EPYC 7303P vs Xeon E7-8857 v2

CPU

GPU

EPYC 7303P

16 Cores32 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon E7-8857 v2

12 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2014

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 7303P

16 / 32

36,487

+0.5%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Xeon E7-8857 v2

12 / 12

36,304

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.

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 7303P

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB).
✅Costs $3,244 less on MSRP ($594 MSRP vs $3,838 MSRP).
✅Delivers 549.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.4 vs 9.5 PassMark/$ ($594 MSRP vs $3,838 MSRP).
✅220% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 40) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Xeon E7-8857 v2

2014

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (36,304 vs 36,487).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (30 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 9.5 vs 61.4 PassMark/$ ($3,838 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).

EPYC 7303P

2023

Xeon E7-8857 v2

2014

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB).
✅Costs $3,244 less on MSRP ($594 MSRP vs $3,838 MSRP).
✅Delivers 549.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.4 vs 9.5 PassMark/$ ($594 MSRP vs $3,838 MSRP).
✅220% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 40) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (36,304 vs 36,487).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (30 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 9.5 vs 61.4 PassMark/$ ($3,838 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7303P better than Xeon E7-8857 v2?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon E7-8857 v2 is ahead with a 0.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7303P pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark. EPYC 7303P also has the bigger cache pool with 113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7303P is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB).

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

EPYC 7303P is the smarter buy today. EPYC 7303P is $3,244 cheaper on MSRP at $594 MSRP versus $3,838 MSRP, and it gives you 0.5% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon E7-8857 v2 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 549.4% better value on MSRP (61.4 vs 9.5 PassMark/$), 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 7303P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2014), 113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB), more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 12/12, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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 7303P Benchmark Check

Xeon E7-8857 v2 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7303P	Xeon E7-8857 v2
1080p
low	159 FPS	178 FPS
medium	130 FPS	142 FPS
high	109 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	145 FPS
medium	113 FPS	113 FPS
high	89 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	67 FPS
medium	57 FPS	56 FPS
high	45 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	35 FPS

Open EPYC 7303P Open Xeon E7-8857 v2

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7303P	Xeon E7-8857 v2
1080p
low	390 FPS	328 FPS
medium	346 FPS	288 FPS
high	283 FPS	241 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	287 FPS
medium	297 FPS	258 FPS
high	251 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	174 FPS
4K
low	203 FPS	188 FPS
medium	186 FPS	169 FPS
high	158 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	127 FPS	114 FPS

Open EPYC 7303P Open Xeon E7-8857 v2

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7303P	Xeon E7-8857 v2
1080p
low	644 FPS	908 FPS
medium	526 FPS	786 FPS
high	469 FPS	744 FPS
ultra	411 FPS	660 FPS
1440p
low	499 FPS	742 FPS
medium	406 FPS	622 FPS
high	356 FPS	589 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	520 FPS
4K
low	368 FPS	467 FPS
medium	286 FPS	365 FPS
high	244 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	260 FPS

Open EPYC 7303P Open Xeon E7-8857 v2

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7303P	Xeon E7-8857 v2
1080p
low	885 FPS	908 FPS
medium	806 FPS	901 FPS
high	696 FPS	767 FPS
ultra	610 FPS	649 FPS
1440p
low	696 FPS	839 FPS
medium	608 FPS	718 FPS
high	521 FPS	607 FPS
ultra	446 FPS	507 FPS
4K
low	498 FPS	581 FPS
medium	445 FPS	508 FPS
high	390 FPS	445 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	376 FPS

Open EPYC 7303P Open Xeon E7-8857 v2

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7303P and Xeon E7-8857 v2

EPYC 7303P

The EPYC 7303P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 September 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Milan (2021−2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 36,487 points. Launch price was $594.

Xeon E7-8857 v2

The Xeon E7-8857 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 12 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 36,304 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 7303P packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Xeon E7-8857 v2 offers 12 cores / 12 threads — the EPYC 7303P has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the EPYC 7303P versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E7-8857 v2 — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E7-8857 v2 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3 GHz). The EPYC 7303P is built on the Milan (2021−2023) architecture. In PassMark, the EPYC 7303P scores 36,487 against the Xeon E7-8857 v2's 36,304 — a 0.5% lead for the EPYC 7303P. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7303P vs 30 MB on the Xeon E7-8857 v2.

Feature	EPYC 7303P	Xeon E7-8857 v2
Cores / Threads	16 / 32+33%	12 / 12
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.6 GHz+6%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3 GHz+25%
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+113%	30 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	—
Process	7 nm-68%	22 nm
Architecture	Milan (2021−2023)	—
PassMark	36,487	36,304

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7303P uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E7-8857 v2 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 3200 on the EPYC 7303P versus 1600 on the Xeon E7-8857 v2 — the EPYC 7303P supports 66.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7303P supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 1536 — 90.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (EPYC 7303P) vs 4 (Xeon E7-8857 v2). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7303P) vs 40 (Xeon E7-8857 v2) — the EPYC 7303P offers 88 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7303P) and C602J (Xeon E7-8857 v2).

Feature	EPYC 7303P	Xeon E7-8857 v2
Socket	SP3	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	3200+100%	1600
Max RAM Capacity	4096+167%	1536
RAM Channels	8+100%	4
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+220%	40

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the EPYC 7303P supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V, IOMMU (EPYC 7303P) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E7-8857 v2). Direct competitor: EPYC 7303P rivals Xeon Gold 6330; Xeon E7-8857 v2 rivals Xeon E7-4850 v2.

Feature	EPYC 7303P	Xeon E7-8857 v2
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	AMD-V, IOMMU	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 7303P launched at $594 MSRP, while the Xeon E7-8857 v2 debuted at $3838. On MSRP ($594 vs $3838), the EPYC 7303P is $3244 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 7303P delivers 61.4 pts/$ vs 9.5 pts/$ for the Xeon E7-8857 v2 — making the EPYC 7303P the 146.6% better value option.