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 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +23.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 38.7 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 180W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

2018

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,148 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.7 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($649 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌71.4% higher power demand at 180W vs 105W.

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +23.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 38.7 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 180W, a 75W reduction.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,148 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.7 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($649 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌71.4% higher power demand at 180W vs 105W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900X better than Ryzen Threadripper 2920X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 2920X makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 5900X is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 5900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 23.5% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 5900X is the better fit. You are getting 54.9% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 5900X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 5900X is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $649 MSRP, and it gives you a 23.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 83.1% better value on MSRP (71.0 vs 38.7 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 9 5900X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018), 100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 12/24. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 5900X Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
1080p
low	323 FPS	192 FPS
medium	291 FPS	168 FPS
high	243 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	112 FPS
1440p
low	307 FPS	155 FPS
medium	248 FPS	129 FPS
high	192 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	78 FPS
medium	156 FPS	70 FPS
high	115 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	43 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
1080p
low	772 FPS	485 FPS
medium	647 FPS	433 FPS
high	508 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	450 FPS	328 FPS
1440p
low	619 FPS	429 FPS
medium	536 FPS	388 FPS
high	443 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	286 FPS
4K
low	365 FPS	276 FPS
medium	318 FPS	248 FPS
high	289 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	198 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
1080p
low	832 FPS	629 FPS
medium	645 FPS	626 FPS
high	558 FPS	566 FPS
ultra	459 FPS	495 FPS
1440p
low	721 FPS	629 FPS
medium	565 FPS	522 FPS
high	488 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	399 FPS
4K
low	511 FPS	460 FPS
medium	421 FPS	369 FPS
high	374 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	274 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
1080p
low	974 FPS	629 FPS
medium	974 FPS	629 FPS
high	934 FPS	629 FPS
ultra	826 FPS	626 FPS
1440p
low	959 FPS	629 FPS
medium	843 FPS	629 FPS
high	726 FPS	563 FPS
ultra	617 FPS	492 FPS
4K
low	694 FPS	503 FPS
medium	621 FPS	463 FPS
high	541 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	361 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 5900X and Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

Ryzen 9 5900X

The Ryzen 9 5900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 38,955 points. Launch price was $549.

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

The Ryzen Threadripper 2920X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the ZEN+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: SP3r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 25,148 points. Launch price was $649.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 9 5900X and Ryzen Threadripper 2920X share an identical 12-core/24-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X — a 11% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 9 5900X uses the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X uses ZEN+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 5900X scores 38,955 against the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X's 25,148 — a 43.1% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. L3 cache: 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X vs 32 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
Cores / Threads	12 / 24	12 / 24
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+12%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+6%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB+100%	32 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-42%	12 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)	ZEN+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	38,955+55%	25,148
Cinebench R23 Multi	21,000	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,174	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,888	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 5900X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X uses SP3r2 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
Socket	AM4	SP3r2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	24	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5900X) / not specified (Ryzen Threadripper 2920X). Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Workstation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 9 5900X launched at $549 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X debuted at $649. On MSRP ($549 vs $649), the Ryzen 9 5900X is $100 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 5900X delivers 71.0 pts/$ vs 38.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X — making the Ryzen 9 5900X the 58.7% better value option.