Ryzen Threadripper 9960X vs Xeon 6780E

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: +33.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $9,851 less on MSRP ($1,499 MSRP vs $11,350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 710.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.9 vs 7.6 PassMark/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $11,350 MSRP).

Trade-offs

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

Xeon 6780E

2024

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9960X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (86,734 vs 92,808).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.6 vs 61.9 PassMark/$ ($11,350 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

2025

Xeon 6780E

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +33.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $9,851 less on MSRP ($1,499 MSRP vs $11,350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 710.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.9 vs 7.6 PassMark/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $11,350 MSRP).

Why buy it

Trade-offs

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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9960X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (86,734 vs 92,808).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.6 vs 61.9 PassMark/$ ($11,350 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper 9960X better than Xeon 6780E?

Yes. Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 33.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 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 9960X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 33.2% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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 7% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads.

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

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is $9,851 cheaper on MSRP at $1,499 MSRP versus $11,350 MSRP, and it gives you a 33.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 710.2% better value on MSRP (61.9 vs 7.6 PassMark/$), 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 2024), more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 threads instead of 144/144, 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.

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X Benchmark Check

Xeon 6780E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon 6780E
1080p
low	314 FPS	189 FPS
medium	290 FPS	152 FPS
high	241 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	203 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	278 FPS	153 FPS
medium	231 FPS	119 FPS
high	179 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	158 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	191 FPS	71 FPS
medium	158 FPS	59 FPS
high	121 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X Open Xeon 6780E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon 6780E
1080p
low	826 FPS	244 FPS
medium	704 FPS	216 FPS
high	548 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	474 FPS	142 FPS
1440p
low	677 FPS	200 FPS
medium	601 FPS	181 FPS
high	482 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	390 FPS	120 FPS
4K
low	378 FPS	124 FPS
medium	341 FPS	115 FPS
high	311 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	81 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X Open Xeon 6780E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon 6780E
1080p
low	893 FPS	934 FPS
medium	724 FPS	831 FPS
high	650 FPS	779 FPS
ultra	553 FPS	693 FPS
1440p
low	716 FPS	746 FPS
medium	581 FPS	655 FPS
high	509 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	428 FPS	546 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 6780E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon 6780E
1080p
low	1116 FPS	897 FPS
medium	1002 FPS	807 FPS
high	879 FPS	691 FPS
ultra	792 FPS	588 FPS
1440p
low	873 FPS	697 FPS
medium	769 FPS	606 FPS
high	675 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	588 FPS	436 FPS
4K
low	637 FPS	500 FPS
medium	568 FPS	446 FPS
high	505 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	334 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9960X Open Xeon 6780E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen Threadripper 9960X and Xeon 6780E

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 6780E

The Xeon 6780E 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 144 cores and 144 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 108 MB (total). L2 cache: 4 MB (per module). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4710. Thermal design power (TDP): 330 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 86,734 points. Launch price was $11,350.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Xeon 6780E offers 144 cores / 144 threads — the Xeon 6780E has 120 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X versus 3 GHz on the Xeon 6780E — a 55.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X (base: 4.2 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X uses the Shimada Peak (2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon 6780E uses Sierra Forest (2024) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X scores 92,808 against the Xeon 6780E's 86,734 — a 6.8% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X. L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X vs 108 MB (total) on the Xeon 6780E.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon 6780E
Cores / Threads	24 / 48	144 / 144+500%
Boost Clock	5.3 GHz+77%	3 GHz
Base Clock	4.2 GHz+91%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)+19%	108 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	4 MB (per module)+300%
Process	4 nm	Intel 3 nm-25%
Architecture	Shimada Peak (2025)	Sierra Forest (2024)
PassMark	92,808+7%	86,734
Cinebench R23 Multi	41,000	—
Geekbench 6 Single	3,200	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	26,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X uses the sTR5 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon 6780E uses LGA4710 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6400 memory speed. The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X supports up to 1024 GB of RAM compared to 4 TB — 198.4% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 9960X) vs 8 (Xeon 6780E). Both provide 88 PCIe lanes.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon 6780E
Socket	sTR5	LGA4710
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400	DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	1024 GB	4 TB+300%
RAM Channels	4	8+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	88	88

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: true (Ryzen Threadripper 9960X) vs VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT (Xeon 6780E). Primary use case: Ryzen Threadripper 9960X targets Content Creation / Rendering, Xeon 6780E targets Cloud Native Compute. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 9960X rivals Xeon w7-3555; Xeon 6780E rivals EPYC 9754.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 9960X	Xeon 6780E
Integrated GPU	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT
Target Use	Content Creation / Rendering	Cloud Native Compute

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen Threadripper 9960X launched at $1499 MSRP, while the Xeon 6780E debuted at $11350. On MSRP ($1499 vs $11350), the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is $9851 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X delivers 61.9 pts/$ vs 7.6 pts/$ for the Xeon 6780E — making the Ryzen Threadripper 9960X the 156.1% better value option.