EPYC 9555 vs Xeon 6960P

CPU

GPU

EPYC 9555

64 Cores128 Thrd360 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2024

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon 6960P

72 Cores144 Thrd500 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2024

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 9555

64 / 128

133,253

+2.0%

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Ryzen Threadripper 7960X

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Ryzen Threadripper 9970X

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9985WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

Xeon 6960P

72 / 144

130,659

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 9555

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 360W instead of 500W, a 140W reduction.
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 96) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (256 MB vs 432 MB).
❌
2.1% HIGHER MSRP
$9,826 MSRPvs$9,625 MSRP
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon 6960P

2024

Why buy it

✅+68.8% larger total L3 cache (432 MB vs 256 MB).
✅Costs $201 less on MSRP ($9,625 MSRP vs $9,826 MSRP).
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9555 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (130,659 vs 133,253).
❌38.9% higher power demand at 500W vs 360W.

EPYC 9555

2024

Xeon 6960P

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 360W instead of 500W, a 140W reduction.
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 96) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+68.8% larger total L3 cache (432 MB vs 256 MB).
✅Costs $201 less on MSRP ($9,625 MSRP vs $9,826 MSRP).
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (256 MB vs 432 MB).
❌
2.1% HIGHER MSRP
$9,826 MSRPvs$9,625 MSRP
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9555 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (130,659 vs 133,253).
❌38.9% higher power demand at 500W vs 360W.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9555 better than Xeon 6960P?

Yes. EPYC 9555 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 8.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 2% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 9555 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 8.8% 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 9555 is the better fit. You are getting 2% better PassMark, backed by 64 cores and 128 threads.

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

EPYC 9555 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon 6960P makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 9555 is 2.1% more expensive on MSRP at $9,826 MSRP versus $9,625 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon 6960P is also 0.1% better value on MSRP (13.6 vs 13.6 PassMark/$), 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 6960P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 68.8% larger total L3 cache (432 MB vs 256 MB) 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.

EPYC 9555 Benchmark Check

Xeon 6960P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9555	Xeon 6960P
1080p
low	171 FPS	196 FPS
medium	142 FPS	159 FPS
high	122 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	159 FPS
medium	121 FPS	125 FPS
high	99 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	73 FPS
medium	73 FPS	60 FPS
high	57 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	39 FPS

Open EPYC 9555 Open Xeon 6960P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9555	Xeon 6960P
1080p
low	655 FPS	524 FPS
medium	566 FPS	450 FPS
high	459 FPS	358 FPS
ultra	397 FPS	293 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	430 FPS
medium	483 FPS	380 FPS
high	404 FPS	311 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	247 FPS
4K
low	331 FPS	266 FPS
medium	295 FPS	239 FPS
high	268 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	236 FPS	174 FPS

Open EPYC 9555 Open Xeon 6960P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9555	Xeon 6960P
1080p
low	747 FPS	985 FPS
medium	634 FPS	874 FPS
high	590 FPS	826 FPS
ultra	519 FPS	734 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	788 FPS
medium	474 FPS	689 FPS
high	434 FPS	651 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	579 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	505 FPS
medium	326 FPS	397 FPS
high	288 FPS	353 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	288 FPS

Open EPYC 9555 Open Xeon 6960P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9555	Xeon 6960P
1080p
low	1005 FPS	985 FPS
medium	902 FPS	891 FPS
high	778 FPS	768 FPS
ultra	702 FPS	658 FPS
1440p
low	809 FPS	764 FPS
medium	704 FPS	667 FPS
high	603 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	533 FPS	486 FPS
4K
low	574 FPS	549 FPS
medium	510 FPS	489 FPS
high	447 FPS	430 FPS
ultra	392 FPS	369 FPS

Open EPYC 9555 Open Xeon 6960P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9555 and Xeon 6960P

EPYC 9555

The EPYC 9555 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 360 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 133,253 points. Launch price was $9,826.

Xeon 6960P

The Xeon 6960P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2024-09-24. It is based on the Granite Rapids (2024−2025) architecture. It features 72 cores and 144 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 432 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA7529. Thermal design power (TDP): 500 Watt. Memory support: DDR5(6400MT/s), MRDIMM(8800MT/s). Passmark benchmark score: 130,659 points. Launch price was $9,625.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 9555 packs 64 cores / 128 threads, while the Xeon 6960P offers 72 cores / 144 threads — the Xeon 6960P has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the EPYC 9555 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon 6960P — a 12% clock advantage for the EPYC 9555 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The EPYC 9555 uses the Turin (2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon 6960P uses Granite Rapids (2024−2025) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9555 scores 133,253 against the Xeon 6960P's 130,659 — a 2% lead for the EPYC 9555. L3 cache: 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 9555 vs 432 MB (total) on the Xeon 6960P.

Feature	EPYC 9555	Xeon 6960P
Cores / Threads	64 / 128	72 / 144+13%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+13%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+19%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	256 MB (total)	432 MB (total)+69%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+100%
Process	4 nm	Intel 3 nm-25%
Architecture	Turin (2024)	Granite Rapids (2024−2025)
PassMark	133,253+2%	130,659
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,100
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	60,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9555 uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon 6960P uses LGA7529 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6000 memory speed. The Xeon 6960P supports up to 3072 GB of RAM compared to 6 TB — 199.2% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 12-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9555) vs 96 (Xeon 6960P) — the EPYC 9555 offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9555) and Intel 600 Series (Xeon 6960P).

Feature	EPYC 9555	Xeon 6960P
Socket	SP5	LGA7529
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6000	DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	6 TB+100%	3072 GB
RAM Channels	12	12
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+33%	96

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9555) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon 6960P). Primary use case: EPYC 9555 targets Data Center, Xeon 6960P targets Server. Direct competitor: EPYC 9555 rivals Xeon 6972P; Xeon 6960P rivals EPYC 9654.

Feature	EPYC 9555	Xeon 6960P
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Data Center	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9555 launched at $9826 MSRP, while the Xeon 6960P debuted at $9625. On MSRP ($9826 vs $9625), the Xeon 6960P is $201 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9555 delivers 13.6 pts/$ vs 13.6 pts/$ for the Xeon 6960P — making the Xeon 6960P the 0.1% better value option.