EPYC 7501 vs Xeon E5-2699 v4

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

EPYC 7501

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2699 v4 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Xeon E5-2699 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 145W instead of 155W, a 10W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,711 vs 24,925).
❌Launch MSRP is still $4,115 MSRP, while EPYC 7501 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

EPYC 7501

2017

Xeon E5-2699 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 145W instead of 155W, a 10W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2699 v4 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,711 vs 24,925).
❌Launch MSRP is still $4,115 MSRP, while EPYC 7501 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2699 v4 better than EPYC 7501?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon E5-2699 v4 is ahead with a 22.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7501 pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7501 is the better fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads.

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

Xeon E5-2699 v4 is the smarter buy today. Xeon E5-2699 v4 is at an unclear MSRP at $4,115 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 22.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 7501 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.9% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (6.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

EPYC 7501 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2016) and more multi-core headroom with 32 cores / 64 threads instead of 22/44. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

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 7501 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2699 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7501	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	187 FPS	187 FPS
medium	165 FPS	164 FPS
high	132 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	154 FPS
medium	127 FPS	130 FPS
high	97 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	71 FPS	70 FPS
medium	63 FPS	62 FPS
high	48 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	39 FPS

Open EPYC 7501 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7501	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	207 FPS	211 FPS
medium	188 FPS	192 FPS
high	160 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	132 FPS
1440p
low	178 FPS	182 FPS
medium	163 FPS	165 FPS
high	141 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	112 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	115 FPS
medium	103 FPS	105 FPS
high	92 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	74 FPS

Open EPYC 7501 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7501	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	620 FPS	618 FPS
medium	518 FPS	618 FPS
high	466 FPS	618 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	618 FPS
1440p
low	517 FPS	618 FPS
medium	432 FPS	618 FPS
high	378 FPS	590 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	532 FPS
4K
low	383 FPS	469 FPS
medium	308 FPS	382 FPS
high	270 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	220 FPS	289 FPS

Open EPYC 7501 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7501	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	623 FPS	618 FPS
medium	623 FPS	618 FPS
high	623 FPS	618 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	623 FPS	618 FPS
medium	584 FPS	618 FPS
high	500 FPS	572 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	484 FPS
4K
low	475 FPS	551 FPS
medium	427 FPS	493 FPS
high	375 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	373 FPS

Open EPYC 7501 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7501 and Xeon E5-2699 v4

EPYC 7501

The EPYC 7501 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 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 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: 24,925 points. Launch price was $3,400.

Xeon E5-2699 v4

The Xeon E5-2699 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). 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: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 24,711 points. Launch price was $4,115.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7501 packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Xeon E5-2699 v4 offers 22 cores / 44 threads — the EPYC 7501 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the EPYC 7501 versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2699 v4 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2699 v4 (base: 2 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The EPYC 7501 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2699 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7501 scores 24,925 against the Xeon E5-2699 v4's 24,711 — a 0.9% lead for the EPYC 7501. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7501 vs 55 MB on the Xeon E5-2699 v4.

Feature	EPYC 7501	Xeon E5-2699 v4
Cores / Threads	32 / 64+45%	22 / 44
Boost Clock	3 GHz	3.6 GHz+20%
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.2 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+16%	55 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	5.5 MB+1000%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	24,925	24,711

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7501 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2699 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.