EPYC 7272 vs Xeon Gold 6242

EPYC 7272 vs Xeon Gold 6242 Performance Spectrum

EPYC 7272

12 / 24

25,161

+0.7%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Xeon Gold 6242

16 / 32

24,994

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 Gold 6242 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 Gold 6242: 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

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 22 MB).
✅Draws 120W instead of 150W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6242 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Xeon Gold 6242

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,994 vs 25,161).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (22 MB vs 32 MB).
❌25% higher power demand at 150W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7272 better than Xeon Gold 6242?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon Gold 6242 is ahead with a 7.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7272 pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark. EPYC 7272 also has the bigger cache pool with 45.5% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 22 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 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 45.5% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 22 MB).

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 0.7% better PassMark.

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

Xeon Gold 6242 is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more room to grow and a better platform outlook.

EPYC 7272 vs Xeon Gold 6242 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 Gold 6242

The Xeon Gold 6242 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 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 22 MB. L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 24,994 points. Launch price was $2,529.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7272 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6242 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon Gold 6242 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the EPYC 7272 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6242 — a 19.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6242 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The EPYC 7272 uses the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture (7 nm, 14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6242 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7272 scores 25,161 against the Xeon Gold 6242's 24,994 — a 0.7% lead for the EPYC 7272. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7272 vs 22 MB on the Xeon Gold 6242.

Feature	EPYC 7272	Xeon Gold 6242
Cores / Threads	12 / 24	16 / 32+33%
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	3.9 GHz+22%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+4%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+45%	22 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	16 MB+3100%
Process	7 nm, 14 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Zen 2 (2017−2020)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	25,161	24,994

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7272 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6242 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.