EPYC 7281 vs Xeon E7-8891 v3

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 7281

16 / 32

21,621

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Xeon E7-8891 v3

10 / 20

21,615

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar EPYC 7281

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

577%

#1

Core i9-9990XE

MSRP: $2000|Avg: N/A

4%

#2

Xeon W-11855M

MSRP: $450|Avg: $200

11%

#3

Xeon W-11955M

MSRP: $623|Avg: $450

10%

#4

Xeon W-11865MLE

MSRP: $467|Avg: $350

9%

#5

Xeon W-11865MRE

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

9%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

109%

#9

EPYC 7281

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

97%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

75%

#16

EPYC 7302

MSRP: $978|Avg: $109

74%

#21

Xeon Platinum 8260M

MSRP: $7705|Avg: N/A

68%

#22

Xeon Platinum 8268

MSRP: $6302|Avg: N/A

68%

#24

Xeon Gold 6130H

MSRP: $1894|Avg: N/A

66%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E7-8891 v3

#527

Xeon Platinum 8592+

MSRP: $11600|Avg: $11600

229%

#528

Xeon E5-2687W v3

MSRP: $2141|Avg: $749

215%

#529

Xeon Max 9480

MSRP: $12980|Avg: $12980

202%

#530

Xeon E5-2689 v4

MSRP: $2723|Avg: $100

198%

#531

EPYC 7543

MSRP: $10257|Avg: $468

194%

#532

Xeon Platinum 8368Q

MSRP: $7719|Avg: $7719

191%

#533

Xeon Gold 6250

MSRP: $3400|Avg: $2000

191%

#534

Xeon E5-2699 v4

MSRP: $4115|Avg: $400

190%

#535

Xeon W-3245M

MSRP: $5002|Avg: $5002

180%

#536

Xeon W-3265M

MSRP: $6300|Avg: $3500

178%

#537

Xeon Platinum 8180

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2363

121%

#538

Xeon Platinum 8280M

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $6223

119%

#539

Xeon Platinum 8280

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2940

116%

#540

Xeon E7-8891 v3

MSRP: $6841|Avg: $418

100%

#541

Xeon E5-4669 v4

MSRP: $7007|Avg: $300

79%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The EPYC 7281 (2017) utilizes 14 nm technology and **DDR4 Eight-channel**, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	EPYC 7281	Xeon E7-8891 v3
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($418)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Naples (2017−2018) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EX (2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E7-8891 v3 (2015) relies on 22 nm technology and DDR4-1333/1600/1866, DDR3-1066/1333/1600, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	EPYC 7281	Xeon E7-8891 v3
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($418)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

EPYC 7281 Benchmark Check

Xeon E7-8891 v3 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7281 and Xeon E7-8891 v3

EPYC 7281

The EPYC 7281 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Naples (2017−2018) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 21,621 points. Launch price was $650.

Xeon E7-8891 v3

The Xeon E7-8891 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EX (2015) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1333/1600/1866, DDR3-1066/1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 21,615 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 7281 packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Xeon E7-8891 v3 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the EPYC 7281 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the EPYC 7281 versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E7-8891 v3 — a 25.8% clock advantage for the Xeon E7-8891 v3 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The EPYC 7281 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E7-8891 v3 uses Haswell-EX (2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7281 scores 21,621 against the Xeon E7-8891 v3's 21,615 — a 0% lead for the EPYC 7281. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7281 vs 45 MB (total) on the Xeon E7-8891 v3.

Feature	EPYC 7281	Xeon E7-8891 v3
Cores / Threads	16 / 32+60%	10 / 20
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz	3.5 GHz+30%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	2.8 GHz+33%
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	45 MB (total)+41%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Haswell-EX (2015)
PassMark	21,621	21,615
Geekbench 6 Single	—	900
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,500

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7281 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E7-8891 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	EPYC 7281	Xeon E7-8891 v3
Socket	TR4	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-1866
Max RAM Capacity	—	1536 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	32