EPYC 72F3 vs Xeon Gold 6154

AMD

EPYC 72F3

8 Cores16 Thrd180 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2021
EPYC family
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VS
Intel

Xeon Gold 6154

18 Cores36 Thrd200 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2017
Similar parts
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EPYC 72F3 vs Xeon Gold 6154 Performance Spectrum

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 72F3 vs Xeon Gold 6154 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 72F3 vs Xeon Gold 6154: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

EPYC 72F3

2021

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +12.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Draws 180W instead of 200W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (27,252 vs 27,457).

Xeon Gold 6154

2017

Why buy it

  • +0.8% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 72F3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 72F3 better than Xeon Gold 6154?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, EPYC 72F3 is ahead with a 12.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6154 pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. EPYC 72F3 also has the bigger cache pool with 934.3% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 25 MB).
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6154 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 18 cores and 36 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
EPYC 72F3 still makes the most sense overall. EPYC 72F3 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 12.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
EPYC 72F3 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2017) and 3D V-Cache and a much larger 256 MB L3 cache instead of 25 MB. That extra cache should keep paying off in CPU-limited games and high-refresh builds.

EPYC 72F3 vs Xeon Gold 6154 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

EPYC 72F3

The EPYC 72F3 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 15 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Milan (2021−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm+ process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 27,252 points. Launch price was $2,468.

Intel

Xeon Gold 6154

The Xeon Gold 6154 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 200 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 27,457 points. Launch price was $3,543.

Processing Power

The EPYC 72F3 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6154 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon Gold 6154 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the EPYC 72F3 versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6154 — a 10.3% clock advantage for the EPYC 72F3 (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3 GHz). The EPYC 72F3 uses the Milan (2021−2023) architecture (7 nm+), while the Xeon Gold 6154 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 72F3 scores 27,252 against the Xeon Gold 6154's 27,457 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon Gold 6154. L3 cache: 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 72F3 vs 24.75 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 6154.

FeatureEPYC 72F3Xeon Gold 6154
Cores / Threads
8 / 16
18 / 36+125%
Boost Clock
4.1 GHz+11%
3.7 GHz
Base Clock
3.7 GHz+23%
3 GHz
L3 Cache
256 MB (total)+934%
24.75 MB (total)
L2 Cache
512 kB (per core)
1 MB (per core)+100%
Process
7 nm+-50%
14 nm
Architecture
Milan (2021−2023)
Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark
27,252
27,457
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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 72F3 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6154 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureEPYC 72F3Xeon Gold 6154
Socket
SP3
LGA3647
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0+33%
PCIe 3.0