EPYC 9654P vs Xeon 6781P

CPU

GPU

EPYC 9654P

96 Cores192 Thrd360 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon 6781P

80 Cores160 Thrd350 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2025

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 9654P

96 / 192

116,324

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7960X

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7980X

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX

Xeon 6781P

80 / 160

117,946

+1.4%

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 9654P

2022

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (116,324 vs 117,946).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.9 vs 13.2 PassMark/$ ($10,625 MSRP vs $8,960 MSRP).

Xeon 6781P

2025

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $1,665 less on MSRP ($8,960 MSRP vs $10,625 MSRP).
✅Delivers 20.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 13.2 vs 10.9 PassMark/$ ($8,960 MSRP vs $10,625 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 9654P across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

EPYC 9654P

2022

Xeon 6781P

2025

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $1,665 less on MSRP ($8,960 MSRP vs $10,625 MSRP).
✅Delivers 20.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 13.2 vs 10.9 PassMark/$ ($8,960 MSRP vs $10,625 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 (116,324 vs 117,946).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.9 vs 13.2 PassMark/$ ($10,625 MSRP vs $8,960 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9654P across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon 6781P better than EPYC 9654P?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, EPYC 9654P is ahead with a 8.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6781P pulls ahead with 1.4% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6781P is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 80 cores and 160 threads.

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

Xeon 6781P is the smarter buy today. Xeon 6781P is $1,665 cheaper on MSRP at $8,960 MSRP versus $10,625 MSRP, and it gives you 1.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that EPYC 9654P is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 8.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 20.2% better value on MSRP (13.2 vs 10.9 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon 6781P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 80 cores / 160 threads instead of 96/192. 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 9654P Benchmark Check

Xeon 6781P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9654P	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 9654P Open Xeon 6781P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9654P	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 9654P Open Xeon 6781P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9654P	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 9654P Open Xeon 6781P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9654P	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 9654P Open Xeon 6781P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

EPYC 9654P

The EPYC 9654P 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: 116,324 points. Launch price was $10,625.

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 9654P packs 96 cores / 192 threads, while the Xeon 6781P offers 80 cores / 160 threads — the EPYC 9654P has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 9654P 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 9654P 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 9654P scores 116,324 against the Xeon 6781P's 117,946 — a 1.4% lead for the Xeon 6781P. L3 cache: 384 MB (total) on the EPYC 9654P vs 336 MB (total) on the Xeon 6781P.

Feature	EPYC 9654P	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	116,324	117,946+1%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,025	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	23,214	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9654P 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 9654P supports up to 6 TB of RAM compared to 4 TB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9654P) vs 8 (Xeon 6781P). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9654P) vs 136 (Xeon 6781P) — the Xeon 6781P offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	EPYC 9654P	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 9654P) vs VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT (Xeon 6781P). Primary use case: EPYC 9654P targets Data Center / Single Socket, Xeon 6781P targets Data Center / Cloud Scale. Direct competitor: EPYC 9654P rivals Xeon 8490H; Xeon 6781P rivals EPYC 9655.

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

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9654P launched at $10625 MSRP, while the Xeon 6781P debuted at $8960. On MSRP ($10625 vs $8960), the Xeon 6781P is $1665 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9654P delivers 10.9 pts/$ vs 13.2 pts/$ for the Xeon 6781P — making the Xeon 6781P the 18.4% better value option.