EPYC 7501 vs Xeon Gold 5218R

EPYC 7501 vs Xeon Gold 5218R Performance Spectrum

EPYC 7501

32 / 64

24,925

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Xeon Gold 5218R

20 / 40

25,000

+0.3%

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 7501 vs Xeon Gold 5218R 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 7501 vs Xeon Gold 5218R: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

EPYC 7501

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+132.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 28 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,925 vs 25,000).
❌24% higher power demand at 155W vs 125W.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Gold 5218R

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 125W instead of 155W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7501 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (28 MB vs 64 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5218R better than EPYC 7501?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, EPYC 7501 is ahead with a 6.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5218R pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark. EPYC 7501 also has the bigger cache pool with 132.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 28 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5218R is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 20 cores and 40 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 5218R still makes the most sense overall. Xeon Gold 5218R comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.3% better PassMark.

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

Xeon Gold 5218R makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017), more multi-core headroom with 20 cores / 40 threads instead of 32/64, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

EPYC 7501 vs Xeon Gold 5218R Technical Specifications

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

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 Gold 5218R

The Xeon Gold 5218R is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 27.5 MB. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2667. Passmark benchmark score: 25,000 points. Launch price was $1,273.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7501 packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5218R offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the EPYC 7501 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the EPYC 7501 versus 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5218R — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 5218R (base: 2 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The EPYC 7501 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5218R uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7501 scores 24,925 against the Xeon Gold 5218R's 25,000 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon Gold 5218R. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7501 vs 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 5218R.

Feature	EPYC 7501	Xeon Gold 5218R
Cores / Threads	32 / 64+60%	20 / 40
Boost Clock	3 GHz	4 GHz+33%
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.1 GHz+5%
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+133%	27.5 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+2460%	20 MB
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	24,925	25,000

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7501 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 5218R uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.