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 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 96 MB).
✅Costs $4,566 less on MSRP ($699 MSRP vs $5,265 MSRP).
✅Delivers 516.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 14.5 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $5,265 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 250W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (62,323 vs 76,167).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6740E, which brings 96 cores / 96 threads and 80 PCIe lanes.

Xeon 6740E

2024

Why buy it

✅+22.2% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 96 cores / 96 threads, plus 80 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅185.7% more PCIe lanes (80 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (96 MB vs 128 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.5 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($5,265 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌108.3% higher power demand at 250W vs 120W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Xeon 6740E

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 96 MB).
✅Costs $4,566 less on MSRP ($699 MSRP vs $5,265 MSRP).
✅Delivers 516.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 14.5 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $5,265 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 250W, a 130W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+22.2% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 96 cores / 96 threads, plus 80 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅185.7% more PCIe lanes (80 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (62,323 vs 76,167).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6740E, which brings 96 cores / 96 threads and 80 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (96 MB vs 128 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.5 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($5,265 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌108.3% higher power demand at 250W vs 120W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7950X3D better than Xeon 6740E?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon 6740E makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6740E is the better fit. You are getting 22.2% better PassMark, backed by 96 cores and 96 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is $4,566 cheaper on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $5,265 MSRP, and it gives you a 35.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon 6740E is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 22.2% better PassMark. It is also 516.3% better value on MSRP (89.2 vs 14.5 PassMark/$), 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 6740E is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023) and more multi-core headroom with 96 cores / 96 threads instead of 16/32. 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.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D Benchmark Check

Xeon 6740E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon 6740E
1080p
low	291 FPS	189 FPS
medium	265 FPS	152 FPS
high	219 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	275 FPS	153 FPS
medium	227 FPS	119 FPS
high	177 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	190 FPS	71 FPS
medium	156 FPS	59 FPS
high	120 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D Open Xeon 6740E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon 6740E
1080p
low	734 FPS	437 FPS
medium	627 FPS	378 FPS
high	465 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	393 FPS	241 FPS
1440p
low	602 FPS	359 FPS
medium	536 FPS	319 FPS
high	413 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	203 FPS
4K
low	338 FPS	222 FPS
medium	305 FPS	201 FPS
high	268 FPS	168 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	135 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D Open Xeon 6740E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon 6740E
1080p
low	1025 FPS	934 FPS
medium	1122 FPS	831 FPS
high	1062 FPS	779 FPS
ultra	875 FPS	693 FPS
1440p
low	936 FPS	746 FPS
medium	845 FPS	655 FPS
high	775 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	546 FPS
4K
low	574 FPS	479 FPS
medium	498 FPS	378 FPS
high	447 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	272 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D Open Xeon 6740E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon 6740E
1080p
low	1082 FPS	918 FPS
medium	973 FPS	830 FPS
high	854 FPS	715 FPS
ultra	766 FPS	610 FPS
1440p
low	853 FPS	710 FPS
medium	751 FPS	620 FPS
high	659 FPS	530 FPS
ultra	569 FPS	450 FPS
4K
low	623 FPS	509 FPS
medium	555 FPS	455 FPS
high	493 FPS	400 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	344 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D Open Xeon 6740E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Xeon 6740E

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.7 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 62,323 points. Launch price was $699.

Xeon 6740E

The Xeon 6740E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Sierra Forest (2024) architecture. It features 96 cores and 96 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 4 MB (per module). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4710. Thermal design power (TDP): 250 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 76,167 points. Launch price was $5,265.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Xeon 6740E offers 96 cores / 96 threads — the Xeon 6740E has 80 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon 6740E — a 56.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D (base: 4.2 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture (5 nm, 6 nm), while the Xeon 6740E uses Sierra Forest (2024) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D scores 62,323 against the Xeon 6740E's 76,167 — a 20% lead for the Xeon 6740E. L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs 96 MB (total) on the Xeon 6740E.

Feature	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon 6740E
Cores / Threads	16 / 32	96 / 96+500%
Boost Clock	5.7 GHz+78%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	4.2 GHz+75%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)+33%	96 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	4 MB (per module)+300%
Process	5 nm, 6 nm	Intel 3 nm-40%
Architecture	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)	Sierra Forest (2024)
PassMark	62,323	76,167+22%
Cinebench R23 Multi	38,581	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,926	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	19,643	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon 6740E uses LGA4710 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D versus 6400 on the Xeon 6740E — the Xeon 6740E supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon 6740E supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) vs 8 (Xeon 6740E). PCIe lanes: 28 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) vs 80 (Xeon 6740E) — the Xeon 6740E offers 52 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD X670E,AMD X670,AMD B650E,AMD B650 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) and C741 (Xeon 6740E).

Feature	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon 6740E
Socket	AM5	LGA4710
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5200	6400+127900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+3276700%	4096
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	28	80+186%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 7950X3D has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: true (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) vs VT-x, VT-d, TDX (Xeon 6740E). The Ryzen 9 7950X3D includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics), while the Xeon 6740E requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 7950X3D rivals Core i9-13900K; Xeon 6740E rivals EPYC 9005.

Feature	Ryzen 9 7950X3D	Xeon 6740E
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Radeon Graphics	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d, TDX

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D launched at $699 MSRP, while the Xeon 6740E debuted at $5265. On MSRP ($699 vs $5265), the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is $4566 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 7950X3D delivers 89.2 pts/$ vs 14.5 pts/$ for the Xeon 6740E — making the Ryzen 9 7950X3D the 144.2% better value option.