EPYC 7301 vs Xeon E5-1681 V3

EPYC 7301 vs Xeon E5-1681 V3 Performance Spectrum

EPYC 7301

16 / 32

14,991

+1.2%

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370

Ryzen 9 8940HX

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Xeon E5-1681 V3

10 / 20

14,820

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 7301 vs Xeon E5-1681 V3 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 7301 vs Xeon E5-1681 V3: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

EPYC 7301

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+156% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 25 MB).

Trade-offs

❌25.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 135W.

Xeon E5-1681 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 135W instead of 170W, a 35W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7301 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,820 vs 14,991).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,589 MSRP, while EPYC 7301 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7301 better than Xeon E5-1681 V3?

Yes. EPYC 7301 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 12.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 7301 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 12.1% 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 7301 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 156% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 25 MB).

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

EPYC 7301 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-1681 V3 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. EPYC 7301 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,589 MSRP, and it still gives you a 12.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-1681 V3 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (9.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

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

EPYC 7301 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2014), 156% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 25 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 10/20. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

EPYC 7301 vs Xeon E5-1681 V3 Technical Specifications

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

EPYC 7301

The EPYC 7301 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 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 64 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: 14,991 points. Launch price was $825.

Xeon E5-1681 V3

The Xeon E5-1681 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 14,820 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7301 packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Xeon E5-1681 V3 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the EPYC 7301 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the EPYC 7301 versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-1681 V3 — a 25.8% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-1681 V3 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The EPYC 7301 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-1681 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7301 scores 14,991 against the Xeon E5-1681 V3's 14,820 — a 1.1% lead for the EPYC 7301. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7301 vs 25 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1681 V3.

Feature	EPYC 7301	Xeon E5-1681 V3
Cores / Threads	16 / 32+60%	10 / 20
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz	3.5 GHz+30%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	2.9 GHz+32%
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+156%	25 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	14,991+1%	14,820
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,050
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,000

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7301 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-1681 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	EPYC 7301	Xeon E5-1681 V3
Socket	TR4	LGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	—	768 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	40