EPYC 7601 vs Xeon Gold 5416S

CPU

GPU

EPYC 7601

32 Cores64 Thrd180 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2017

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon Gold 5416S

16 Cores32 Thrd150 WWMax: 4 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 7601

32 / 64

35,059

0.0%

Ryzen 7 5800HS

Ryzen 7 3800XT

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX

Ryzen 9 8940HX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Xeon Gold 5416S

16 / 32

35,515

+1.3%

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.

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 7601

2017

Why buy it

✅+113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB).
✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 5416S across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (35,059 vs 35,515).
❌20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 5416S moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon Gold 5416S

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (30 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,445 MSRP, while EPYC 7601 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

EPYC 7601

2017

Xeon Gold 5416S

2023

Why buy it

✅+113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB).
✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 5416S across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (35,059 vs 35,515).
❌20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 5416S moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (30 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,445 MSRP, while EPYC 7601 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5416S better than EPYC 7601?

Yes. Xeon Gold 5416S is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 5.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.3% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon Gold 5416S is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 5.4% 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, Xeon Gold 5416S is the better fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 5416S is the smarter buy today. Xeon Gold 5416S is at an unclear MSRP at $1,445 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 5.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (24.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon Gold 5416S is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2017), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of TR4, more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 32/64, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 7601 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 5416S Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7601	Xeon Gold 5416S
1080p
low	187 FPS	186 FPS
medium	165 FPS	153 FPS
high	132 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	146 FPS
medium	127 FPS	115 FPS
high	97 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	71 FPS	68 FPS
medium	63 FPS	57 FPS
high	48 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	36 FPS

Open EPYC 7601 Open Xeon Gold 5416S

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7601	Xeon Gold 5416S
1080p
low	207 FPS	244 FPS
medium	188 FPS	214 FPS
high	160 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	151 FPS
1440p
low	178 FPS	206 FPS
medium	163 FPS	187 FPS
high	141 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	133 FPS
medium	103 FPS	122 FPS
high	92 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	93 FPS

Open EPYC 7601 Open Xeon Gold 5416S

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7601	Xeon Gold 5416S
1080p
low	620 FPS	888 FPS
medium	518 FPS	888 FPS
high	466 FPS	888 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	835 FPS
1440p
low	517 FPS	855 FPS
medium	432 FPS	755 FPS
high	378 FPS	702 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	628 FPS
4K
low	383 FPS	546 FPS
medium	308 FPS	447 FPS
high	270 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	220 FPS	317 FPS

Open EPYC 7601 Open Xeon Gold 5416S

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7601	Xeon Gold 5416S
1080p
low	834 FPS	888 FPS
medium	759 FPS	805 FPS
high	652 FPS	699 FPS
ultra	565 FPS	600 FPS
1440p
low	667 FPS	711 FPS
medium	584 FPS	621 FPS
high	500 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	461 FPS
4K
low	475 FPS	494 FPS
medium	427 FPS	441 FPS
high	375 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	322 FPS	338 FPS

Open EPYC 7601 Open Xeon Gold 5416S

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7601 and Xeon Gold 5416S

EPYC 7601

The EPYC 7601 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 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 35,059 points. Launch price was $4,200.

Xeon Gold 5416S

The Xeon Gold 5416S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 35,515 points. Launch price was $944.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7601 packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5416S offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7601 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the EPYC 7601 versus 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5416S — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 5416S (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2 GHz). The EPYC 7601 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5416S uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7601 scores 35,059 against the Xeon Gold 5416S's 35,515 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon Gold 5416S. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7601 vs 30 MB on the Xeon Gold 5416S.

Feature	EPYC 7601	Xeon Gold 5416S
Cores / Threads	32 / 64+100%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	4 GHz+25%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz+10%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+113%	30 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	35,059	35,515+1%

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7601 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 5416S uses LGA4677 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 2666 on the EPYC 7601 versus 4400 on the Xeon Gold 5416S — the Xeon Gold 5416S supports 49.1% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 5416S supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 2048 — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 8-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7601) vs 80 (Xeon Gold 5416S) — the EPYC 7601 offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7601) and LGA4677 (Xeon Gold 5416S).

Feature	EPYC 7601	Xeon Gold 5416S
Socket	TR4	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	2666	4400+65%
Max RAM Capacity	2048	4096+100%
RAM Channels	8	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+60%	80

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 5416S supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V, SVM (EPYC 7601) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 5416S). Direct competitor: EPYC 7601 rivals Xeon Platinum 8180; Xeon Gold 5416S rivals EPYC 8124P.