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 9965

2024

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (160,778 vs 176,281).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.9 vs 15.1 PassMark/$ ($14,813 MSRP vs $11,699 MSRP).
❌42.9% higher power demand at 500W vs 350W.

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +29.4% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $3,114 less on MSRP ($11,699 MSRP vs $14,813 MSRP).
✅Delivers 38.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 15.1 vs 10.9 PassMark/$ ($11,699 MSRP vs $14,813 MSRP).
✅Draws 350W instead of 500W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

EPYC 9965

2024

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +29.4% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $3,114 less on MSRP ($11,699 MSRP vs $14,813 MSRP).
✅Delivers 38.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 15.1 vs 10.9 PassMark/$ ($11,699 MSRP vs $14,813 MSRP).
✅Draws 350W instead of 500W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (160,778 vs 176,281).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.9 vs 15.1 PassMark/$ ($14,813 MSRP vs $11,699 MSRP).
❌42.9% higher power demand at 500W vs 350W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX better than EPYC 9965?

Yes. Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 29.4% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data, 9.6% 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 PRO 9995WX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 29.4% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX is the better fit. You are getting 9.6% better PassMark, backed by 96 cores and 192 threads.

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

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX is the smarter buy today. Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX is $3,114 cheaper on MSRP at $11,699 MSRP versus $14,813 MSRP, and it gives you a 29.4% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 38.8% better value on MSRP (15.1 vs 10.9 PassMark/$), 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 PRO 9995WX 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 96 cores / 192 threads instead of 192/384, 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 9965 Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9965	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX
1080p
low	192 FPS	300 FPS
medium	156 FPS	279 FPS
high	126 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	194 FPS
1440p
low	158 FPS	266 FPS
medium	124 FPS	223 FPS
high	96 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	152 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	184 FPS
medium	60 FPS	154 FPS
high	47 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	104 FPS

Open EPYC 9965 Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9965	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX
1080p
low	274 FPS	785 FPS
medium	241 FPS	675 FPS
high	198 FPS	531 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	457 FPS
1440p
low	225 FPS	655 FPS
medium	202 FPS	584 FPS
high	171 FPS	470 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	377 FPS
4K
low	139 FPS	366 FPS
medium	128 FPS	331 FPS
high	115 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	263 FPS

Open EPYC 9965 Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9965	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX
1080p
low	743 FPS	887 FPS
medium	610 FPS	726 FPS
high	556 FPS	653 FPS
ultra	481 FPS	555 FPS
1440p
low	594 FPS	692 FPS
medium	494 FPS	566 FPS
high	450 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	390 FPS	418 FPS
4K
low	430 FPS	488 FPS
medium	335 FPS	405 FPS
high	298 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	302 FPS

Open EPYC 9965 Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9965	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX
1080p
low	962 FPS	1115 FPS
medium	873 FPS	1001 FPS
high	752 FPS	877 FPS
ultra	650 FPS	789 FPS
1440p
low	740 FPS	878 FPS
medium	648 FPS	773 FPS
high	554 FPS	677 FPS
ultra	476 FPS	589 FPS
4K
low	531 FPS	641 FPS
medium	475 FPS	571 FPS
high	417 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	437 FPS

Open EPYC 9965 Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9965 and Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

EPYC 9965

The EPYC 9965 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 192 cores and 384 threads. Base frequency is 2.25 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 384 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 500 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 160,778 points. Launch price was $14,813.

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

The Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 July 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Shimada Peak (2025) architecture. It features 96 cores and 192 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 384 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: 176,281 points. Launch price was $11,700.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 9965 packs 192 cores / 384 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX offers 96 cores / 192 threads — the EPYC 9965 has 96 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 9965 versus 5.4 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX — a 37.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX (base: 2.25 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The EPYC 9965 uses the Turin (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX uses Shimada Peak (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9965 scores 160,778 against the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX's 176,281 — a 9.2% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,520 vs 3,000, a 65.5% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX that directly translates to higher frame rates. Both processors carry 384 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	EPYC 9965	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX
Cores / Threads	192 / 384+100%	96 / 192
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	5.4 GHz+46%
Base Clock	2.25 GHz	2.5 GHz+11%
L3 Cache	384 MB (total)	384 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	160,778	176,281+10%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	180,000
Geekbench 6 Single	1,520	3,000+97%
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	30,170

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9965 uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX uses sTR5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6000 memory speed. The Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX supports up to 2048 GB of RAM compared to 6 TB — 198.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9965) vs 8 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX). Both provide 128 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9965) and WRX90,TRX50 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX).

Feature	EPYC 9965	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX
Socket	SP5	sTR5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6000	DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	6 TB+200%	2048 GB
RAM Channels	12+50%	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128	128

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9965) vs true (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX). Primary use case: EPYC 9965 targets Data Center / High Density, Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX targets High-end Workstation / AI Rendering. Direct competitor: EPYC 9965 rivals Xeon 6980P; Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX rivals Xeon w9-3495X.

Feature	EPYC 9965	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX
Integrated GPU	No	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	true
Target Use	Data Center / High Density	High-end Workstation / AI Rendering

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9965 launched at $14813 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX debuted at $11699. On MSRP ($14813 vs $11699), the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX is $3114 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9965 delivers 10.9 pts/$ vs 15.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX — making the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX the 32.5% better value option.