EPYC 7251 vs Xeon Silver 4116

EPYC 7251 vs Xeon Silver 4116 Performance Spectrum

EPYC 7251

8 / 16

14,935

+0.1%

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370

Ryzen 9 8940HX

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Xeon Silver 4116

12 / 24

14,918

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 Silver 4116 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 Silver 4116: 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

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅+93.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 17 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Silver 4116 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌41.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 85W.

Xeon Silver 4116

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 85W instead of 120W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,918 vs 14,935).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (17 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Silver 4116 better than EPYC 7251?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon Silver 4116 is ahead with a 4.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7251 pulls ahead with 0.1% 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, EPYC 7251 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 93.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 17 MB).

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

Xeon Silver 4116 still makes the most sense overall. Xeon Silver 4116 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Xeon Silver 4116 is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more room to grow and a better platform outlook.

EPYC 7251 vs Xeon Silver 4116 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 Silver 4116

The Xeon Silver 4116 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 14,918 points. Launch price was $1,002.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7251 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Silver 4116 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon Silver 4116 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the EPYC 7251 versus 3 GHz on the Xeon Silver 4116 — a 3.4% clock advantage for the Xeon Silver 4116 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The EPYC 7251 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Silver 4116 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7251 scores 14,935 against the Xeon Silver 4116's 14,918 — a 0.1% lead for the EPYC 7251. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7251 vs 16.5 MB (total) on the Xeon Silver 4116.

Feature	EPYC 7251	Xeon Silver 4116
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz	3 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+94%	16.5 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+51100%	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	14,935	14,918

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7251 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Silver 4116 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.