EPYC 7251 vs Xeon E5-2680 v3

EPYC 7251 vs Xeon E5-2680 v3 Performance Spectrum

EPYC 7251

8 / 16

14,935

+0.5%

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370

Ryzen 9 8940HX

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Xeon E5-2680 v3

12 / 24

14,864

0.0%

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 E5-2680 v3 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 E5-2680 v3: 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

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon E5-2680 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,864 vs 14,935).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,745 MSRP, while EPYC 7251 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7251 better than Xeon E5-2680 v3?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-2680 v3 is ahead with a 0.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7251 pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7251 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

EPYC 7251 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-2680 v3 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. EPYC 7251 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,745 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.5% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5-2680 v3 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-2680 v3 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (8.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

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

EPYC 7251 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 12/24. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

EPYC 7251 vs Xeon E5-2680 v3 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 E5-2680 v3

The Xeon E5-2680 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 14,864 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7251 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2680 v3 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon E5-2680 v3 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the EPYC 7251 versus 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2680 v3 — a 12.9% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2680 v3 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The EPYC 7251 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2680 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7251 scores 14,935 against the Xeon E5-2680 v3's 14,864 — a 0.5% lead for the EPYC 7251. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7251 vs 30 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2680 v3.

Feature	EPYC 7251	Xeon E5-2680 v3
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz	3.3 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	2.5 GHz+19%
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+7%	30 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	14,935	14,864

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7251 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2680 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.