EPYC 7261 vs Xeon E-2186M

EPYC 7261 vs Xeon E-2186M Performance Spectrum

EPYC 7261

8 / 16

11,149

0.0%

FX-8370

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

Ryzen 3 7320U

Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

Ryzen 9 7900

Ryzen 9 9950X

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Xeon E-2186M

6 / 12

11,285

+1.2%

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 7261 vs Xeon E-2186M 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 7261 vs Xeon E-2186M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

EPYC 7261

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (11,149 vs 11,285).
❌Launch MSRP is still $501 MSRP, while Xeon E-2186M mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌244.4% higher power demand at 155W vs 45W.

Xeon E-2186M

2018

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 45W instead of 155W, a 110W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7261 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2186M better than EPYC 7261?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, EPYC 7261 is ahead with a 7.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2186M pulls ahead with 1.2% better PassMark. EPYC 7261 also has the bigger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2186M is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Xeon E-2186M is still the faster CPU overall, but EPYC 7261 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon E-2186M comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $501 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.2% better PassMark. The compromise is that EPYC 7261 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 7.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. EPYC 7261 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (22.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

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

Xeon E-2186M is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more room to grow and a better platform outlook.

EPYC 7261 vs Xeon E-2186M Technical Specifications

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

EPYC 7261

The EPYC 7261 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Naples (2017−2018) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 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: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 11,149 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon E-2186M

The Xeon E-2186M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,285 points. Launch price was $623.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7261 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E-2186M offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the EPYC 7261 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the EPYC 7261 versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon E-2186M — a 49.4% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2186M (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The EPYC 7261 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E-2186M uses Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7261 scores 11,149 against the Xeon E-2186M's 11,285 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon E-2186M. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7261 vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2186M.

Feature	EPYC 7261	Xeon E-2186M
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz	4.8 GHz+66%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.9 GHz+16%
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+167%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019)
PassMark	11,149	11,285+1%

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7261 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E-2186M uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.