EPYC 7261 vs Xeon E5-2618L V3

EPYC 7261 vs Xeon E5-2618L V3 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 E5-2618L V3

8 / 16

11,310

+1.4%

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 E5-2618L 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 7261 vs Xeon E5-2618L 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 7261

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (11,149 vs 11,310).
❌Launch MSRP is still $501 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2618L V3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌106.7% higher power demand at 155W vs 75W.

Xeon E5-2618L V3

2014

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 75W instead of 155W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7261 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7261 better than Xeon E5-2618L V3?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, EPYC 7261 is ahead with a 11.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2618L V3 pulls ahead with 1.4% better PassMark. EPYC 7261 also has the bigger cache pool with 60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2618L V3 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

EPYC 7261 is the better buy right now. EPYC 7261 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $501 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 11.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Xeon E5-2618L V3 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.4% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (22.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

EPYC 7261 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2014) and 60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

EPYC 7261 vs Xeon E5-2618L V3 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 E5-2618L V3

The Xeon E5-2618L V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 75 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 11,310 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

Both the EPYC 7261 and Xeon E5-2618L V3 share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the EPYC 7261 versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E5-2618L V3 — a 15.9% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2618L V3 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The EPYC 7261 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2618L V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7261 scores 11,149 against the Xeon E5-2618L V3's 11,310 — a 1.4% lead for the Xeon E5-2618L V3. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7261 vs 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2618L V3.

Feature	EPYC 7261	Xeon E5-2618L V3
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz	3.4 GHz+17%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+9%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+60%	20 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	11,149	11,310+1%

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7261 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2618L V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.