EPYC 7501 vs Xeon Gold 6242

EPYC 7501 vs Xeon Gold 6242 Performance Spectrum

EPYC 7501

32 / 64

24,925

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Xeon Gold 6242

16 / 32

24,994

+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 6242 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 6242: 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: +6.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+190.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 22 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,925 vs 24,994).

Xeon Gold 6242

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 150W instead of 155W, a 5W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7501 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (22 MB vs 64 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6242 better than EPYC 7501?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, EPYC 7501 is ahead with a 6.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6242 pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark. EPYC 7501 also has the bigger cache pool with 190.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 22 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6242 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 6242 still makes the most sense overall. Xeon Gold 6242 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 6242 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 32/64. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

EPYC 7501 vs Xeon Gold 6242 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 6242

The Xeon Gold 6242 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 22 MB. L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 24,994 points. Launch price was $2,529.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7501 packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6242 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7501 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the EPYC 7501 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6242 — a 26.1% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6242 (base: 2 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The EPYC 7501 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6242 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7501 scores 24,925 against the Xeon Gold 6242's 24,994 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon Gold 6242. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7501 vs 22 MB on the Xeon Gold 6242.

Feature	EPYC 7501	Xeon Gold 6242
Cores / Threads	32 / 64+100%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	3 GHz	3.9 GHz+30%
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.8 GHz+40%
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+191%	22 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+3100%	16 MB
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	24,925	24,994

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7501 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6242 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.