Ryzen 9 3900X vs EPYC 7281
Aggregate performance score
Ryzen 9 3900X outperforms EPYC 7281 by an impressive 51% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 3900X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 542 | 269 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 4.64 | 20.48 |
| Market segment | Server | Desktop processor |
| Series | AMD EPYC | AMD Ryzen 9 |
| Power efficiency | 7.57 | 18.50 |
| Architecture codename | Naples (2017−2018) | Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) |
| Release date | 20 June 2017 (7 years ago) | 7 July 2019 (5 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $650 | $499 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Ryzen 9 3900X has 341% better value for money than EPYC 7281.
Detailed specifications
EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 3900X basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 16 (Hexadeca-Core) | 12 (Dodeca-Core) |
| Threads | 32 | 24 |
| Base clock speed | 2.1 GHz | 3.8 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 2.1 GHz | 4.6 GHz |
| Multiplier | 21 | no data |
| L1 cache | 1.5 MB | 768 KB |
| L2 cache | 8 MB | 6 MB |
| L3 cache | 32 MB (shared) | 64 MB |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 7 nm, 12 nm |
| Die size | 213 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 95 °C |
| Number of transistors | 19200 Million | 19,200 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | + |
Compatibility
Information on EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 3900X compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | 2 (Multiprocessor) | 1 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | TR4 | AM4 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 155 W, 170 Watt | 105 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 3900X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| Precision Boost 2 | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 3900X are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 3900X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 Eight-channel | DDR4 Dual-channel |
| Maximum memory size | 2 TiB | 128 GB |
| Max memory channels | 8 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 170.671 GB/s | 51.196 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | + | - |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 3900X.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | no data |
| PCI Express lanes | 128 | no data |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 13.66 | 20.61 |
| Recency | 20 June 2017 | 7 July 2019 |
| Physical cores | 16 | 12 |
| Threads | 32 | 24 |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 7 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 155 Watt | 105 Watt |
EPYC 7281 has 33.3% more physical cores and 33.3% more threads.
Ryzen 9 3900X, on the other hand, has a 50.9% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 2 years, a 100% more advanced lithography process, and 47.6% lower power consumption.
The Ryzen 9 3900X is our recommended choice as it beats the EPYC 7281 in performance tests.
Be aware that EPYC 7281 is a server/workstation processor while Ryzen 9 3900X is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 3900X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
