EPYC 9654 vs Xeon 6781P

CPU

GPU

EPYC 9654

96 Cores192 Thrd360 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon 6781P

80 Cores160 Thrd350 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2025

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 9654

96 / 192

119,246

+1.1%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7980X

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9985WX

Xeon 6781P

80 / 160

117,946

0.0%

About PassMark

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 9654

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.1 vs 13.2 PassMark/$ ($11,805 MSRP vs $8,960 MSRP).

Xeon 6781P

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,845 less on MSRP ($8,960 MSRP vs $11,805 MSRP).
✅Delivers 30.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 13.2 vs 10.1 PassMark/$ ($8,960 MSRP vs $11,805 MSRP).
✅Draws 350W instead of 360W, a 10W reduction.
✅6.3% more PCIe lanes (136 vs 128) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9654 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (117,946 vs 119,246).

EPYC 9654

2022

Xeon 6781P

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,845 less on MSRP ($8,960 MSRP vs $11,805 MSRP).
✅Delivers 30.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 13.2 vs 10.1 PassMark/$ ($8,960 MSRP vs $11,805 MSRP).
✅Draws 350W instead of 360W, a 10W reduction.
✅6.3% more PCIe lanes (136 vs 128) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.1 vs 13.2 PassMark/$ ($11,805 MSRP vs $8,960 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9654 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (117,946 vs 119,246).

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9654 better than Xeon 6781P?

Yes. EPYC 9654 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 8.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 9654 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 8.3% 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, EPYC 9654 is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 96 cores and 192 threads.

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

EPYC 9654 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon 6781P makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 9654 is 31.8% more expensive on MSRP at $11,805 MSRP versus $8,960 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon 6781P is also 30.3% better value on MSRP (13.2 vs 10.1 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon 6781P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022). That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 9654 Benchmark Check

Xeon 6781P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9654	Xeon 6781P
1080p
low	170 FPS	187 FPS
medium	141 FPS	165 FPS
high	122 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	155 FPS
medium	119 FPS	131 FPS
high	97 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	70 FPS
medium	59 FPS	63 FPS
high	47 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	40 FPS

Open EPYC 9654 Open Xeon 6781P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9654	Xeon 6781P
1080p
low	524 FPS	285 FPS
medium	457 FPS	252 FPS
high	365 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	431 FPS	233 FPS
medium	385 FPS	210 FPS
high	317 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	250 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	265 FPS	144 FPS
medium	241 FPS	133 FPS
high	211 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	100 FPS

Open EPYC 9654 Open Xeon 6781P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9654	Xeon 6781P
1080p
low	671 FPS	849 FPS
medium	560 FPS	768 FPS
high	522 FPS	730 FPS
ultra	454 FPS	641 FPS
1440p
low	511 FPS	737 FPS
medium	425 FPS	662 FPS
high	389 FPS	626 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	558 FPS
4K
low	376 FPS	493 FPS
medium	293 FPS	402 FPS
high	262 FPS	364 FPS
ultra	210 FPS	303 FPS

Open EPYC 9654 Open Xeon 6781P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9654	Xeon 6781P
1080p
low	902 FPS	959 FPS
medium	822 FPS	864 FPS
high	708 FPS	745 FPS
ultra	623 FPS	644 FPS
1440p
low	724 FPS	784 FPS
medium	631 FPS	684 FPS
high	540 FPS	587 FPS
ultra	461 FPS	502 FPS
4K
low	519 FPS	563 FPS
medium	464 FPS	505 FPS
high	407 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	350 FPS	386 FPS

Open EPYC 9654 Open Xeon 6781P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9654 and Xeon 6781P

EPYC 9654

The EPYC 9654 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 November 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture. It features 96 cores and 192 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 384 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 360 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 119,246 points. Launch price was $11,805.

Xeon 6781P

The Xeon 6781P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Granite Rapids (2024−2025) architecture. It features 80 cores and 160 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 336 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4710. Thermal design power (TDP): 350 Watt. Memory support: DDR5(6400MT/s), MRDIMM(8800MT/s). Passmark benchmark score: 117,946 points. Launch price was $8,960.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 9654 packs 96 cores / 192 threads, while the Xeon 6781P offers 80 cores / 160 threads — the EPYC 9654 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 9654 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon 6781P — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Xeon 6781P (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The EPYC 9654 uses the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture (5 nm, 6 nm), while the Xeon 6781P uses Granite Rapids (2024−2025) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9654 scores 119,246 against the Xeon 6781P's 117,946 — a 1.1% lead for the EPYC 9654. L3 cache: 384 MB (total) on the EPYC 9654 vs 336 MB (total) on the Xeon 6781P.

Feature	EPYC 9654	Xeon 6781P
Cores / Threads	96 / 192+20%	80 / 160
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	3.8 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	384 MB (total)+14%	336 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+100%
Process	5 nm, 6 nm	Intel 3 nm-40%
Architecture	Genoa (2022−2023)	Granite Rapids (2024−2025)
PassMark	119,246+1%	117,946
Geekbench 6 Single	1,250	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	20,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9654 uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon 6781P uses LGA4710 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The EPYC 9654 supports up to 6 TB of RAM compared to 4 TB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9654) vs 8 (Xeon 6781P). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9654) vs 136 (Xeon 6781P) — the Xeon 6781P offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	EPYC 9654	Xeon 6781P
Socket	SP5	LGA4710
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	6 TB+50%	4 TB
RAM Channels	12+50%	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128	136+6%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9654) vs VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT (Xeon 6781P). Primary use case: EPYC 9654 targets Data Center, Xeon 6781P targets Data Center / Cloud Scale. Direct competitor: EPYC 9654 rivals Xeon 8592+; Xeon 6781P rivals EPYC 9655.

Feature	EPYC 9654	Xeon 6781P
Integrated GPU	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT
Target Use	Data Center	Data Center / Cloud Scale

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9654 launched at $11805 MSRP, while the Xeon 6781P debuted at $8960. On MSRP ($11805 vs $8960), the Xeon 6781P is $2845 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9654 delivers 10.1 pts/$ vs 13.2 pts/$ for the Xeon 6781P — making the Xeon 6781P the 26.3% better value option.