better value option.