AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX Comparison

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX and AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX are both 95th-percentile CPUs with nearly identical average benchmark scores (76513 vs 76212), but they achieve that status through completely different strategies. The Threadripper PRO wins 13 of 17 head-to-head comparisons, while the Ryzen 9 8945HX takes 4, yet the overall scores remain within 0.4% of each other. This is a classic workstation-versus-mobile showdown where the benchmark suite’s weighting determines the victor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Threadripper PRO 9945WX dominates Cinebench across the board. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 48325 versus 42713 for the Ryzen 9 8945HX, a 13.1% advantage. The same margin repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core (20296 vs 17939) and Cinebench R15 multi-core (4871 vs 4305). Single-core results tell the same story: the Threadripper leads by 13.2% in both R15 (687 vs 607) and R20 (2865 vs 2532), and by 13.1% in R23 (6822 vs 6030). These consistent Cinebench wins indicate the Threadripper’s Zen 5 architecture delivers higher per-thread throughput than the Ryzen 9’s Zen 4 cores, despite the latter having more cores (16 vs 12).

The single largest margin in the entire comparison belongs to the Threadripper in PassMark physics, where it scores 6118 versus 2168 — a staggering 182.2% difference. This is a decisive victory that highlights the Threadripper’s ability to handle simulation workloads with far greater efficiency. Prime number finding also favors the Threadripper heavily: 335 vs 262, a 27.9% edge. PassMark single-thread performance goes to the Threadripper by 17% (4573 vs 3907), and it also wins extended instructions (54406 vs 49823, +9.2%), multithread (56854 vs 51405, +10.6%), and random string sorting (84498 vs 78781, +7.3%).

The Ryzen 9 8945HX fights back in four specific PassMark sub-tests. Its largest win is in data encryption, scoring 40836 versus 36540 — a 10.5% advantage. Data compression goes narrowly to the Ryzen 9 (677755 vs 671963, +0.9%). Floating-point math and integer math each favor the Ryzen 9 by exactly 5%: 117453 vs 111566 for FP, and 195180 vs 185421 for integer. These wins suggest the Ryzen 9’s 16 cores provide an edge in highly parallel arithmetic workloads, even though the Threadripper’s per-core performance is superior.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: pick the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX for any workload where Cinebench scores or physics simulations matter. It wins every single Cinebench test by at least 13.1%, and its 182.2% lead in PassMark physics is the most lopsided result in the comparison. The Threadripper also holds a 17% single-thread advantage, making it the better choice for lightly-threaded applications that still demand high responsiveness.

Pick the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX if your primary tasks involve data encryption, compression, or pure math throughput. Its 10.5% encryption win and 5% leads in both integer and floating-point math demonstrate that its 16-core configuration can outperform the Threadripper in raw arithmetic crunching. However, these wins are narrow compared to the Threadripper’s dominant Cinebench margins, and the Ryzen 9 loses the overall multithread test by 10.6%.

The 0.4% average score difference (76513 vs 76212) means neither CPU is universally faster. The Threadripper is the workstation king for rendering, physics, and single-thread tasks; the Ryzen 9 is a mobile powerhouse for encryption and math-heavy code. Choose based on workload mix, not raw averages.

Where Each One Wins

The Threadripper PRO 9945WX wins in every Cinebench generation tested, from R15 to R23, in both single-core and multi-core. This makes it the clear choice for 3D rendering, video encoding, and any benchmark that reflects content creation. Its PassMark physics score (6118 vs 2168) is so dominant that simulation and scientific computing workloads should favor it without hesitation. The 27.9% lead in prime number finding reinforces this: number-theoretic computations and cryptography-adjacent tasks run faster on the Threadripper. Extended instructions (+9.2%) and random string sorting (+7.3%) further cement its position for data processing and string manipulation. The 17% single-thread advantage means even legacy software that uses one core will feel snappier on the Threadripper.

