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The production AMD EPYC 9684X has 96 cores, 192 threads and 1,152 MB of L3 cache. A March 2023 leak report described two prospective Genoa-X parts with that L3 figure and 1,248 MB of combined L2 and L3—not 1,248 MB of L3. AMD’s later specifications confirm the 9684X’s final figures.

What the leaked Genoa-X spec sheet claimed

On March 20, 2023, HotHardware reported that a leaked specification sheet identified two prospective processors by part numbers 100-000000892-04 and 100-000000892-06. The report attributed these specifications to the leak, not to an official AMD announcement:

  • 96 cores
  • 1,152 MB of L3 cache, 96 MB of L2 cache and 3,072 KB of L1 cache
  • 3.7 GHz clock speed
  • Configurable 320–400 W TDP
  • 1,248 MB, or about 1.25 GB, of combined L2 and L3 cache

The cache distinction is important: 1,248 MB was the reported L2-plus-L3 total. The reported L3 component was 1,152 MB. HotHardware’s leak report also treated performance implications as conditional on the leaked information proving accurate.

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AMD EPYC 9684X official specifications

AMD’s final product information identifies the EPYC 9684X as a server processor in the EPYC 9004 family, launched June 13, 2023. Its official specifications are:

Specification EPYC 9684X
Cores and threads 96 cores, 192 threads
Base frequency 2.55 GHz
Maximum boost frequency Up to 3.7 GHz
All-core boost frequency 3.42 GHz
L3 cache 1,152 MB
Default TDP 400 W
Configurable TDP 320–400 W
Platform and socket support SP5; 1P/2P
Memory 12 DDR5 channels, up to 4,800 MT/s; 460.8 GB/s theoretical per-socket bandwidth
Expansion 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes

These are the production specifications published by AMD’s EPYC 9684X product page and its EPYC 9004 series datasheet. AMD lists a 1,000-unit price of $14,756 USD; that is a listed volume price, not evidence of a current retail price or available offer.

How the Genoa-X models compare

AMD’s datasheet lists three Genoa-X models. Their shared memory and I/O specifications make core count, cache, clocks and power useful first points of comparison, but no single spec determines application performance.

Model Cores / threads Base / max boost / all-core boost L3 cache Default TDP Memory and I/O
EPYC 9684X 96 / 192 2.55 / 3.70 / 3.42 GHz 1,152 MB 400 W 12 DDR5 channels, up to 4,800 MT/s; 460.8 GB/s theoretical per socket; 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes; 1P/2P support
EPYC 9384X 32 / 64 3.10 / 3.90 / 3.50 GHz 768 MB 320 W 12 DDR5 channels, up to 4,800 MT/s; 460.8 GB/s theoretical per socket; 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes
EPYC 9184X 16 / 32 3.55 / 4.20 / 3.85 GHz 768 MB 320 W 12 DDR5 channels, up to 4,800 MT/s; 460.8 GB/s theoretical per socket; 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes

The frequencies, cache, power, memory bandwidth and lane counts in this comparison come from AMD’s EPYC 9004 series datasheet. AMD specifies 1P/2P support for the 9684X; the cited datasheet comparison does not state socket support for the other two models.

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Where AMD says the large cache can help

AMD positions the 9684X for technical computing and high-performance computing workloads, including computer-aided engineering (CAE), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), finite element analysis (FEA) and high-capacity data management. Its datasheet also names computational fluid and molecular dynamics, RTL simulation and climate modeling as examples where up to 1,152 MB of L3 may help. AMD’s launch release includes electronic design automation and structural analysis among the intended technical-computing uses. These are workload affinities, not a guarantee that every application will benefit equally.

Rank #3
AMD Epyc 9554 Processor 3.1 Ghz 256 Mb L3, W128281619 (256 Mb L3)
  • Sockel SP5, 64 x 3.1 GHz (Boost 3.75) GHz
  • 384 MB L3 Cache, 64 cores/ 128 threats
  • 12-channel memory support up to DDR5-4800 MHz
  • Max. Performance consumption 360 watts (structural width 5 Nm)
  • Tray (without cooler)

AMD’s datasheet reports a 2.1x average speedup for a particular ANSYS Fluent 2022 R2 CFD comparison: two 96-core EPYC 9684X processors versus two 56-core Intel Xeon 8480+ processors. This is AMD’s result for that specified comparison, not an independent test or a universal multiplier. In its June 13, 2023 launch release, AMD also said EPYC systems with 3D V-Cache could deliver “up to double the design jobs per day in Ansys® CFX®.” That claim is specific to the named workload and retains AMD’s “up to” qualification.

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What to compare before choosing a Genoa-X processor

Cache capacity is only one part of a server CPU decision. For a real deployment, compare the model’s core and thread count, L3 capacity, base and boost frequencies, default and configurable power limits, memory capacity and bandwidth, PCIe connectivity, socket configuration and performance in the software you plan to run. For benchmark results, check that the compared systems use comparable processor counts, software versions and workload settings.

Rank #4
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-core, 12-thread unlocked desktop processor with Wraith Stealth cooler
  • AMD's fastest 6 core processor for mainstream desktop, with 12 processing threads. System Memory Type: DDR4
  • Can deliver elite 100+ FPS performance in the world's most popular games
  • Bundled with the quiet, capable AMD Wraith Stealth cooler
  • 4.6 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 35 MB of cache, DDR-3200 support
  • For the advanced Socket AM4 platform, can support PCIe 4.0 on X570 and B550 motherboards

The 9684X is an SP5 server processor, so a CPU-only specification does not establish that it will work in an arbitrary server. Platform compatibility and the intended one- or two-socket configuration matter alongside the processor’s headline cache figure.

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Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 3
AMD Epyc 9554 Processor 3.1 Ghz 256 Mb L3, W128281619 (256 Mb L3)
AMD Epyc 9554 Processor 3.1 Ghz 256 Mb L3, W128281619 (256 Mb L3)
Sockel SP5, 64 x 3.1 GHz (Boost 3.75) GHz; 384 MB L3 Cache, 64 cores/ 128 threats; 12-channel memory support up to DDR5-4800 MHz
$3,550.00
Bestseller No. 4
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-core, 12-thread unlocked desktop processor with Wraith Stealth cooler
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-core, 12-thread unlocked desktop processor with Wraith Stealth cooler
Can deliver elite 100+ FPS performance in the world's most popular games; Bundled with the quiet, capable AMD Wraith Stealth cooler
$177.73
SaleBestseller No. 5
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Gaming and Content Creation Processor; Max. Boost Clock : Up to 5.7 GHz; Base Clock: 4.3 GHz
$659.00
Best Value
Sale
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor
  • AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Gaming and Content Creation Processor
  • Max. Boost Clock : Up to 5.7 GHz; Base Clock: 4.3 GHz
  • Form Factor: Desktops , Boxed Processor
  • Architecture: Zen 5; Former Codename: Granite Ridge AM5

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