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 9950X3D

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $699 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌2025% higher power demand at 170W vs 8W.

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 8W instead of 170W, a 162W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9950X3D across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,000 vs 44,500).

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

2025

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 8W instead of 170W, a 162W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $699 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌2025% higher power demand at 170W vs 8W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9950X3D across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,000 vs 44,500).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 9950X3D better than Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS?

Yes. Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 10.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 178.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 156.9% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 10.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 16 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the better fit. You are getting 178.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 9950X3D is at an unclear MSRP at $699 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 10.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (100.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9950X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023), 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 16 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 8/16. 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 9950X3D Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 9950X3D	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	300 FPS	269 FPS
medium	274 FPS	243 FPS
high	227 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	276 FPS	236 FPS
medium	228 FPS	193 FPS
high	177 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	190 FPS	164 FPS
medium	156 FPS	136 FPS
high	120 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	92 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 9950X3D Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 9950X3D	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	722 FPS	513 FPS
medium	615 FPS	421 FPS
high	457 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	385 FPS	323 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	448 FPS
medium	524 FPS	388 FPS
high	405 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	285 FPS
4K
low	332 FPS	295 FPS
medium	299 FPS	267 FPS
high	262 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	224 FPS	217 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 9950X3D Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 9950X3D	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	893 FPS	683 FPS
medium	725 FPS	683 FPS
high	652 FPS	647 FPS
ultra	560 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	720 FPS	683 FPS
medium	585 FPS	637 FPS
high	514 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	516 FPS	541 FPS
medium	431 FPS	473 FPS
high	387 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	322 FPS	355 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 9950X3D Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 9950X3D	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	1116 FPS	683 FPS
medium	1001 FPS	683 FPS
high	878 FPS	683 FPS
ultra	792 FPS	683 FPS
1440p
low	872 FPS	683 FPS
medium	766 FPS	683 FPS
high	673 FPS	660 FPS
ultra	584 FPS	573 FPS
4K
low	637 FPS	572 FPS
medium	566 FPS	511 FPS
high	503 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	435 FPS	394 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 9950X3D Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Granite Ridge (2024−2025) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 4.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.7 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 70,177 points. Launch price was $699.

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

The Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 June 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) 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/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 27,318 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 9950X3D has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS — a 9.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D (base: 4.3 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Ryzen 9 9950X3D uses the Granite Ridge (2024−2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS uses Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D scores 70,177 against the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS's 27,318 — a 87.9% lead for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 44,500 vs 16,000 (94.2% advantage for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 3,398 vs 2,605, a 26.4% lead for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 22,206 vs 10,348 (72.9% advantage for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D). L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS.

Feature	Ryzen 9 9950X3D	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
Cores / Threads	16 / 32+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.7 GHz+10%	5.2 GHz
Base Clock	4.3 GHz+7%	4 GHz
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)+700%	16 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	8 MB+700%
Process	4 nm	4 nm
Architecture	Granite Ridge (2024−2025)	Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark	70,177+157%	27,318
Cinebench R23 Multi	44,500+178%	16,000
Geekbench 6 Single	3,398+30%	2,605
Geekbench 6 Multi	22,206+115%	10,348

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS uses FP7/FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 9 9950X3D) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS) — the Ryzen 9 9950X3D offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X670E,X670,B650E,B650 (Ryzen 9 9950X3D) and SoC (Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS).

Feature	Ryzen 9 9950X3D	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
Socket	AM5	FP7/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+200%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24+20%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: true (Ryzen 9 9950X3D) vs Yes (Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon Graphics (2 Cores) (Ryzen 9 9950X3D) and Radeon 780M (Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 9950X3D rivals Core Ultra 9 285K.