Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs) are widely used in high-performance electric drives due to their high efficiency, torque density, and fast dynamic response. This paper presents a comparative analysis of two advanced torque and current control strategies—Field Oriented Control (FOC) and Direct Predictive Torque Control (DPTC)—applied to PMSM drives. The study evaluates their relative performance across key dimensions including transient response, steady-state characteristics, torque and current ripple, switching frequency behavior, computational complexity, and robustness to parameter variations. Drawing from literature spanning 2010–2025 and supported by simulation-based observations, results show that while FOC provides smooth steady-state performance and ease of implementation, predictive torque control methods exhibit superior transient performance and greater flexibility under dynamic operating conditions. The paper concludes with practical guidelines for selecting control strategies based on application-specific constraints such as switching losses, real-time computational limits, and desired dynamic behavior.