EPYC 7272 vs Xeon E5-2696 v4

EPYC 7272 vs Xeon E5-2696 v4 Performance Spectrum

EPYC 7272

12 / 24

25,161

+0.9%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Xeon E5-2696 v4

22 / 44

24,938

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 7272 vs Xeon E5-2696 v4 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 7272 vs Xeon E5-2696 v4: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

EPYC 7272

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 120W instead of 150W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2696 v4 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 55 MB).

Xeon E5-2696 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,938 vs 25,161).
❌25% higher power demand at 150W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7272 better than Xeon E5-2696 v4?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-2696 v4 is ahead with a 9.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7272 pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark. Xeon E5-2696 v4 also has the bigger cache pool with 71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7272 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

EPYC 7272 still makes the most sense overall. EPYC 7272 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.9% better PassMark.

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

EPYC 7272 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2016) and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 22/44. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

EPYC 7272 vs Xeon E5-2696 v4 Technical Specifications

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

EPYC 7272

The EPYC 7272 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 August 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm, 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 25,161 points. Launch price was $625.

Xeon E5-2696 v4

The Xeon E5-2696 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 22 cores and 44 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 55 MB. L2 cache: 5.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCLGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 24,938 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7272 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon E5-2696 v4 offers 22 cores / 44 threads — the Xeon E5-2696 v4 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the EPYC 7272 versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2696 v4 — a 11.8% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2696 v4 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The EPYC 7272 uses the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture (7 nm, 14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2696 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7272 scores 25,161 against the Xeon E5-2696 v4's 24,938 — a 0.9% lead for the EPYC 7272. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7272 vs 55 MB on the Xeon E5-2696 v4.

Feature	EPYC 7272	Xeon E5-2696 v4
Cores / Threads	12 / 24	22 / 44+83%
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	3.6 GHz+12%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+32%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	55 MB+72%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	5.5 MB+1000%
Process	7 nm, 14 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Zen 2 (2017−2020)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	25,161	24,938

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7272 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2696 v4 uses FCLGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.