The Ryzen 9 8945HX wins in data encryption by 10.5%, making it the pick for disk encryption, VPN throughput, or secure communication workloads. Its data compression win, though slim at 0.9%, still gives it the edge in file archiving and database compression. The 5% leads in both floating-point and integer math indicate that scientific number crunching, financial modeling, or any ALU-heavy code will run faster on the Ryzen 9. These are narrow victories, but they are consistent across all three arithmetic categories, suggesting a fundamental architectural advantage for raw computation.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX scores 76513, while the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX scores 76212 — a difference of only 0.4%.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 8945HX beat the Threadripper in any multi-core test?

A: No. The Threadripper wins all three Cinebench multi-core tests (R15, R20, R23) by 13.1% each, and the PassMark multithread test by 10.6%.

Q: What is the largest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: The Threadripper leads by 182.2% in PassMark physics (6118 vs 2168), which is the biggest delta in the entire comparison.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 have more cores than the Threadripper?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 9 8945HX has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Threadripper PRO 9945WX has 12 cores and 24 threads.

Q: Which CPU wins in single-thread performance?

A: The Threadripper wins by 17% in PassMark single-thread (4573 vs 3907) and by 13.2% in Cinebench R20 single-core (2865 vs 2532).

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 achieve its wins despite losing most tests?

A: The Ryzen 9 wins in data encryption (+10.5%), floating-point math (+5%), integer math (+5%), and data compression (+0.9%), all of which are PassMark sub-tests that favor its 16-core configuration.

Architecture Differences

The Threadripper PRO 9945WX uses Zen 5 architecture on a 4 nm process from TSMC, with a codename of Shimada Peak. The Ryzen 9 8945HX uses Zen 4 on a 5 nm process, codenamed Dragon Range. This process advantage contributes to the Threadripper’s higher clock speeds. Both CPUs have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 per core, but the Threadripper’s L3 cache totals 64 MB across the chip, while the Ryzen 9 also has 64 MB L3 — the same capacity.

The Threadripper has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, while the Ryzen 9 starts at 2.50 GHz and boosts to the same 5.40 GHz. This massive base-clock difference (4.70 vs 2.50) explains why the Threadripper wins single-thread tests despite having fewer cores. The Threadripper’s die size is 2x 70.6 mm², while the Ryzen 9 is 2x 71 mm², nearly identical. However, the Threadripper packs 16,630 million transistors versus 13,140 million for the Ryzen 9, reflecting the denser 4 nm process.

Memory architecture differs drastically. The Threadripper supports dual-channel DDR5 with a memory bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s, while the Ryzen 9 supports dual-channel DDR5 with only 83.2 GB/s. The Threadripper also supports ECC memory, which the Ryzen 9 does not. PCIe lanes also diverge: the Threadripper offers 128 Gen 5 lanes (CPU only), while the Ryzen 9 provides 28 Gen 5 lanes. The Threadripper has no integrated graphics, whereas the Ryzen 9 includes a Radeon 610M GPU.

Specification Differences

The core counts differ: 12 cores and 24 threads for the Threadripper versus 16 cores and 32 threads for the Ryzen 9. Base clocks are far apart at 4.70 GHz versus 2.50 GHz, although both boost to 5.40 GHz. Thermal design power is a major split: the Threadripper is rated at 350 W, while the Ryzen 9 is rated at 55 W — a 295 W gap that reflects their different market segments (Server/Workstation versus Mobile).

Sockets are incompatible: the Threadripper uses AMD Socket sTR5, while the Ryzen 9 uses AMD Socket FL1. Memory bus width differs: eight-channel for the Threadripper versus dual-channel for the Ryzen 9. Memory bandwidth is 409.6 GB/s versus 83.2 GB/s. ECC memory support is present only on the Threadripper. PCIe lanes are 128 versus 28, both Gen 5. The Threadripper has no integrated graphics, while the Ryzen 9 has Radeon 610M. Both have unlocked multipliers, but their part numbers differ (100-000000726 vs 100-000001848). Release dates are also distinct: the Threadripper launched on 2025-06-30, the Ryzen 9 on 2025-04-22.