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 9 3900

2019

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 16 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Prism), unlike Ryzen 9 8945H.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 8945H across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $499 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8945H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌712.5% higher power demand at 65W vs 8W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 8945H moves to FP7/FP7r2/FP8 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 8945H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 8945H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 57W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7/FP7r2/FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Ryzen 9 3900 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (17,500 vs 17,700).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 64 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 9 3900.

Ryzen 9 3900

2019

Ryzen 9 8945H

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 16 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Prism), unlike Ryzen 9 8945H.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 57W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7/FP7r2/FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Ryzen 9 3900 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 8945H across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $499 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8945H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌712.5% higher power demand at 65W vs 8W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 8945H moves to FP7/FP7r2/FP8 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 8945H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (17,500 vs 17,700).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 64 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 9 3900.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 8945H better than Ryzen 9 3900?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 8945H is ahead with a 28.0% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 3900 pulls ahead with 1.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Ryzen 9 3900 also has the bigger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 3900 is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 8945H is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 9 3900 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 8945H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and it gives you a 28.0% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 9 3900 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Ryzen 9 3900 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (61.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 9 8945H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019) and a healthier platform with FP7/FP7r2/FP8 and DDR5 instead of AM4. 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.

Ryzen 9 3900 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 8945H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 3900	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	159 FPS	269 FPS
medium	130 FPS	243 FPS
high	111 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	236 FPS
medium	115 FPS	193 FPS
high	94 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	78 FPS	164 FPS
medium	67 FPS	136 FPS
high	53 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	92 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 3900 Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 3900	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	534 FPS	513 FPS
medium	470 FPS	421 FPS
high	384 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	342 FPS	323 FPS
1440p
low	460 FPS	448 FPS
medium	411 FPS	388 FPS
high	347 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	289 FPS	285 FPS
4K
low	288 FPS	295 FPS
medium	261 FPS	267 FPS
high	238 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	213 FPS	217 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 3900 Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 3900	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	709 FPS	756 FPS
medium	589 FPS	756 FPS
high	536 FPS	647 FPS
ultra	472 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	756 FPS
medium	448 FPS	637 FPS
high	401 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	347 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	394 FPS	541 FPS
medium	315 FPS	473 FPS
high	279 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	224 FPS	355 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 3900 Open Ryzen 9 8945H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 3900	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	765 FPS	756 FPS
medium	765 FPS	756 FPS
high	711 FPS	756 FPS
ultra	638 FPS	754 FPS
1440p
low	725 FPS	756 FPS
medium	644 FPS	756 FPS
high	553 FPS	660 FPS
ultra	486 FPS	573 FPS
4K
low	516 FPS	572 FPS
medium	469 FPS	511 FPS
high	411 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	394 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 3900 Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 3900 and Ryzen 9 8945H

Ryzen 9 3900

The Ryzen 9 3900 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 September 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 30,588 points. Launch price was $499.

Ryzen 9 8945H

The Ryzen 9 8945H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP7r2/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 30,240 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 3900 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 9 8945H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 3900 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 9 3900 versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 8945H — a 18.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H (base: 3.1 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Ryzen 9 3900 uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 9 8945H uses Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 3900 scores 30,588 against the Ryzen 9 8945H's 30,240 — a 1.1% lead for the Ryzen 9 3900. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 17,700 vs 17,500 (1.1% advantage for the Ryzen 9 3900). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,713 vs 2,617, a 41.8% lead for the Ryzen 9 8945H that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,983 vs 12,662 (14.2% advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H). L3 cache: 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 3900 vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 9 8945H.

Feature	Ryzen 9 3900	Ryzen 9 8945H
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	5.2 GHz+21%
Base Clock	3.1 GHz	4 GHz+29%
L3 Cache	64 MB+300%	16 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	8 MB+1500%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024)
PassMark	30,588+1%	30,240
Cinebench R23 Multi	17,700+1%	17,500
Geekbench 6 Single	1,713	2,617+53%
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,983	12,662+15%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 3900 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 8945H uses FP7/FP7r2/FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 9 3900 versus DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen 9 8945H — the Ryzen 9 8945H supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 9 8945H supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 9 3900) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 8945H) — the Ryzen 9 3900 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X570,B550,X470,B450 (Ryzen 9 3900) and FP7,FP7r2,FP8 (Ryzen 9 8945H).

Feature	Ryzen 9 3900	Ryzen 9 8945H
Socket	AM4	FP7/FP7r2/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	24+20%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 3900 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 9 8945H supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support AMD-V virtualization. The Ryzen 9 8945H includes integrated graphics (Radeon 780M), while the Ryzen 9 3900 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 3900 targets Workstation Desktop (low power), Ryzen 9 8945H targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 3900 rivals Core i9-9900; Ryzen 9 8945H rivals Core i9-13900H.