EPYC 7251 vs Xeon D-2166NT

EPYC 7251 vs Xeon D-2166NT Performance Spectrum

EPYC 7251

8 / 16

14,935

0.0%

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370

Ryzen 9 8940HX

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Xeon D-2166NT

12 / 24

15,105

+1.1%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

EPYC 7251 vs Xeon D-2166NT FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

EPYC 7251 vs Xeon D-2166NT: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

EPYC 7251

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+93.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 17 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,935 vs 15,105).
❌41.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 85W.

Xeon D-2166NT

2018

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 85W instead of 120W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7251 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (17 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon D-2166NT better than EPYC 7251?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, EPYC 7251 is ahead with a 8.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon D-2166NT pulls ahead with 1.1% better PassMark. EPYC 7251 also has the bigger cache pool with 93.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 17 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon D-2166NT is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Xeon D-2166NT still makes the most sense overall. Xeon D-2166NT comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1.1% better PassMark.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon D-2166NT makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

EPYC 7251 vs Xeon D-2166NT Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

EPYC 7251

The EPYC 7251 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Naples (2017−2018) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 14,935 points. Launch price was $574.

Xeon D-2166NT

The Xeon D-2166NT is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 February 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB. L2 cache: 12 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2518. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 15,105 points. Launch price was $1,005.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7251 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon D-2166NT offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon D-2166NT has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the EPYC 7251 versus 3 GHz on the Xeon D-2166NT — a 3.4% clock advantage for the Xeon D-2166NT (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2 GHz). The EPYC 7251 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon D-2166NT uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7251 scores 14,935 against the Xeon D-2166NT's 15,105 — a 1.1% lead for the Xeon D-2166NT. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7251 vs 16.5 MB on the Xeon D-2166NT.

Feature	EPYC 7251	Xeon D-2166NT
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz	3 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz+5%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+94%	16.5 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+4167%	12 MB
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	14,935	15,105+1%

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7251 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon D-2166NT uses FCBGA2518 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.