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 9845

2024

Why buy it

✅+7.7% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (320 MB vs 256 MB).
✅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 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.3 vs 28.4 PassMark/$ ($13,564 MSRP vs $4,999 MSRP).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +45.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $8,565 less on MSRP ($4,999 MSRP vs $13,564 MSRP).
✅Delivers 152.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 28.4 vs 11.3 PassMark/$ ($4,999 MSRP vs $13,564 MSRP).
✅Draws 350W instead of 390W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (142,069 vs 152,985).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (256 MB vs 320 MB).

EPYC 9845

2024

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

2025

Why buy it

✅+7.7% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (320 MB vs 256 MB).
✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +45.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $8,565 less on MSRP ($4,999 MSRP vs $13,564 MSRP).
✅Delivers 152.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 28.4 vs 11.3 PassMark/$ ($4,999 MSRP vs $13,564 MSRP).
✅Draws 350W instead of 390W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9980X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.3 vs 28.4 PassMark/$ ($13,564 MSRP vs $4,999 MSRP).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (142,069 vs 152,985).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (256 MB vs 320 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper 9980X better than EPYC 9845?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is ahead with a 45.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 9845 pulls ahead with 7.7% better PassMark. EPYC 9845 also has the bigger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (320 MB vs 256 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 9845 is the better fit. You are getting 7.7% better PassMark, backed by 160 cores and 320 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (320 MB vs 256 MB).

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

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is $8,565 cheaper on MSRP at $4,999 MSRP versus $13,564 MSRP, and it gives you a 45.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 9845 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 7.7% better PassMark. It is also 152.0% better value on MSRP (28.4 vs 11.3 PassMark/$), 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) 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 9845 Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9845	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 9845 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9845	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
1080p
low	274 FPS	803 FPS
medium	241 FPS	687 FPS
high	198 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	468 FPS
1440p
low	225 FPS	662 FPS
medium	202 FPS	590 FPS
high	171 FPS	477 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	386 FPS
4K
low	139 FPS	370 FPS
medium	128 FPS	334 FPS
high	115 FPS	308 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	269 FPS

Open EPYC 9845 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9845	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 9845 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9845	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
1080p
low	958 FPS	1131 FPS
medium	869 FPS	1014 FPS
high	746 FPS	889 FPS
ultra	646 FPS	802 FPS
1440p
low	739 FPS	890 FPS
medium	646 FPS	783 FPS
high	552 FPS	688 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	599 FPS
4K
low	530 FPS	649 FPS
medium	474 FPS	579 FPS
high	415 FPS	514 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	437 FPS

Open EPYC 9845 Open Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9845 and Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

EPYC 9845

The EPYC 9845 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 160 cores and 320 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 320 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 390 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 152,985 points. Launch price was $13,564.

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 9845 packs 160 cores / 320 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X offers 64 cores / 128 threads — the EPYC 9845 has 96 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 9845 versus 5.4 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X — a 37.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The EPYC 9845 uses the Turin (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X uses Shimada Peak (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9845 scores 152,985 against the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X's 142,069 — a 7.4% lead for the EPYC 9845. L3 cache: 320 MB (total) on the EPYC 9845 vs 256 MB (total) on the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X.

Feature	EPYC 9845	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
Cores / Threads	160 / 320+150%	64 / 128
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	5.4 GHz+46%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.2 GHz+52%
L3 Cache	320 MB (total)+25%	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	152,985+8%	142,069
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	115,098
Geekbench 6 Single	—	3,220
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	28,666

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9845 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 9845 supports up to 6 TB of RAM compared to 1 TB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9845) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 9980X). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9845) vs 80 (Ryzen Threadripper 9980X) — the EPYC 9845 offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9845) and sTR5,TRX50 (Ryzen Threadripper 9980X).

Feature	EPYC 9845	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 9845) vs AMD-V, SVM (Ryzen Threadripper 9980X). Primary use case: EPYC 9845 targets Data Center / AI Training, Ryzen Threadripper 9980X targets HEDT / Enthusiast Workstation. Direct competitor: EPYC 9845 rivals Xeon 6972P; Ryzen Threadripper 9980X rivals Xeon w9-3495X.

Feature	EPYC 9845	Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	AMD-V, SVM
Target Use	Data Center / AI Training	HEDT / Enthusiast Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9845 launched at $13564 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X debuted at $4999. On MSRP ($13564 vs $4999), the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is $8565 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9845 delivers 11.3 pts/$ vs 28.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X — making the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X the 86.4% better value option.