EPYC 7261 vs Xeon Silver 4208

EPYC 7261 vs Xeon Silver 4208 Performance Spectrum

EPYC 7261

8 / 16

11,149

+1.0%

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 Silver 4208

8 / 16

11,040

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 7261 vs Xeon Silver 4208 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 Silver 4208: 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: +10.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+190.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 11 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $501 MSRP, while Xeon Silver 4208 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌82.4% higher power demand at 155W vs 85W.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Silver 4208

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 85W instead of 155W, a 70W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7261 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,040 vs 11,149).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (11 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7261 better than Xeon Silver 4208?

Yes. EPYC 7261 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 10.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 7261 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 10.8% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7261 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 190.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 11 MB).

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 $501 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 10.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (22.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Xeon Silver 4208 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2018) and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That makes it the safer long-term bet.

EPYC 7261 vs Xeon Silver 4208 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 Silver 4208

The Xeon Silver 4208 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 11 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 11,040 points. Launch price was $417.

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Processing Power

Both the EPYC 7261 and Xeon Silver 4208 share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the EPYC 7261 versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon Silver 4208 — a 9.8% clock advantage for the Xeon Silver 4208 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The EPYC 7261 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Silver 4208 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7261 scores 11,149 against the Xeon Silver 4208's 11,040 — a 1% lead for the EPYC 7261. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7261 vs 11 MB on the Xeon Silver 4208.

Feature	EPYC 7261	Xeon Silver 4208
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz	3.2 GHz+10%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+191%	11 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+6300%	8 MB
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	11,149	11,040

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7261 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Silver 4208 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.