Ryzen 9 9950X vs EPYC 7281

Primary details

Comparing EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 9950X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	528	55
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	5.30	64.33
Market segment	Server	Desktop processor
Series	AMD EPYC	no data
Architecture codename	Naples (2017−2018)	Granite Ridge (2024)
Release date	29 June 2017 (7 years ago)	15 August 2024 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$650	$649

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 9 9950X has 1114% better value for money than EPYC 7281.

Detailed specifications

EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 9950X 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)	16 (Hexadeca-Core)
Threads	32	32
Base clock speed	2.1 GHz	4.3 GHz
Boost clock speed	2.7 GHz	5.7 GHz
Multiplier	21	no data
L1 cache	96K (per core)	80 KB (per core)
L2 cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)
L3 cache	32 MB (shared)	64 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	14 nm	4 nm
Die size	192 mm2	2x 70.6 mm2
Number of transistors	4,800 million	16,630 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	no data
Unlocked multiplier	+	+

Compatibility

Information on EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 9950X 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
Socket	TR4	AM5
Power consumption (TDP)	170 Watt	170 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 9950X. 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 9950X are enumerated here.

AMD-V

+

+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 9950X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4 Eight-channel	DDR5
Maximum memory size	2 TiB	no data
Max memory channels	8	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	170.671 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	+	-

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

no data

AMD Radeon Graphics

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 9950X.

PCIe version	3.0	5.0
PCI Express lanes	128	24

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.

Pros & cons summary

---

Performance score	14.02	43.23
Recency	29 June 2017	15 August 2024
Chip lithography	14 nm	4 nm

---

Should you still have questions on choice between EPYC 7281 and Ryzen 9 9950X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.

---