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 9970X

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +33.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $6,461 less on MSRP ($2,499 MSRP vs $8,960 MSRP).
✅Delivers 229.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 43.4 vs 13.2 PassMark/$ ($2,499 MSRP vs $8,960 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (108,377 vs 117,946).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (128 MB vs 336 MB).

Xeon 6781P

2025

Why buy it

✅+8.8% higher PassMark.
✅+162.5% larger total L3 cache (336 MB vs 128 MB).
✅47.8% more PCIe lanes (136 vs 92) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9970X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.2 vs 43.4 PassMark/$ ($8,960 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Ryzen Threadripper 9970X

2025

Xeon 6781P

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +33.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $6,461 less on MSRP ($2,499 MSRP vs $8,960 MSRP).
✅Delivers 229.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 43.4 vs 13.2 PassMark/$ ($2,499 MSRP vs $8,960 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+8.8% higher PassMark.
✅+162.5% larger total L3 cache (336 MB vs 128 MB).
✅47.8% more PCIe lanes (136 vs 92) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (108,377 vs 117,946).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (128 MB vs 336 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 9970X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.2 vs 43.4 PassMark/$ ($8,960 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon 6781P better than Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is ahead with a 33.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6781P pulls ahead with 8.8% better PassMark. Xeon 6781P also has the bigger cache pool with 162.5% larger total L3 cache (336 MB vs 128 MB).

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 8.8% better PassMark, backed by 80 cores and 160 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 162.5% larger total L3 cache (336 MB vs 128 MB).

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

Xeon 6781P is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen Threadripper 9970X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon 6781P is 258.5% more expensive on MSRP at $8,960 MSRP versus $2,499 MSRP, and it gives you 8.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 33.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is also 229.5% better value on MSRP (43.4 vs 13.2 PassMark/$), 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 safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more overall headroom and a better platform outlook.

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 9970X Benchmark Check

Xeon 6781P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9970X	Xeon 6781P
1080p
low	314 FPS	187 FPS
medium	289 FPS	165 FPS
high	240 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	203 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	278 FPS	155 FPS
medium	231 FPS	131 FPS
high	178 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	158 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	191 FPS	70 FPS
medium	158 FPS	63 FPS
high	121 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	40 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9970X Open Xeon 6781P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9970X	Xeon 6781P
1080p
low	818 FPS	285 FPS
medium	697 FPS	252 FPS
high	542 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	472 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	674 FPS	233 FPS
medium	599 FPS	210 FPS
high	480 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	377 FPS	144 FPS
medium	339 FPS	133 FPS
high	310 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	271 FPS	100 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9970X Open Xeon 6781P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9970X	Xeon 6781P
1080p
low	891 FPS	849 FPS
medium	723 FPS	768 FPS
high	649 FPS	730 FPS
ultra	552 FPS	641 FPS
1440p
low	714 FPS	737 FPS
medium	580 FPS	662 FPS
high	508 FPS	626 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	558 FPS
4K
low	508 FPS	493 FPS
medium	419 FPS	402 FPS
high	375 FPS	364 FPS
ultra	311 FPS	303 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9970X Open Xeon 6781P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen Threadripper 9970X	Xeon 6781P
1080p
low	1116 FPS	959 FPS
medium	1002 FPS	864 FPS
high	879 FPS	745 FPS
ultra	792 FPS	644 FPS
1440p
low	872 FPS	784 FPS
medium	768 FPS	684 FPS
high	674 FPS	587 FPS
ultra	587 FPS	502 FPS
4K
low	636 FPS	563 FPS
medium	568 FPS	505 FPS
high	504 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	386 FPS

Open Ryzen Threadripper 9970X Open Xeon 6781P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen Threadripper 9970X and Xeon 6781P

Ryzen Threadripper 9970X

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X 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 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 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: 108,377 points. Launch price was $2,499.

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 Ryzen Threadripper 9970X packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Xeon 6781P offers 80 cores / 160 threads — the Xeon 6781P has 48 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon 6781P — a 34.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X (base: 4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X uses the Shimada Peak (2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon 6781P uses Granite Rapids (2024−2025) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X scores 108,377 against the Xeon 6781P's 117,946 — a 8.5% lead for the Xeon 6781P. L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X vs 336 MB (total) on the Xeon 6781P.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 9970X	Xeon 6781P
Cores / Threads	32 / 64	80 / 160+150%
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+42%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	4 GHz+100%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)	336 MB (total)+163%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+100%
Process	4 nm	Intel 3 nm-25%
Architecture	Shimada Peak (2025)	Granite Rapids (2024−2025)
PassMark	108,377	117,946+9%
Cinebench R23 Multi	76,136	—
Geekbench 6 Single	3,220	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	29,244	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X uses the sTR5 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon 6781P uses LGA4710 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6400 memory speed. The Xeon 6781P supports up to 4 TB of RAM compared to 1 TB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 9970X) vs 8 (Xeon 6781P). PCIe lanes: 92 (Ryzen Threadripper 9970X) vs 136 (Xeon 6781P) — the Xeon 6781P offers 44 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 9970X	Xeon 6781P
Socket	sTR5	LGA4710
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400	DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	1 TB	4 TB+300%
RAM Channels	4	8+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	92	136+48%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V, SVM (Ryzen Threadripper 9970X) vs VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT (Xeon 6781P). Primary use case: Ryzen Threadripper 9970X targets HEDT / Workstation, Xeon 6781P targets Data Center / Cloud Scale. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 9970X rivals Xeon w7-3465X; Xeon 6781P rivals EPYC 9655.

Feature	Ryzen Threadripper 9970X	Xeon 6781P
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	AMD-V, SVM	VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT
Target Use	HEDT / Workstation	Data Center / Cloud Scale

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X launched at $2499 MSRP, while the Xeon 6781P debuted at $8960. On MSRP ($2499 vs $8960), the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is $6461 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X delivers 43.4 pts/$ vs 13.2 pts/$ for the Xeon 6781P — making the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X the 106.9% better value option.